DOS visit to NZAOD – January 1986

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Established on 1 October 1974, the New Zealand Advanced Ordnance Depot (NZAOD) was the New Zealand Ordnance Depot supporting the New Zealand Forces that remained in Singapore after the withdrawal of Australian and British forces from the ANZUK alliance.

NZAOD Entrance

The main entrance to NZAOD. Robert McKie Collection

Under the command of Major T.D Mcbeth, NZAOD was established as a self-contained and independent depot, with all the Ordnance functions expected of an Ordnance Depot in New Zealand.  From 1974 to 1989 NZAOD with its two-year posting for both married and single servicemen, would be the most desirable posting for New Zealand Ordnance Officers and Soldiers. At its peak, NZAOD would have a military strength of 25, supported by 75 Locally employed civilians(LEC’s). Many of the civilian staff had been with NZAOD since its formation in 1974, with many already having long service with the British and Australian forces.

NZAOD View 3

The NZAOD building. Robert Mckie collection

NZAOD View 5

Northwest view of NZAOD Building. Robert McKie Collection

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HM Naval Base Singapore C1962

 

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HM Naval Base, Singapore. Dockyard area as at January 1942. British Museum

The main NZOAD building consisted of a large two-storied ferroconcrete purpose-built warehouse, constructed in the 1930s as No 2 Store House of His Majesty’s Naval Base Singapore. Paid for in part by New Zealand contributions of £1 Million between 1928 and 1936,[1] the Singapore base was designed to be a bastion of defence against Japan. Weakened by the war in Europe which led to the neglecting of the intended land and air defences in Malaya, Singapore fell to Japanese forces after a short campaign in February 1942, placing the future NZAOD Store under the ownership of the Japanese Navy until 1945. Returned to British ownership in late 1945, the building would be handed over to New Zealand control in 1974. A portion of the north end of the building was shared with Headquarters NZ Force South East Asia with the remainder of the building belonging to NZAOD. NZAOD also had a tenancy of a Cold Store and a transport section to the north of the main warehouse, both of which were constructed in the post-war era.

 

Major Crafts OCIn January 1986, the NZAOD now under the command of Major B.L Crafts hosted the first Officer Commanding of NZAOD who was now the Director of Ordnance Services (DOS) Lieutenant Colonel Mcbeth.[2] DOS was undertaking a final tour as he prepared to hand over the duties of DOS to Lieutenant Colonel Corkin. It was not uncommon for the sitting DOS to visit, but this particular occurrence is significant, as using the latest video recording technology of the time,a video was produced to record the DOS visit. The resulting video although suffering some degradation provides a revealing snapshot of NZAOD as a January 1986.

With the original recording at an hour long, for ease of viewing it has broken-down into easy to view episodes

Part One

Tour of NZAOD January 1986, Part 1

Part one opens with the OC, Major Crafts and 2IC Captain John Govan, It then shows the Provision Control and Accounts Sections (PC&A). Notable is the absence of desktop computers, but there are typewrites and, in the background, bins containing MD310 ledger cards can be seen. These ledger cards were originally designed to be used with NCR business machines but by 1986 the unreliability of the machines and lack of support had caused them to be withdrawn from service in NZAOD with all ledger transactions carried out manually. The Ledger cards would be replaced by the computer mainframe-based Defence Supply System Development (DSSD) in mid-1987.

The single NZAOD Computer10550078_10152647755912867_7799335649563261586_o10550037_10152647797377867_539603964594090354_o10560366_10152647757222867_6895249663581160794_o10636461_10152647759762867_1401822615340289789_o10636514_10152647758262867_4703075205560893586_o10636631_10152647759112867_3843140255294397404_o10636565_10152647760262867_4172306291580047666_o10629284_10152647759537867_5391386835928625288_oAccomadation Stores 1Ammo SectionWO2 Le Gros10644566_10152647760102867_1081196340042601763_o10644542_10152647760747867_7854169441387760209_o10626310_10152647754592867_2521608283835253088_o10457673_10152647798152867_6508320381834276107_o1926165_10152647758022867_6712424884025133082_o1891427_10152647753807867_2598060697845645015_o1800172_10152647762257867_6593236161189896606_o906658_10152647754132867_3621628787069737802_o

The tour then continues into the Claims showing the use of the only computer in NZAOD. Continuing on into Local Purchase, Orderly room, IAS and Accommodation Section office. The Accommodation section was unique to NZAOD in that it managed the accommodation stores for the entire New Zealand Force South East Asia, cutlery, crockery, furniture, bedding and all other stores required to furnish a married quarter.

Part Two

Tour of NZAOD January 1986, Part 2

Guided by the Stores Warrant Officer (SWO) Warrant Officer Class One Goddard, the ground floor of the NZAOD warehouse is shown as is the spartan office accommodation. The video continues by showing the Returned Stores ad Disposals Section (RSDS) carpenters and rattan workshop, seamstresses and views of pallets of stock and piles of Rattan Chairs finishing with the NZ Force Quartermaster Store.

NZAOD Accommodation Stores, Outdoor Chair. Robert McKie Collection
NZAOD Accommodation Stores, Fridge Freezer. Robert McKie collection
NZAOD Packing, Inspection and Preservation (PIP) Bay Sign
NZAOD Shed 202 Door. Robert McKie Collection

Part Three

Tour of NZAOD January 1986, Part 3

Part Three concentrates on the Cold Store and shows the staff hard at work undertaking maintenance, the production line for the locally manufactured “Gerber Packs” followed by some general views of the area.

10551457_10152647779252867_4584731409712621041_oCold StoreCold Store (2)

Part Four

Tour of NZAOD January 1986, Part 4

Par Four moves to Dieppe Barracks to the 1RNZIR Light Aid Detachment Stores Section. RNZAOC Stores Sections were attached to all Army workshops to provide the spares support required to enable repairs Although not part of NZAOD the Stores Section it was still an RNZAOC unit.

The video then moves to the Direct Support Section (DSS) in Dieppe Barracks. DSS’s were the RNZAOC units responsible for providing clothing and accessories to dependent units.

Part Five

Tour of NZAOD January 1986, Part 5

DOAZN Room

Part Five concentrates on the DOAZN Room, which was the social hub of the unit.

Part Six

Tour of NZAOD January 1986, Part 6

Is a view to rousing music of NZOD from the Plunge pool hill.

 

NZAOD Farewell parade for DOS

NZAOD Farewell parade for DOS, January 1986

This video is on the formal parade for the DOS. Held on the roof of NZAOD, the military are inspected first and then the DOS takes the time to greet the civilian staff, many of whom he would have known from his time as OC.

DOS VISIT NZAODDOS VISIT NZAOD_0002DOS VISIT NZAOD_0003DOS VISIT NZAOD_0004

 

Social Function

The final video is of an NZAOD social function including some activities that in today’s environment would probably be considered inappropriate.

NZAOD Social Function, Jan 1986

 

Copyright © Robert McKie 2018

Notes:

[1] I. C. McGibbon and Paul William Goldstone, The Oxford Companion to New Zealand Military History (Auckland; Melbourne; Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2000, 2000), Bibliographies, Non-fiction, 495.

[2] Lieutenant Colonel Macbeth was DOS from  July 1983 to Jan 1986 Major J.S Bolton, A History of the Royal New Zealand Army Ordnance Corps (Trentham: RNZAOC, 1992), 251.

1st NZ Army Tank Brigade Ordnance

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Formation Sign 1 NZ Tank Brigade

Established at Waiouru in October 1941, the 1st NZ Army Tank Brigade was formed with the clear objective of undergoing six months of training in New Zealand before its deployment to the Middle East. This brigade was earmarked to furnish armored support for the 2nd NZ Division, and its structure encompassed three Tank Battalions along with various auxiliary units. Among these supporting units were those from the Medical Corps, ASC (Army Service Corps), Signals, and Ordnance. The Ordnance contingent included:

  • A Second Line Workshop.
  • A Third Line Workshop.
  • Two Ordnance Field Parks, each aligned with a workshop.
  • Three Light Aid Detachments, one assigned to each Tank Battalion.

These Ordnance units played a vital role in maintaining and servicing the brigade’s equipment and vehicles, ensuring they remained operational and battle-ready.

TANK BDE ORD
Ordnance within the 1st NZ Tank Brigade

The leadership of the Ordnance units within the Brigade was selected from the ranks of the 2nd NZ Division and returned to New Zealand in late 1941. Given that the New Zealand Ordnance Corps was a newly established unit, the majority of new recruits had to be sourced from civilian garages, workshops, and industries. Some specialists were also drawn from NZAOC workshops and individuals who had returned from the Middle East. Most of these specialist personnel underwent training at the Main Ordnance Workshop in Trentham, while the remaining few were prepared at the new AFV (Armored Fighting Vehicle) school in Waiouru.1

New Zealand is ready.

However, as of December 1941, when Japan entered the war and swiftly advanced, capturing a significant portion of Southeast Asia and the Pacific, the priority shifted to home defense. Consequently, plans to deploy the 1st NZ Army Tank Brigade to the Middle East were postponed, and the unit’s role was adapted to meet the immediate defense needs of New Zealand.2

Following a period of reorganisation, the Brigade received orders for deployment in April 1942. Its elements were dispersed as follows:

  • Brigade HQ was renamed Independent Squadron and deployed to the South Island.
  • 1 Tank Battalion was deployed to Northland.
  • 2 Tank Battalion was deployed to Manawatu.
  • 3 Tank Battalion was deployed to Pukekohe.

This dispersion presented significant challenges for the Ordnance organisation, which had initially been designed to support the Brigade as a cohesive unit within a 70-mile radius in the flat North African desert. Now, Ordnance struggled to provide support to the dispersed Brigade units scattered across rural New Zealand, where suitable roads were scarce, and limited railway capacity could handle ancillary equipment like specialist workshop bins and machinery trucks.

To ensure optimal support for the Brigade units, the Ordnance organisation underwent a reorganization by July 1942. This restructuring led to the establishment of what could be described as “Super-LADs,” encompassing the Army Tank Ordnance Workshop and 32, 33, and 34 Light Aid Detachments (LADs). These Super-LADs provided both 1st and 2nd line support for A and B vehicles, armaments, and specialist spares.

Third-line support was furnished by the Tank Brigade Ordnance Workshop at Trentham and the Railway Workshops at Otahuhu. Subsequent changes unfolded in November 1942 with the gradual disestablishment of the 1st NZ Tank Brigade:3

  • No. 1 Tank Battalion and 32 LAD remained in the home defense role in the Auckland/Northland area.
  • No. 2 Tank Battalion, the Army Tank Ordnance Workshop, and the Ordnance Field Park were dissolved and became part of the 3 NZ Division Independent Tank Battalion Group for service in the Pacific.
  • No. 3 Tank Battalion and 33 LAD were deployed to the Middle East for service with the 2nd NZ Division, where they were dissolved and formed the nucleus of the 4th NZ Armored Brigade.
  • 34 LAD was stationed with the Independent Tank Squadron at Harewood on the South Island.
  • The Tank Brigade Ordnance Workshop and Ordnance Field Park remained at Trentham, eventually being fully integrated into the Base Ordnance Workshops.

tank

A Valentine Mk V of the Brigade HQ Squadron, Dunedin,1943. http://kiwisinarmour.hobbyvista.com

By June 1943, the remaining units of the 1st NZ Army Tank Brigade had been disbanded. The 1 Tank Battalion Group and 32 LAD, based at Pukekohe, and the Independent Tank Squadron and 34 LAD, based at Harewood, were all demobilised. Ordnance personnel from these disbanded units were faced with two options: they were either deployed to the 2nd or 3rd Divisions in Italy and the Pacific to serve as reinforcements, or they were assimilated into other ordnance units within New Zealand for the duration of the war.

It’s worth noting that the 1st NZ Army Tank Brigade held a unique distinction during this time. While it was the only unit authorised to wear the 2NZEF ‘Onward’ badge, its members also sported a distinctive insignia on both arms. This insignia consisted of a one-inch square patch in the arm of service colors, which were purple for the Navy and Post Office Blue for Ordnance. Superimposed onto this patch was a miniature RTR (Royal Tank Regiment) ‘Tank’ symbol.3,4

Tank Brigade Ordnance Workshops and OFP identifying patch. Malcolm Thomas Collection
Army Tank Ordnance Workshops, OFP and LAD identifying patch. Malcolm Thomas Collection

Copyright © Robert McKie 2017

 

 

Notes

  1. Cooke, Warrior Craftsmen, Wellington: Defence of NZ Study Group, 2016.
  2. Henley, “The Tanks an Unofficial History of the Activities of the Third New Zealand Division Tank Squadron In the Pacific,” in TANKS, MMGS & ORDNANCE, Wellington, Reed Publishing (NZ) Ltd, 1947.
  3. Plowman and M. Thomas, New Zealand Armour in the Pacific 1939-45, Christchurch: Jeffrey Plowman, 2001.
  4. Documents Relating to New Zealand’s Participation in the Second World War, Wellington, New Zealand: R. E. Owen, Government Printer, 1951.
  5. Oldham, Badges and insignia of the New Zealand Army, Auckland: Milimen Books, 2011.
  6. M. Thomas and C. Lord, NZ Army Distinguishing Patches 1911-1991, Wellington: Malcolm Thomas and Cliff Lord, 1995.
  7. J. Bolton, A History Of the Royal New Zealand Army Ordnance Corps., Wellington: RNZAOC, 1992.