When the bugle gives its blast,
And the bullets hail hard and fast;
When the country wants its man,
Count on the O’Sullivan,
Looks a sojer every inch
To lead a charge would not flinch.[1]
New Zealand Truth, 15 April 1911
James O’Sullivan (1855 – 1925) was a dedicated civil servant whose life story embodies the resilience and adaptability of a man who rose from humble beginnings in Ireland to become a key figure in New Zealand’s Military Logistics history. He witnessed history and was a driving force behind significant changes in the country’s military logistic infrastructure. This biography examines the life of James O’Sullivan, highlighting his contributions to the Defence Stores Department and his role in providing logistic support to New Zealand’s military forces during crucial periods of conflict.
Born in Ireland in 1855, James O’Sullivan’s early life was marked by modesty and determination. His journey began when he was an agricultural student in Ireland in 1876. However, the allure of New Zealand, often described as the fortunate Isles with their golden apples, captured his imagination. He abandoned his agriculture studies and set out for New Zealand.
He spent a year on the Wild West Coast searching for gold but eventually realised that the best gold mines were not in the ground but in the government buildings in Wellington. So, he crossed Cook Strait and secured a position in the Native Office under Thomas Lewis, Under-Secretary, and the Hon. Johnny Sheehan, the Native Minister.
Office work proved challenging for someone accustomed to outdoor life, prompting O’Sullivan to apply for a transfer to the Armed Constabulary (AC). Under the guidance of Sergeant Major Coleman (later Major), he quickly adapted and became a sharp trooper, training at the Mount Cook depot alongside many future New Zealand Military and Police luminaries.
Assigned to Opotiki in 1878, O’Sullivan’s posting was short as disputes with Māori in the Taranaki in 1879 led to the Opitiki garrison’s recall to Wellington for further training. Following a short training period, O’Sullivan and 100 AC men redeployed to New Plymouth on the Government Schooner rigged steamship SS Stella.
Trooper O’Sullivan enjoyed a fulfilling four-year stint in Taranaki, which reached its pinnacle with the successful capture of Te Whiti and Tohu during the morally questionable Parihaka campaign of 1881. While some of O’Sullivan’s fellow AC troopers, including the renowned Colonel Malone of Gallipoli fame, decided to take their discharge from the AC and settle in the Taranaki, O’Sullivan remained committed to his service in the AC, proceeding to Taupo, where new challenges awaited.
The journey to Taupo involved a five-day march after a redeployment by sea to Napier. Reflecting on this experience in 1916/17, O’Sullivan could not help but smile when comparing it to the march undertaken by the New Zealand Expeditionary Forces (NZEF) over the Rimutakas from Featherston to Trentham. He especially noted the stark contrast in the burdens carried by himself and his fellow AC men as they trudged from Napier to Taupo. In those days, there was no Army Service Corps to provide support. Each man had to shoulder the responsibility of carrying his Snider rifle and 100 rounds of ball cartridge, along with two blankets, a waterproof sheet, greatcoat, haversack, and a day’s ration consisting of four biscuits, a chunk of cold boiled mutton, and some tea and sugar. [2]
During the 1880s, New Zealand grappled with concerns about a potential Russian threat. During this era, O’Sullivan collaborated with fellow AC members to construct fortifications and install artillery in Auckland, Wellington, Lyttelton and Port Chalmers. This effort laid the essential groundwork for New Zealand’s coastal defence system. In 1885, Captain Sam Anderson, who led the Defence Stores, selected O’Sullivan to replace a retiring member of the clerical staff of the Defence Stores. Despite the expectations typically associated with a clerical role, O’Sullivan immediately immersed himself in hands-on store administration. In 1886, O’Sullivan took on the role of Quartermaster for the South Island Volunteer Camp in Oamaru. With this assignment, O’Sullivan began to build his military network, initially encountering Captain Alfred Robin, who would eventually rise to Major-General and Chief of the General Staff, and Heaton Rhodes, who would later serve as a Minister of Defence.[3]
During the subsequent decade, O’Sullivan honed his skills, and following Anderson’s passing in 1899, he stepped into the position of Acting Defence Storekeeper, a role that received official confirmation in November 1900.[4]
In 1889, O’Sullivan married Jessie Hunter Mouat in Wellington. Their union began a family that would grow over the years. In October of the same year, they welcomed their first daughter, Helena Grace. Subsequently, in April 1891, their second daughter, Moya Kathleen, was born. The family continued to expand with the birth of Jessie Madeline in October 1892, followed by the arrival of a son, William Eric, in October 1894. In October 1896, another son, Leo Desmond, joined the family. Finally, on 16 October 1899, the family celebrated the birth of their son James.
During O’Sullivan’s time as Defence Storekeeper, he managed the challenges posed by significant global and domestic conflicts, including the South African War, the 1913 waterfront strikes, and the First World War. O’Sullivan was pivotal in equipping contingents for these conflicts, supporting rifle club meetings and overseeing volunteer and Territorial Force camps. Furthermore, he led the modernisation and transformation of the Defence Stores, introducing new weapons and equipment into a resurgent and growing military force.
O’Sullivan’s dedication and exceptional performance caught the attention of Prime Minister Richard Seddon. In January 1907, he was appointed Director of Ordnance Stores and commissioned into the New Zealand militia as a Quartermaster with the rank of Honorary Captain.[5]
In December 1910, Major General Alexander Godley arrived in New Zealand to assume the position of Commandant of the New Zealand Military Forces with the support of a group of seconded British officers with the mandate to revitalise New Zealand’s military’s organisational and functional framework. As part of this effort, Lieutenant Colonel Knox from the British Army Service Corps (ASC) was seconded to be the Director of Supply and Transport in New Zealand to oversee the establishment of the New Zealand Army Service Corps (NZASC).[6] However, the Director of Equipment and Stores position, held by O’Sullivan, remained without a seconded British officer.
In January 1911, Colonel J.L Wheeler, Army Ordnance Department (retired), offered his services as the Director of Equipment and Stores. After thirty-four years as an Ordnance Officer in the British Army, he had recently retired in New Zealand. Having served in various ordnance roles, including an operational post as the Chief Ordnance Officer in China during the Boxer Rebellion, participating in the relief of the British legation at Peking, Wheeler was highly experienced “in the provision, control, issue and inspection of arms, ammunition, equipment and ordnance stores of every description”.[7]
On receiving Wheeler’s application, Godley was highly positive and applied to the Minister of Defence that Wheeler be appointed as the Director of Equipment and Stores, stating that
The work and responsibilities of the Department of Equipment and Ordnance Stores will be enormously increased under the new scheme. Not only will it be our chief spending Department, but it will also, from the nature of its business, be the department which will be subject to the most searching criticism on the part of those who will make it their business to call public attention to the economy or otherwise of our administration.[8]
Godley viewed O’Sullivan’s service as Director of Equipment and Stores thus far as commendable but harboured reservations about his suitability. Despite O’Sullivan’s experience, Godley believed he lacked the necessary military background to meet the demands of the military expansion. Additionally, Godley believed that a fresh start with an experienced officer devoid of local connections would benefit the Stores Department. In his recommendation for Wheeler’s appointment, Godley emphasised to the minister that this change would not necessitate additional funding, as only nine of the ten Imperial officers originally approved had been secured, and Wheeler’s appointment would serve as a substitute for the tenth officer.[9] Despite Godley’s endorsement of Wheeler as the Director of Equipment and Ordnance Stores, the appointment did not receive approval due to the absence of budget allocation. If approved, it could have reshaped the Defense Stores Department and its response to the events 1914.
Nevertheless, in September 1911, O’Sullivan was granted the rank of Honourary Major, a decision based on the recommendation of Major General Alexander Godley, despite his earlier initial reservations.[10]
On 22 October 1911, tragedy struck O’Sullivan when a devastating drowning accident occurred at Foxton Heads, resulting in the loss of eight lives, including his daughter Grace. While all the bodies, except those of Grace and two children, were promptly recovered, extensive search efforts by O’Sullivan and volunteers eventually resulted in the discovery of Grace’s body on Otaki Beach on 27 October.
As the military transformed from a Volunteer Force to a Citizen Army, it was identified that the current Regimental Quartermaster Sergeants lacked a range of skills related to equipment care, maintenance and accounting responsibility.[11] A course of action to create a professional Regimental Quartermaster Sergeant cadre was undertaken with thirty men selected from the various military districts to undertake three weeks of intensive training at the Defence Stores Department in Wellington.[12] With instruction conducted under a curriculum developed and supervised by O’Sullivan, experienced Defence Stores Department staff conducted practical and theoretical training, providing the New Zealand military with its first logistic-centric military training course.
The 1913 waterfront dispute saw wharf workers take over the main ports and hinder trade. Prime Minister William Massey called for farmers and rural labourers to enlist as special constables to assist the small police force in regaining control of the wharves. In what was a covert military operation, most of the mounted and foot special constables in the capital were territorial soldiers drawn from the Wellington Mounted Rifle Brigade and the 5th (Wellington) Regiment. Colonel Andrew Russell commanded the mounted special constables with the foot special constables, known as the foot special police, under Major Rawdon St John Beere of the 5th (Wellington) Regiment.[13]
Organising accommodations and arranging the commissariat provisions for a thousand men and their horses for an indeterminate period is a significant challenge that requires careful planning, swift action, and a resourceful staff capable of anticipating every need. This responsibility fell upon the Defence Stores, led by O’Sullivan. Under his direction, every inch of space in the Defence Reserve on both sides of Buckle Street was utilised, with the garrison hall transformed into a sprawling boarding facility.[14]
In addition to supplying pistols, ammunition, and batons to the special constables, O’Sullivan also arranged for various small conveniences that the men greatly appreciated. Establishing a camp post office and telephone bureau was his initiative, and he also ensured the provision of daily weather reports so that many farmers among the special constables could stay informed about the weather in their respective districts. O’Sullivan and the staff of the Stores Department worked tirelessly, often getting only two or three hours of sleep out of every twenty-four, frequently labouring from 4 a.m. until midnight nearly every day.
The mobilisation of 1914 was the acid test of the reorganisations and re-equipment of New Zealand’s military forces that Sullivan had logistically facilitated since the South African war. New Zealand’s military was required to mobilise and dispatch an expeditionary force and provide the organisational structures to maintain a sustained reinforcement programme, coastal defence and Keypoint Security trooops. Supporting this tremendous effort was O’Sullivan and his Defence Stores.
As the NZEF finalised its preparations before the departure of the NZEF Main body transport ships, General Godley visited the Defence Stores on 24 September and thanked O’Sullivan and the Defence Stores Staff for their contribution to mounting the NZEF. The Dominion reported that,
In saying “au revoir” General Godley paid tribute to the work of the store staff under Major O’Sullivan in equipping the Expeditionary Forces. The complimentary remarks of General Godley were greatly appreciated by the store staff, whose work has been extremely arduous. But there is much recompense in appreciation when none is looked for in this time of stress.[15]
From the early days of the mobilisation, gossip circulated, questioning O’Sullivan’s integrity and the Defence Stores business practices. Some business community members expressed dissatisfaction with the past and present methods of the Defence Stores. Aware of such gossip as early as October 1914, Godley departed on 16 October and had been at sea for ten days before preparing a handwritten note to Colonel James Allen, the New Zealand Minister of Defence. Reacting to what could only be described as gossip, Godley’s note set in motion a series of events that questioned the integrity and performance of the Defence Stores and led to O’Sullivan’s removal as Director of Stores. Godley wrote that he had “heard a good deal of talk about the conduct of the Stores at Wellington and criticism of J O’Sullivan”, adding that the Coast Defence Commander had spoken to him about irregularities with the Defence Stores. Opening up to Allen, Godley aired his view that he had little doubt “that O’Sullivan and probably some of his subordinates are, like all Quartermasters and Storekeepers feathering their nests to a certain extent”. However, Godley balanced this statement by stating, “the equipping of this Force and the South African contingents, by O’Sullivan, was extremely well done”. Godley recommended that it was the right time for an entity such as the Public Service Commissioner to audit the Defence Stores as the store’s accounting system had grown to the stage where he was sure more checks were required. Godley concluded his note to Allen with a caveat that whatever the end state of the Audit, “the good work done by O’Sullivan and his Department should not be overlooked.”[16]
It was not until July 1915 that pressure from outside of the military forced Allen, under the Commission of Inquiry Act 1908, to have a Commission of Inquiry (COI) appointed by the governor-general to investigate the business methods adopted by the Defence Stores, in particular procedures related to the purchase of stores. Probing the Defence Store from July through to August, the Commission questioned over forty witnesses, including General Robin, O’Sullivan, key appointment holders in the Defence Stores and representatives of many businesses with relationships with the Defence Stores.
In discussing the Director of Stores position, the Commission correctly stated that this position was not clearly defined as the appointment had dual responsibility to both the Public Service Commission and the Minister of Defence. Robin clarified O’Sullivan’s situation in that,
Except for the interference by the Public Service Commissioner, he is filling the position under the designation of QMG3. This is the pith of the whole question. This dual control cannot tend to efficiency. If the control of the Public Service Commissioner is to continue all officials under the Public Service Commissioner should only be so as regards pay and advancement; in all other matters, they must be under the Commandant under regulations, Major 0’Sullivan is under military law as an Officer.[17]
Based on Robin’s replies and remarks, it is evident that the Defence Stores Commission investigation was not impartial and poorly conducted with a lack of depth, leading to the assumption that the commission members approached the investigation with preconceived ideas about O’Sullivan and the Defence Stores. Despite the points highlighted by the report that Robin easily rebutted, it is apparent that the Defence Stores had the military’s confidence. Robin reported to Allen in December on the Defence Stores Enquiry that,
It must be satisfactory to you to note that there is no real ground for the alarmist reports which last year, and during the early part of this year, were so freely circulated. [18]
Following Robin’s correspondence, Allen updated Godley with the news that the “Stores Department, about which there was an inquiry, has come fairly well out of it”.[19] It must be remembered that Godley’s private conversations and reaction to gossip, summarised in his correspondence to Allen in October 1914, helped fuel speculation about O’Sullivan.
1915 had not been kind to O’Sullivan, and after being found at no fault following the Stores Commission enquiry, he still faced a toxic relationship with the Board of Supply, a new organisation created to relieve the Defence Stores of provisioning responsibilities. The year’s strain affected O’Sullivan’s health, and he suffered two mental breakdowns, which forced him on an extended leave break from 18 October 1915 following an inspection of the Auckland Military District.[20] On hearing that O’Sullivan was to resume work early in January 1916, the Board of Supply reacted by sending the following message to Arthur Myers, the Minister of Munitions,
We understand that O’Sullivan has been instructed to resume duty on 4 January although his leave does not expire until 18th. Our opinion is that he should not be allowed to resume duty under any circumstances. The Board are of the opinion that his reinstatement would not be to the advantage of the department and would force the Board to seriously consider its position.[21]
This ultimatum placed the military in a difficult position. O’Sullivan’s long service and experience had been highly beneficial to the Defence establishment, and based on the Stores Commission report findings, there was no justification for his removal. This impasse continued until February, when negotiations between Robin and the Board agreed upon several initiatives agreeable to both parties, allowing progress forward. Robin proposed to the Board that an “Inspecting Quartermaster” post be created to provide the Commandant with an advisor on Military equipment specifications. This post was seen as necessary due to O’Sullivan’s long service. It allowed him to remain in the service for eighteen months until his planned retirement while moving him to a post amicable to the Board.
On 8 April 1916, Captain Thomas McCristell, the Trentham Camp Quartermaster, was formally appointed to O’Sullivan’s post as the redesignated Director of Equipment and Ordnance Stores and QMG3 with the honorary rank of Major.[22] Updating Godley, Allen reported that
Captain McCristell has been placed in 0’Sullivan’s position, the latter being made Inspector of 0rdnance Stores. I should think 0’Sullivan has been more enquired into than any other officer in the department, but nothing very detrimental has come out about him; however, it seemed to me to be wise, especially in view of the fact that the Supplies Board -which is under the control of the Hon. Mr Myers, was so determined about it, that he should give up his position as head of the Stores. I have every confidence that McCristell will do well there. [23]
Although Allen still held O’Sullivan in high regard, Godley’s response was less optimistic, and he made it clear that he did not hold O’Sullivan in the same esteem as Allen replying,
I am sorry, but not altogether surprised, to hear about 0’Sullivan. I think you know my feeling about him, which is that considering the class of man he is, and the opportunities he has had, one can only be astonished at his moderation. Ninety-nine out of a hundred in his position would have made a large fortune.[24]
Signalling the end of the Defence Stores Department era was the resignation of O’Sullivan in January 1917.[25] At his request, on 31 January 1918, O’Sullivan retired from active duty after nearly thirty-nine years of continuous service, sixteen years of which he was in charge of the Defence Stores. In what must have been a bittersweet decision, O’Sullivan had provided thirty-nine years of continuous service in the Defence Department, seventeen of which were the head of the Defence Stores. Joining the service as an Armed Constabulary Trooper sent into the field with only “his Snider and 100 rounds, two blankets, waterproof sheet, greatcoat and haversack”, O’Sullivan must have been satisfied that because of his contribution, the New Zealand soldier of 1917 (including two of his sons) was as well-equipped and supported as those in any other modern army.[26]
After retiring from the service, O’Sullivan established his residence on a farm near Huntly, where he lived until he passed away on Christmas Eve 1925. His widow and two sons, James and William, who worked alongside him on the Huntly farm, and two daughters, Mrs Kathleen Lawson and Jessie, survived him. During the war, his son William served as an Armourer Sergeant in the New Zealand Army Ordnance Corps and achieved recognition as a prominent Wellington representative Rugby player. Regrettably, Lieutenant Desmond O’Sullivan, another son, tragically lost his life in the Great War.
Major O’Sullivan spent most of his working life in Wellington, where he actively participated as a member of the Hibernian Society and the Wellington Bowling Club. His funeral occurred in Wellington, and he was laid to rest next to his daughter Grace in Karori Cemetery.
Major James O’Sullivan’s life is a remarkable testament to resilience and adaptability. From humble beginnings in Ireland, his journey led him to New Zealand, where he played a pivotal role in shaping the country’s military logistics history. His dedication to the Defence Stores Department and his unwavering commitment to providing logistical support during critical periods of conflict showcased him as a dedicated civil servant. O’Sullivan’s career began in the Armed Constabulary, where he swiftly adapted to the demands of military life. His roles as Defence Stores clerk and later Defence Storekeeper highlighted his hands-on approach to store administration and his ability to build a robust military logistic network. His leadership in modernising the Defence Stores and introducing new equipment contributed significantly to New Zealand’s growing military capabilities. Despite facing personal tragedies, O’Sullivan continued to make substantial contributions. His creation of a professional Regimental Quartermaster Sergeant cadre and his pivotal role in managing the military logistics related to the 1913 waterfront dispute underscored his indispensable value to the military. When World War I erupted, O’Sullivan played a crucial part in equipping and supporting the forces. Unfortunately, he also endured controversy and unjust allegations, leading to his removal as Director of Equipment and Stores—a sombre end to an illustrious career.
While history has somewhat forgotten his contributions to New Zealand’s military logistics, this article aims to rekindle interest in O’Sullivan’s remarkable achievements.
Notes
[1] “Storekeeper Defence Department Wellington,” NZ Truth, Issue 303 15 April 1911, https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/newspapers/NZTR19110415.2.24.
[2] “Major James O’Sullivan,” Free Lance, Volume XVI, Issue 867, 16 February 1917, https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/newspapers/NZFL19170216.2.36.
[3] “Major James O’Sullivan.”
[4] “Defence Storekeeper Appointed,” New Zealand Gazette No 98 p. 2154., 29 November 1900.
[5] “New Zealand Militia Honorary Officer appointed,” New Zealand Gazette No 45, 23 May 1907.
[6] Julia Millen, Salute to service: a history of the Royal New Zealand Corps of Transport and its predecessors, 1860-1996 (Wellington: Victoria University Press, 1997, 1997), 42-49.
[7] “Colonel J L Wheeler A O D applies for position of Director of Equipment [ and ] Ordnance Stores,” Archives New Zealand Item ID R24763490 (Wellington) 1911.
[8] “Director of Equipment and Ordnance Stores – Proposals for appointment of,” Archives New Zealand Item ID R24763374 (Wellington) 1911.
[9] “Director of Equipment and Ordnance Stores – Proposals for appointment of.”
[10] “Appointments, Promotions, Transfers, Resignations and Retirement of Staff and Territorial Force Officers,” New Zealand Gazette No 74, 21 September 1911.
[11] “Arms and Uniforms,” New Zealand Times, Volume XXXIII, Issue 7978 (Christchurch), 8 December 1911, https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/newspapers/NZTIM19111208.2.104.
[12] “Defence System,” Otago Daily Times, Issue 13786, 22 November 1911, https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/newspapers/ODT19111122.2.80.
[13] John Crawford, “Overt and covert military involvement in the 1890 Maritime Strike and 1913 Waterfront Strike in New Zealand,” Labour History, no. 60 (1991).
[14] “Peeps at the Barracks,” Dominion, Volume 7, Issue 1903, (Wellinfgton), 11 November 1913, https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/newspapers/DOM19131111.2.76.
[15] “Defence Stores Staff,” Dominion, Volume 7, Issue 2264, , 25 September 1914, https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/newspapers/DOM19140925.2.47.
[16] “Correspondence Major General Godley to James Allen 26 October 1914,” R22319698 – Ministerial Files – Correspondence with General Godley (1914).
[17] Wellington Defence Storekeeper, “Defence Store Commission (Commission of Inquiry re Defence Stores), July 1915 – September 1915,” Archives New Zealand Item No R3898696 (1915).
[18] Defence Storekeeper, “Defence Store Commission (Commission of Inquiry re Defence Stores), July 1915 – September 1915.”
[19] “Correspondence James Allen to Major General Godley 4 January,” R22319698 – Ministerial Files – Correspondence with General Godley (1916).
[20] “Reports Report on equipment etc. Auckland District Major O’Sullivan,” Archives New Zealand Item No R22432211 (1915).
[21] “Munitions and Supplies Board, August 1915 April 1921,” Archives New Zealand Item No R3898765 (1915-21).
[22] The officer selected to replace O’Sullivan was Lieutenant (Temporary Captain) Thomas McCristell. A professional soldier with a flair for administration, McCristell had been pre-war Adjutant to the 2nd Battalion, 17th (Ruahine) Regiment before being appointed as the Camp Quartermaster at Trentham Camp. “McCristell. Thomas James,” Personal File, Archives New Zealand (Wellington) 1914.
[23] “Correspondence James Allen to Major General Godley 13 April “, R22319698 – Ministerial Files – Correspondence with General Godley (1916).
[24] “Correspondence Major General Godley to James Allen 24 March,” R22319699 – Ministerial Files – Correspondence with General Godley (1916).
[25] “Retired on Superannuation,” Evening Post, Volume XCIII, Issue 28, 1 February 1917, https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/newspapers/EP19170201.2.78.
[26] “Major James O’Sullivan.”
