Royal Canadian Ordnance Corps

Last updated
Royal Canadian Ordnance Corps
Corps royal canadien des munitions
Badge of the Royal Canadian Ordnance Corps.svg
The badge of the Royal Canadian Ordnance Corps
Active19191968
CountryFlag of Canada (Pantone).svg  Canada
BranchFlag of the Canadian Army (1968-1998).svg  Canadian Army
Type administrative corps
Role Supply chain management, transportation, human resource management, finance, and food services, movements, postal, and ammunition
SizeCorps
Garrison/HQ Montreal
Motto(s) Honi Soit Qui Mal Y Pense (French, "Shame to Him Who Thinks Evil of It"; from the motto of the Order of the Garter)
MarchThe Village Blacksmith

The Royal Canadian Ordnance Corps (RCOC; French : Corps royal canadien des munitions, CRCM) was an administrative corps of the Canadian Army. The Royal Canadian Ordnance Corps RCOC can trace its roots back to the Canadian Stores Department. Formed in 1871, the Canadian Stores Department was a civil department of the Canadian Government. This civil service was charged with control of forts, ammunition, stores, buildings and an ordnance depot left by the departing British Military.

Contents

On 1 July 1903 the responsibilities of the Canadian Stores Department were transferred to the Ordnance Stores Corps. In 1907 it was renamed the Canadian Ordnance Corps (COC). [1] [2]

World War I

Grave in Cathays Cemetery, Cardiff of Sgt W Norval, who died in September 1920 CathaysCemy CWGCGrave CanadianOrdnanceCorps Norval.jpg
Grave in Cathays Cemetery, Cardiff of Sgt W Norval, who died in September 1920

In the First World War the COC, in conjunction with the CASC, was supporting 400,000 men, 150,000 French civilians and 25,000 horses. In 1919, for recognition of outstanding service during the War, King George V authorized the “Royal” designation. [1]

World War II

The Militia component of the now-Royal Canadian Ordnance Corps was not authorized until 1912, and redesignated with the Royal prefix in 1936 (probably on 29 April 1936). [3]

During the Second World War, the corps had a strength of 35,000 military personnel, not including the thousands of civilian personnel employed at corps installations. They procured all the material goods required by the Army, from clothing to weapons. Up until 1944, the RCOC was responsible for maintenance and repair. Ordnance Field Parks, that held and stored everything from spare parts to spare artillery, supported field formation including the divisions and I and II Canadian Corps. [1]

Post-war

The Canadian Ordnance Corps was redesignated The Royal Canadian Ordnance Corps on 22 March 1948. It reverted to the previous name on 18 April 1955. [4] [ incomprehensible ] In 1960, 1 Ordnance Field Park moved from Edmonton to Calgary and in 1968 merged with the Base Supply organization to become the Supply Company of 1 Service Battalion. [1] A memorial in Cobourg, Ontario dedicated to the personnel who served as part of 26 Central Ordnance Depot, Royal Canadian Ordnance Corps consists of a large depiction of the Royal Canadian Ordnance Corps badge. [5]

Unification

When the Army, Royal Canadian Navy, and Royal Canadian Air Force were merged in 1968 to form the Canadian Forces, the administrative Corps of the Army were deactivated and merged with their Naval and Air Force counterparts to form the Canadian Forces' personnel branches.

The Royal Canadian Ordnance Corps was combined with the transport and supply elements of the Royal Canadian Army Service Corps to form the Logistics Branch.

Traditions

Colonel-in-chief

Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II, Queen of Canada was the last colonel-in-chief of the Royal Canadian Ordnance Corps. King George V, Edward VIII, and George VI have all served as previous colonels-in-chief of the corps.

Motto

King George VI granted the RCE the same mottoes as the Royal Army Service Corps, which was one of its British equivalents. Honi Soit Qui Mal Y Pense (French, "Shame to Him Who Thinks Evil of It") was the motto used since 1937. It originated from the era of the inception of the Order of the Garter, an order of chivalry which was the original user of this motto. The motto is also used by the Grenadier Guards, the Royal Army Service Corps, the Royal Australian Army Service Corps, and the Hauraki Regiment.

Royal designation

The Canadian Ordnance Corps was redesignated the Royal Canadian Ordnance Corps on 3 Nov 1919. As a matter of honour, King George V, the Canadian monarch bestowed on the organization the right to use the prefix royal before its name. [4]

Badge

The badge of the Royal Canadian Ordnance Corps consists of a belt, with a Kings Crown on top, with the text "Honi Soit qui mal y pense" with six maple leaves around the edge. At the center of the belt is a shield superimposed with three cannonballs and three cannons. At the bottom the text "Royal Canadian Army Service Corps" is written on a ribbon. [1]

Band

The RCOC maintained a military band in its ranks up unit the corps dissolution in 1968. Among its members included Gérald Gagnier, a bandmaster and composer who served in the band from 1956 until his death in 1961. Gagnier's uncle J.-J. Gagnier was notably the founder of the Canadian Grenadier Guards Band. [6] Other notable members included Charles Villeneuve and Laurence Henry Hicks. In mid-June 1944, the band performed in Normandy following the D-Day landings, during which the director of music recalled that "we were mobbed by the troops particularly after we played the Colonel Bogey March which everyone enjoyed". [7] In 1958, the band took part in a concert with American composer Morton Gould, who conducted the band which was standing directly on the Canada–United States border. [8] In September 1959, the band performed the Vice-Regal Salute for Georges Vanier during his swearing-in as Governor General of Canada in Ottawa. [9] In 1967, the band was one of 17 Canadian Army, Royal Canadian Navy, and Royal Canadian Air Force to take part in the Canadian Armed Forces Tattoo 1967 in honor of Canada's centennial year celebrations. [10] [11]

RCOC Association

The Royal Canadian Ordnance Corps Association was a Defence Association authorized on 9 March 1945 and was recognized by the Conference of Defence Associations in early 1946. It was established as many senior RCOC officers recognized the desire for a post-World War association for former officers who had served in the RCOC and had no intent on continuing in the regular force. Its constitution was adopted on 20 April 1948 and Major General J. H. McQueen was elected as its first president. [12]

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">48th Highlanders of Canada</span> Canadian military unit

The 48th Highlanders of Canada is a Canadian Forces Primary Reserve infantry regiment based in Toronto, Ontario, parading out of Moss Park Armoury. The regiment is part of 4th Canadian Division's 32 Canadian Brigade Group.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Royal Logistic Corps</span> Logistic arm of the British Army

The Royal Logistic Corps provides logistic support functions to the British Army. It is the largest Corps in the Army.

<i>Honi soit qui mal y pense</i> Anglo-Norman maxim

Honi soit qui mal y pense is a maxim in the Anglo-Norman language, a dialect of Old Norman French spoken by the medieval ruling class in England, meaning "shamed be whoever thinks ill of it", usually translated as "shame on anyone who thinks evil of it". It is the motto of the British chivalric Order of the Garter, the highest of all British knighthoods, except in Scotland.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Royal Regiment of Canada</span> Military unit

The Royal Regiment of Canada is a Primary Reserve infantry regiment of the Canadian Army. The regiment is based in Toronto, Ontario, and forms part of the 4th Canadian Division's 32 Canadian Brigade Group.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Canadian Guards</span> National household regiment in the Royal Canadian Infantry Corps

The Canadian Guards was an infantry regiment of the Canadian Army that served in the same role as the five regiments of foot guards in the British Army. The regiment was formed on 16 October 1953, by Lieutenant-General Guy Simonds, the Chief of the General Staff of the Canadian Army, with the redesignation of four separate battalions:

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Royal Montreal Regiment</span> Military unit

The Royal Montreal Regiment is a Primary Reserve infantry regiment of the Canadian Army based in Westmount, Quebec. It is part of the 2nd Canadian Division's 34 Canadian Brigade Group.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">1 Service Battalion</span> Military unit

1 Service Battalion is a deployable field unit of the Canadian Forces. It provides second- and limited third-line combat service support to units throughout the 3rd Canadian Division. Located at Steele Barracks, Canadian Forces Base Edmonton, 1 Svc Bn is composed of the battalion headquarters and four functional companies: Transportation, Supply, Maintenance, and Administration. Administration Company is unique in that it provides first-line support to the battalion itself, while the remaining companies provide second- and limited third-line support to units across the 3rd Canadian Division.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Queen's York Rangers (1st American Regiment)</span> Military unit

The Queen's York Rangers (RCAC) is a Canadian Army Primary Reserve Royal Canadian Armoured Corps regiment based in Toronto and Aurora. The regiment is part of 4th Canadian Division's 32 Canadian Brigade Group. The regiment consists of one cavalry squadron, as well as the Headquarters and Training Squadron. The regimental family also includes The Queen's York Rangers Band (volunteer), along with two Royal Canadian Army Cadet corps and a Royal Canadian Air Cadet squadron. The unit mottos are pristinae virtutis memor – 'remembering their glories in former days' – and celer et audax – 'swift and bold'. Among its own members and those of other regiments, the unit is referred to as the Rangers. The name is abbreviated as QY Rang, and sometimes pronounced KWY-rang.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Canadian Military Engineers</span> Military unit

The Canadian Military Engineers is the military engineering personnel branch of the Canadian Armed Forces. The members of the branch that wear army uniform comprise the Corps of Royal Canadian Engineers.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Music Branch (Canadian Forces)</span> Music Branch of the Canadian Armed Forces

The Music Branch is a personnel branch of the Canadian Armed Forces (CAF). It is primarily composed of band musicians, and also deals with the selection and musical training of its recruits. The branch encompasses all the military bands in service in the Canadian Armed Forces. It is roughly the equivalent to the British Army's Royal Corps of Army Music (CAMUS).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Royal Canadian Infantry Corps</span> Military unit

The Royal Canadian Infantry Corps is the infantry corps of the Canadian Army and includes regular and reserve force regiments.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Royal Canadian Army Service Corps</span> Administrative and transport unit of the Canadian Army from 1901 to 1968

The Royal Canadian Army Service Corps (RCASC) was an administrative and transport corps of the Canadian Army. The Canadian Army Service Corps was established in the Non-Permanent Active Militia in 1901 and in the Permanent Active Militia in 1903. The Canadian Permanent Army Service Corps was redesignated The Royal Canadian Army Service Corps on 3 Nov 1919.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Royal Australian Army Ordnance Corps</span> Military unit

The Royal Australian Army Ordnance Corps (RAAOC) is the Corps within the Australian Army concerned with supply and administration, as well as the demolition and disposal of explosives and salvage of battle-damaged equipment. The Corps contains clerks, operator supplies, petroleum operators, parachute riggers and ammunition technicians. Members of the Corps are nicknamed Roaches.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Royal Garrison Regiment</span> Military unit

The Royal Garrison Regiment was an infantry regiment of the British Army that formed in 1901 and disbanded in 1908.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Royal Australian Engineers</span> Administrative corps of the Australian Army

The Royal Australian Engineers (RAE) is the military engineering corps of the Australian Army. The RAE is ranked fourth in seniority of the corps of the Australian Army, behind the Staff Cadets, Armoured and Artillery Corps. The corps was formed by the amalgamation of the various colonial engineer corps of the states and territories of Australia in 1902 and since then has served in various conflicts including World War I, World War II and the Vietnam War. The corps has also served on numerous peacekeeping operations and was heavily involved in the Australian contribution to the war in Afghanistan.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">32 Canadian Brigade Group</span> Brigade of the Canadian Army

32 Canadian Brigade Group (32CBG) of the Canadian Army is part of the 4th Canadian Division. It is centred on the Greater Toronto Area, as well as Niagara Region and Brantford. It is headquartered at LCol George Taylor Denison III Armoury in Toronto, Ontario.

5 Service Battalion, or 5e Bataillon des services in French, is a deployable field unit of the Canadian Forces. It provides second and limited third line Combat Service Support to units throughout 2nd Canadian Division. Located at CFB Valcartier, 5 Svc Bn is composed of a battalion headquarters and four functional companies: Transportation, Supply, Maintenance, and Administration. Administration Company is unique in that it provides first line support to the battalion itself, while the remaining companies provide second and limited third line support to units across 2 CA Div.

The Army Ordnance Corps is an active corps of the Indian Army and a major formation responsible for providing material and logistical support to the Indian Army during war and peace.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Royal New Zealand Army Ordnance Corps</span> Military unit

The Royal New Zealand Army Ordnance Corps (RNZAOC) concerned itself with the provisioning of troops with the means to fight; specifically uniforms, weapons and equipment. Ordnance functions go back hundreds of years; the first Ordnance Officer in the British military appeared in the year 1299. Designated "Keeper of the King's Wardrobe", his duties included the care and accounting of heavy equipment such as battering rams and catapults.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">32 Service Battalion</span> Battalion of the 32 Canadian Brigade Group

32 Service Battalion is a reserve combat service support (CSS) unit within the Canadian Army. The unit is formed under command of 32 Canadian Brigade Group in the 4th Canadian Division. The Service Battalion is composed of soldiers from the Corps of Royal Canadian Electrical and Mechanical Engineers and Royal Canadian Logistics Service to include: vehicle technicians, weapons technicians, cooks, financial service administrators, human resource administrators, material management technicians and mobile support equipment operators. It is located at LCol George Taylor Denison III Armoury in Toronto, Ontario.

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 Rannie, William F (1984). To the Thunderer, His Arms The Royal Canadian Ordnance Corps. Lincoln, ON: self-published.[ page needed ]
  2. "Royal Canadian Ordnance Corps". 20 November 2007. Archived from the original on 20 November 2007. Retrieved 1 July 2022.
  3. "Units of the Royal Canadian Ordnance Corps in the Second World War".
  4. 1 2 The Regiments and Corps of the Canadian Army. Ottawa: Queen's Printer. 1964.[ page needed ]
  5. Royal Canadian Ordnance Corps memorial
  6. Gilles Potvin. "Gérald Gagnier". The Canadian Encyclopedia . Archived from the original on 20 July 2011. Retrieved 27 December 2019.
  7. Kopstein, Jack. "A Job Well Done". World Military Bands. Archived from the original on 8 September 2012. Retrieved 12 April 2013.
  8. Goodman, Peter W. (2000). Morton Gould: American Salute. Hal Leonard Corporation. ISBN   9781574670554.
  9. https://diefenbaker.usask.ca/documents/the-crown-in-canada/vanier_swearing_in.pdf&ved=2ahUKEwjn3s_UgtXmAhUPIKwKHd9FB_o4KBAWMAJ6BAgIEAE&usg=AOvVaw04FB4PppYoZMeFLv-hAJCf [ dead link ]
  10. Wilson, Keith Allan (23 October 2017). The Making of a Tattoo: Canadian Armed Forces Tattoo 1967. FriesenPress. ISBN   9781525514043.
  11. "The Minute Book".
  12. https://www.canadiansoldiers.com/organization/veteransorganizations/royalcanadianordnancecorpsassociation.htm