From 4 Store Depots in the main centers of New Zealand at the beginning of the 20th century, the Royal New Zealand Army Ordnance Corps (RNZAOC) expanded and shrank to meet the operational needs of the NZ Army. Ordinance units have been deployed worldwide and across the breath and width of New Zealand.
In general terms Ordnance units can be described as:
Naming of Ordnance units within New Zealand was generally based upon the unit locations or function or unit.
Supply Depots were initially named based on the district they belonged to:
In 1968 a regional based numbering system was adopted
Some exceptions were:
When the Royal New Zealand Army Service Corps(RNZASC) became the Royal New Zealand Corps of Transport (RNZCT) in 1979, the supply functions were transferred to the RNZAOC with the 1st number signifying the location with the 2nd number been 4 for all Supply Platoons:
Exceptions were:
9 Magazines Operational from 1943. Ceased to be used by the NZ Army in 1962.
20 Magazines operational from 1943
There has been an Ordnance presence in Auckland since the 1840s with the Colonial Storekeeper and Imperial forces. The Northern Districts Ordnance Depot was situated in Mount Eden in the early 1900s. In the 1940s the center for Ordnance Support for the Northern Districts moved to Ngāruawāhia, with a Sub depot remaining at Narrow Neck to provided immediate support.
RNZAOC units that have been accommodated at Auckland have been:
Stores Depot
Other Ordnance Units
Workshops
Workshop Stores Section
Operational from 1943
Stores Depot
1921 saw the establishment of a single Command Ordnance Depot to service all military units in the newly organised Southern Military Command. Prior to this, Ordnance stores had operated from Christchurch and Dunedin. The new Depot (later renamed the Third Central Ordnance Depot) was established in the buildings of the former Industrial School at Burnham. Re-structuring in 1979 brought a change of name to 3 Supply Company. [5] [6]
[7]
From | To | Officer Commanding |
---|---|---|
20 June 1921 | 19 December 1930 | Captain A.R.C White |
20 December 1930 | 30 June 1934 | Lieutenant H.E Erridge |
30 June 1934 | 2 December 1939 | Lieutenant D Nicol [9] |
Other Ordnance Units
Ordnance Field Parks
Workshops
Workshop Stores Section
Stores Depot
Workshop Stores Section
Stores Depot
Nine magazines Operational 1943.
Featherston Camp was New Zealand's largest training camp during the First World War, where around 60,000 young men trained for overseas service between 1916 – 1918. An Ordnance Detachment was maintained in Featherston until 1927 when it functions were transferred to Northern Districts Ordnance Depot, Ngāruawāhia. [10]
16 magazines Operational from 1943
Hopuhopu was established in 1927 [11] and allowed the closure of Featherston Ordnance Depot and the Auckland Ordnance Depot and was intended to service the northern regions. During construction Hopuhopu was described by the Auckland Star as "Probably the greatest Ordnance Depot" in New Zealand [12] Hopuhopu closed down in 1989 and its Ordnance functions moved to Papakura and Mount Wellington.
RNZAOC units that have been accommodated at Hopuhopu have been:
Stores Depot
Ordnance Field Parks
From | To | Officer Commanding | 2nd in Command | Park Sergeant Major |
---|---|---|---|---|
1966 | 1969 | Major Marchant | ||
1969 | 1972 | Captain C.J Hodson | Captain Jim Finnerty Captain Pat Puohataua | WO2 Rex Pennell |
1972 | 1975 | Major Ian McDonald | Captain M.D Stuart | WO2 Mike Behague |
1975 | 1976 | Captain P.E Dangerfield | WO2 Nig Taurua | |
1976 | 1978 | Captain T.M.S Johnston | WO2 Barry Stuart |
From | To | Officer Commanding | 2nd in Command | Park Sergeant Major |
---|---|---|---|---|
1978 | Major Ian Mcdonald | Captain Mike Johnston | WO2 Kevin Cryer |
Workshop Stores Section
Other Ordnance Units
55 Magazines Operational from 1943
RNZAOC units that have been accommodated at Linton have been;
Stores Depot
From | To | Officer Commanding | 2nd In Command | Company Sergeant Major |
---|---|---|---|---|
1992 | May 1994 | Major C Tarrant | ||
May 1994 | Dec 1996 | Major C Charlton |
Ordnance Field Parks
Workshop Stores Section
Other Ordnance Units
First used as a tented camp during the First World War and in the Second World War Mangaroa was the site of a RNZAF Stores Depot from 1943. The depot with a storage capacity of 25,000 sq ft in 8 'Adams type' Buildings was Handed over to the NZ Army by 1949. [17] The units that have been accommodated at Mangaroa have been:
Supply Depot
Ordnance Field Parks
From | To | Officer Commanding | 2nd In Command | Park Sergeant Major |
---|---|---|---|---|
1963 | 1966 | Major Colin French | Captain Mick Hunt | WO2 Ted Paterson WO2 Ted Sweet |
1966 | 1968 | Major C.J.C Marchant | Captain Max Newman | WO2 Bob Plumber |
39 magazines operational from 1943
Stores Depot
Commanding Officers MOD/BOD/1BSB/5LR
From | To | Name | Corp | Unit |
---|---|---|---|---|
22 June 1940 | 1947 | Lt Col E.L.G Brown | NZAOC | MOD |
1 April 1950 | 12 September 1955 | Capt D.F.A Roderick | RNZAOC | MOD |
9 September 1955 | 21 July 1958 | Maj O.H Burn | RNZAOC | MOD |
21 July 1958 | 1 May 1959 | Maj G.J.H Atkinson | RNZAOC | MOD |
1 May 1959 | 9 May 1962 | Maj H.P White | RNZAOC | MOD |
9 May 1962 | 23 June 1965 | Maj G.J.H Atkinson | RNZAOC | MOD |
23 June 1965 | 20 March 1967 | Maj J.B Glasson | RNZAOC | MOD |
1 August 1976 | 25 June 1969 | Maj M.J Ross | RNZAOC | MOD/BOD |
23 June 1969 | 10 August 1970 | Maj I.G Ross | RNZAOC | BOD |
1 July 1970 | 19 August 1974 | Maj W.M Campbell | RNZAOC | BOD |
12 August 1974 | 15 September 1975 | Maj R.L Cross | RNZAOC | BOD |
15 September 1975 | 22 Niv 1976 | Maj A.J Campbell | RNZAOC | BOD |
22 November 1976 | 22 November 1978 | Lt Col H.R Higgins | RAOC | BOD |
6 July 1979 | 6 July 1981 | Lt Col D.R Woolmer | RAAOC | 1BSB |
6 July 1981 | 20 November 1983 | Lt Col T.D McBeth | RNZAOC | 1BSB |
15 November 1983 | 22 January 1986 | Lt Col G.M Corkin | RNZAOC | 1BSB |
13 January 1986 | 31 August 1987 | Lt Col K.D Hansen | RNZAOC | 1BSB |
31 August 1987 | 11 January 1988 | Lt Col E.W.G Thomson | RNZAOC | 1BSB |
11 January 1988 | 6 ec 1990 | Lt Col P.P Martyn | RAAOC | 1BSB |
17 December 1990 | 1993 | Lt Col L.J Gardiner | RNZAOC | 1BSB |
1993 | 8 December 1996 | Lt Col D.H Whatmuff | RNZAOC | 1BSB/5LR |
Ordnance School
Workshops
Workshop Stores Section
Ordnance Field Parks
Year | Officer Commanding | Park Sergeant Major |
---|---|---|
1963 | Major John Glasson | WO2 Brian Gush |
Other Ordnance Units
Ordnance Sub Depots were established at Waiouru in 1940 [27] eventually growing into a stand-alone Supply Company.
RNZAOC units that have supported Waiouru have been;
Stores Depot
Workshop Stores Section
The Board of Ordnance originally had a warehouse in Manners Street, but after the 1850 earthquake severely damaged this building, 13 acres of Mount Cook were granted to the Board of Ordnance, starting a long Ordnance association with the Wellington area.
Stores Depot
Workshops
Few records trace with any accuracy New Zealand Ordnance units that served overseas in the First World War. Although the NZAOC was not officially created until 1917 [33] The New Zealand Army Ordnance Corps was constituted as part of the New Zealand Expeditionary Force (NZEF) in 1914 for overseas service only and in 1919 its members demobilised, returned to their parent units or mustered into the New Zealand Army Ordnance Department (Officers) or New Zealand Army Ordnance Corps(other Ranks)on their return to New Zealand.
No Standalone units but individual RNZAOC personnel served in 4 Ordnance Composite Depot (4 OCD) RAOC. [37]
No standalone RNZAOC units, but individual RNZAOC personnel may have served in the following British and Commonwealth Ordnance units:
The RNZAOC (with RNZCT, RNZEME, RNZSig, RNZMC specialist attachments) contributed to the New Zealand Governments commitment to the International and United Nations Operation in Somalia(UNOSOM) efforts in Somalia with:
During New Zealand's commitment to the war in South Vietnam (29 June 1964 – 21 December 1972). The Royal New Zealand Army Ordnance Corps did not contribute a standalone unit but provided individuals to serve in New Zealand Headquarters units, Composite Logistic units or as part of Australian Ordnance Units including: [40] [41]