The New Zealand Army Ordnance Corps (NZAOC) was a Corps whose function was to provide, receive, store, repair, maintain, and issue: ordnance stores, vehicles, ammunition, foodstuffs, and ammunition. Ordnance Organisations had previously existed in the Royal New Zealand Artillery and the New Zealand Defence Stores Department, who for the Territorial Army established a temporary Ordnance Deport organisation and trained staff in Ordnance functions for the 1913 and 1914 Annual camps, so that on the eve of the great war a cadre existed within the Territorial Army to establish an Ordnance Corps to support the NZEF.
Between 1914 and 1947 the New Zealand Army Ordnance Corps existed in three distinct iterations; NZAOC as part of the NZEF, 1914–1919 NZAOC alongside the NZAOD, 1917–1924 NZAOC 1924–1947
NZEF (1914–1920) The New Zealand Expeditionary Force (NZEF) was originally established with Captain W T Beck as Deputy Assistant Director of Ordnance Services(DADOS), and a small staff. On the arrival of the main body in Egypt, Temp Sergeant Levien was attached to the British Ordnance Corps Depot at the Citadel in Cairo to study the Ordnance systems in use with the Imperial forces in Egypt. As preparation for the Gallipoli campaign progressed, the New Zealand Ordnance organisation was developed and equipped the force in accordance with Instruction G1089. To support the force a depot was established at No. 12 Rue de la, Porte Rosette and a warehouse at Shed 43, Alexandra Docks in Alexandria. After the withdraw from Gallipoli, the New Zealand Division was reorganised and prepared for redeployment to France, the Alexandra depot was closed, un-serviceable stores disposed of by auction and remaining serviceable stores not required by the NZ Division handed over to the Imperial Ordnance.
In February 1916 it was formally announced in the Evening Post Newspaper that regulations had been promulgated establishing the NZAOC as a unit of the NZEF. By the end of 1916 the NZAOC had been established under the control of the Officer Commanding NZEF Ordnance Corps and the NZEF Assistant Director of Ordnance Service (ADOS) and Staff. With an establishment of 1 Officer and 31 other ranks, members were provided from within the NZEF and attached to units throughout the New Zealand Division to provide Ordnance Services.
Once in France, Ordnance soldiers got to the business of supporting the NZ Division, although not front line troops, they were still close enough to experience the occasional shelling as this article in the Poverty Bay Herald of 8 September 1916 describes:
Corporal J.J Roberts of the New Zealand Army Ordnance Corps, "Somewhere in France" writes under date June 2lst. 'Yesterday the Germans dropped a shell on a church situated: some 200 yards away, removing the steeple, the shell passed right over our store, fortunately, for had it dropped short it would have been the finish of us. The sight was a sad one to witness the church in flames. We live very well here, The bedding is good, being most comfortable, in fact what with blankets and white sheets to cover us and a picture show with a change of pictures nightly, little is wanted. It is very quiet here the fighting on the Peninsula was ten times worse than this.
By 1918 the NZAOC had grown to include a New Zealand Ordnance Corps Section, consisting of 3 Officer and 53 ORs under the control of the NZEF Administrative Headquarters in London, with the New Zealand Ordnance Base Depot at Farringdon Street, London.
Between 1914 and 1920 members of the NZAOC served in all the NZEF Theaters as part of the New Zealand and Australian Division in Egypt and Gallipoli, the New Zealand Division in France and ANZAC Mounted Division in the Middle East.
NZAOC Badge
The NZAOC of the NZEF adopted the British Army Ordnance Corps Badge, modifying it with the letters NZ above the shield.
NZEF ADOS
New Zealand Division DADOS
Roll of Honour
NZAOC personnel who died whilst on active service.
NZAOC (1917–1924)