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Corps RAOC
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Full title RAOC Gazette
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Publication date 1981
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Early date 1981
Late date 1981
Transcription 1981
THE
ROYAL ARMY ORDNANCE
CORPS GAZETTE
? 6
VOLUME 63 No. 3
AUGUST 1981
ONE HUNDRETH ANNIVERSARY
OF THE FORMATION OF THE
ORDNANCE STORE CORPS
THE JOURNAL OF THE ROYAL ARMY
ORDNANCE CORPS AND ARMY ORDNANCE
SERVICES AND THE OFFICIAL ORGAN OF
THE RAOC ASSOCIATION
THE EDITOR'S NOTICES
Editor i COLONEL E, RIDCEWAY, OBE (Retd.).
Treasurer:
COLONEL
R. K. KELSEY (Retd.).
BSCRIPTION RATES—HOME AND ABROAD.
40p per copy, or £4.30 per annum, post free.
Orders for monthly sales should reach this office by 9th day of
the month, accompanied by remittance for previous month.
Cheques
and Postal Orders should be made payable to
" Treasurer RAOC Gazette," and should be crossed.
CONTENTS. The contents of T H E GAZETTE are strictly
copyright
and all rights expressly reserved.
The views expressed herein do
writ necessarily
express the uiews of the Editor or the Corps t
*' -refore no responsibility will be accepted*
: . iOTOGRAPHS.
If it is desired to illustrate news with photographs, the photo-
grapher's name and his written permission
to reproduce
must
accompany the pictures, to avoid infringement
of copyright.
ENGAGEMENTS, MARRIAGES, BIRTHS AND DEATHS NOTICES.
These will be inserted free to all past and present members of
the Corps.
P O R SALE AND MISCELLANEOUS
NOTICES.
These must be submitted in the form in which it is desired
f they shall be published.
Charges: £2 for the first five lines or
'•• der, and 20p per line subsequently.
Charges must be pre-paid.
Bux numbers will be allotted if asked for.
EDITORIAL OFFICE: RAOC SECRETARIAT, DEEPCUT, CAMBEHLEY,
(Telephone: Aldershot 24431 t Ext. Btackdown 516.)
SURREY,
WHAT is now RAOC was not actually formed until 1865 when
a Royal Warrant was published in November of that year the
new Corps to be titled the Military Store Staff Corps. Its
Headquarters was at Woolwich and it was commanded by officers
of the Military Store Department.
The original establishment of the Corps in 1866 was two
hundred men all of whom were shown as at Woolwich. In
each of the next two years the strength was increased by one
hundred and by 1869 were to be found at such places as
London, Portsmouth, Devonport, Aldershot, Dublin, Chatham,
Edinburgh, St Helena, and the Windward and Leeward Islands
in addition to Woolwich.
In the following year a Control Department was set up from
the Commissariat, Military Store, Transport, Barracks and Pur-
veyors Department, This consisted of a senior branch with
administrative, and a junior with executive duties. The ad-
ministrative officers were known as Controller, Deputy Con-
troller and Assistant Controller ranking with Major General, 1
Colonel and Lieutenant Colonel. The executive branch was
given the grades of Commissary, Deputy Commissary and
Assistant Commissary equating to Major, Captain and Lieutenant.
The Army Service Corps was formed at the same time from
the military elements of these departments and a universal uni-
form adopted. White was the facing colour. The tunic was
wholly blue with white lace to outline the collar and cutis and
white piping round the edge. ASC appeared on the shoulder straps
and chaco plate, the band and button of the cap were white as
was the double trouser stripe.
'Control' disappeared in 1876, the Ordnance Store Depart-
ment being formed from those officers who had remained en-
gaged in store duties, but the rank and file remained as the Army
Service Corps for five years longer.
In 1877 it was ordered that the documents of the companies
engaged on store work were to be sent to the Ordnance Store
Branch of the ASC at Woolwich and in 1880 the ASC was
divided into a Commissariat and Transport and an Ordnance
Branch: the uniform reflected these changes. The Ordnance
Branch of the ASC was once more given a double red trouser
stripe with red and yellow lace mingled round the collar and
cuffs. A crown was worn on the shoulder, the initials OASC on the
shoulder and OB (Ordnance Branch) was added to ASC on the
chaco plate. A yellow band was placed halfway up the forage cap
with a red line down its centre and a similar button on top.
One year later the Ordnance Store Corps was formed and
finally separated from the Commissariat and Transport This year
is the one hundredth anniversary of that separation. The uniform
was again altered and the red and yellow lace disappeared to be
replaced with scarlet facings and piping round the edge of the
tunic together with the letters OSC.
A. J. C.
Acknowledgements: History of the Army Ordnance Services
—A Forbes.
— 77 —
Book number R0250