Piper42nd Posted 16 December , 2019 Share Posted 16 December , 2019 I think I understand how battalions are organized but have no clue how the AOC was organized. If you were an armourer attached to the 1st Black Watch, for example, where did you fit into the AOC? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Waggoner Posted 17 December , 2019 Share Posted 17 December , 2019 If the AOC paralleled the ASC model, he would have belonged to a company and then been detached for service with the unit. Have you looked at the LLT? All the best, Gary Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Piper42nd Posted 17 December , 2019 Author Share Posted 17 December , 2019 I don't know what LLT is. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
clk Posted 17 December , 2019 Share Posted 17 December , 2019 Hi Piper42nd, 3 minutes ago, Piper42nd said: I don't know what LLT is. https://www.longlongtrail.co.uk/ or via the tab towards the of this page. Regards Chris Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Waggoner Posted 17 December , 2019 Share Posted 17 December , 2019 Chris, I looked there but the AOC portion is under development. Other sources focus on depots, etc. and not the lower level organizations. I know there is a good, extensive history of the AOC but I can't remember the title of it. All the best, Gary Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Piper42nd Posted 17 December , 2019 Author Share Posted 17 December , 2019 I have a copy of A History of the Army Ordnance Services by Maj Gen Forbes but it doesn't explain the organization. What I'm interested in is the structure. Is it made up of brigades, divisions, regiments, etc like the infantry or (probably) something else. All help is much appreciated. Regards Harvey Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Waggoner Posted 17 December , 2019 Share Posted 17 December , 2019 Harvey, i poked around the web and saw several references to the histories of the Indian, New Zealand and Pakistan AOCs. During the British period, they would have had similar organizations to the Imperial AOC. It might be useful to look at these. There are oblique references to company organizations. This makes sense as the Ordnance Field Parks seem to date from the SWW period. Good luck with yiur research! All the best, Gary Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GWF1967 Posted 17 December , 2019 Share Posted 17 December , 2019 1 hour ago, Piper42nd said: I have a copy of A History of the Army Ordnance Services by Maj Gen Forbes but it doesn't explain the organization. What I'm interested in is the structure. Is it made up of brigades, divisions, regiments, etc like the infantry or (probably) something else. All help is much appreciated. Regards Harvey A recent purchase, one of 5/6 cards showing the same man; unfortunately I was outbid on the other cards; Pte - A-Cpl. James Lever Burdekin. 015547. "No.9 Coy. AOC, Cairo Egypt" Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ron Clifton Posted 18 December , 2019 Share Posted 18 December , 2019 14 hours ago, Piper42nd said: I have a copy of A History of the Army Ordnance Services by Maj Gen Forbes but it doesn't explain the organization. What I'm interested in is the structure. Is it made up of brigades, divisions, regiments, etc like the infantry or (probably) something else. All help is much appreciated. Regards Harvey In peacetime the AOC was divided into companies, but during the war units of that size or smaller were normally only employed on the Lines of Communication, mainly as stores depots and ordnance workshops (two or three of the latter being attached to each Corps, and similar numbers to each Army). One armourer-sergeant was attached to each infantry battalion and cavalry regiment and an armament artificer was attached to each artillery brigade. There was a Deputy Assistant Director of Ordnance Services (a major) on the staff of each division, and higher ranking officers on the staff of Corps and Armies. The overall organisation was more similar to that of the AVC than the ASC. Ron Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Piper42nd Posted 19 December , 2019 Author Share Posted 19 December , 2019 So possibly the armourer-serjeant assigned to a battalion could have been from "Small Arms Company No. X, AOC" or something like that? Harvey Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ron Clifton Posted 19 December , 2019 Share Posted 19 December , 2019 No, he would be from "Armourer Section, AOC" without a specified AOC company. Ron Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Piper42nd Posted 19 December , 2019 Author Share Posted 19 December , 2019 I'm confused then. You mention that in peacetime the AOC was organized into companies. So it seems like just before war was declared our A-S would have been in a company. In addition the photo GWF1967 posted said the fellow was from No.9 Coy, AOC. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ron Clifton Posted 20 December , 2019 Share Posted 20 December , 2019 (edited) AOC Companies were not operational units. They were peacetime administrative formations, and the nine existing in 1914 were distributed as follows. They were mainly divided into three or more sections. No. 1 Co: Aldershot Command No. 2 Co: Southern Command No. 3 Co: Irish Command No. 4 Co: Aldershot Command No. 5 Co: Western, Northern and Scottish Commands No. 6 Co: Eastern Command Nos. 7 & 8 Cos: Woolwich (Depot) No. 9 Co: Mediterranean and South Africa. Hence anyone in Egypt would be in No. 9 Co, as per GWF's photo. There were also small independent detachments in most of the other overseas garrisons. India had its own Ordnance Department. I hope that this makes matters clearer. Ron Edited 21 December , 2019 by Ron Clifton Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Piper42nd Posted 20 December , 2019 Author Share Posted 20 December , 2019 It certainly does. Thank you. Harvey Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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