A History of the Army Ordnance Services

[Peter35]

Do any members hold a copy of Major General Forbes’ A History of the Army Ordnance Services, Vol I (1929)?

 

I have this statement:

 

“The antecedents of this organisation [Ordnance Department] stretch back to 1066, and certainly to the beginnings of a royal arsenal at the Tower of London.”

 

attributed to Forbes, p 6.

 

I am interested in Forbes’ exact words.

 

Thank you in anticipation.

Edited 10 December , 2020 by Peter35

[Guest]

   The book has been digitised and is available for nowt to read online or download at:

 

www.archive.org.

 

Edited 10 December , 2020 by Guest

[MaureenE]

I think the volume on Archive.org, is Volume 3, not Volume 1.

[Guest]

6 minutes ago, Maureene said:

I think the volume on Archive.org, is Volume 3, not Volume 1.

 

    True- lets try the one next to it!!  The one I saw merely says "Second Edition"

[Guest]

11 minutes ago, Maureene said:

I think the volume on Archive.org, is Volume 3, not Volume 1.

 

    True- lets try the one next to it!!  The one I saw merely says "Second Edition"  -How odd the other is the same.

 

If Peter35 gets stuck, then I will order up the BL copy of vol 1 and check for him.

Pip,pip

 

[fellop]

I have the complete printed History of the RAOC.

 

Forbes

Vol 1, Ancient History: Conquest to the Restoration of the Monarchy to the Crimea

Vol 2, Modern History: Crimea to the Great War

Vol 3, Great War

 

Fernyhough 1920 – 1945

 

Phelps 1945 - 1982

 

Steer 1918 – 1993

 

I am unable to find exactly the quote / statement you give in your post, could elaborate a little or give some context, where did you see this statement. Though Steer does say on Page 1 :

“It appears probable that an official with responsibilities associated with the centralised control of weapons and ancillaries was conducting his business at the time of the Norman Conquest in 1066.”

 

Happy to read further, Forbes does give lots of dates and quotes but is slightly rambling. My Page 6 of course may not be the same Page 6 as your source, as versions may be printed in different formats and fonts.

 

Regards

Peter

 

 

 

[Peter35]

Maureene (, Hello) and Peter,

 

Thank you all.

 

Maureene,

 

The archive.org copy is indeed

Vol III (The Great War)         https://archive.org/details/dli.iipa.1572

 

And, for the record:

Vol II (Modern History)         https://catalog.hathitrust.org/Record/000807854

 

 

 

Thank you very much for your kind offer. Given fellop has a copy to hand I won’t impose on you.

 

Peter,

 

Thank you. The

 

“The antecedents of this organisation [Ordnance Department] stretch back to 1066, and certainly to the beginnings of a royal arsenal at the Tower of London”

 

quotation is from: George Raudzens, The British Ordnance Department, 1815 – 1855, JSAHR, 1979, Vol. 57, No. 230, (pp. 88-107), p 8

 

Raudzens effectively repeats it in 2006:

 

“The roots of the [Ordnance] department can be traced back to 1066, and particularly to the establishment of the royal arsenal at the Tower of London” in

 

The British Ordnance Department and Canada’s Canals 1815-1855, Ontario, Canada, Wilfrid Laurier Uni. Press, 2006, p 18.

 

In both instances he cites the 1929 edition, p 6. It ‘must’ be Vol I given the year in question; confirmed by my review of Volumes II and III.

 

There is an Index for Volumes I and II in the Hathi Trust Vol II, 1929 edition. “Tower of London” is entered as “I, 6”. Further, there is an entry: “Ord. Office – origin: I. 6”. There are no entries for “arsenal”; “royal arsenal”; William I / William the Conqueror aka 1066.

 

I wonder whether your copy is not the 1929 edition or the 2010 N&M Press reprint? Notwithstanding that, and formats and fonts, at ‘worst’, I would expect the relevant details to appear on pages 5 or 7, given it is so early in the Volume.

 

All I can suggest is that Raudzens has drawn his statement from Forbes’ discussion of the origins of the Board of Ordnance.  The substance of the statement itself is not unusual. Many writers have made essential the same statement.

 

Thanks for your assistance.

 

Regards,

 

Peter

[fellop]

Hi Peter.

Yes I have the 1929 versions. You are correct the index to Vol 1 and 2 are in Vol 2;  Vol 3 Great War has its own index.

You are also correct the Tower of London and Ord Off are shown in the index to appear as I 6 [Vol 1 Page 6] Here then is a scan of Vol 1 Page 6 and 7 1929 version.

 

Not sure if this is what you require but only to pleased to assist more, it is my Corps History.

 

Regards

Peter

 

 

Edited 10 December , 2020 by fellop

[Peter35]

Thank you, Peter.

 

Strange to say, that’s it.

 

I’ve sent a PM.

 

Regards,