Ordnance Insignia of the British Army
Significant landmarks in the Corps History
| 1285 | 'Master of the Kings Wardrobe and Armoury' - The Tower of London was the first Ordnance depot under the control of the Master of the King's Wardrobe. The King's Wardrobe comprised an armoury containing body armour, swords, lances, spears, bows, arrows, slings, battering rams and catapults. | |
| 1299 | 'Artilliator' (maker of large guns), was paid a wage from the Monarch's purse to manufacture or procure military implements for the King's Army, and stored at the Tower of London until required for use. | |
| 1414 | 'Master of Works, Engines, Cannon and
other types of Ordnance' was earlier recorded, and in 1414 this title was amended to that of 'Master of Ordnance' |
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| 1515 | Board of Ordnance (Board of General Officers) formed | |
| 1792 | 'Ordnance' Field Train Department formed under the control of Board of Ordnance | |
| 1855 | Board of Ordnance abolished at end of the Crimean War | |
| 1857 | Military Store Department (MSD) formed | |
| 1858 | Corps of Armourers formed | |
| 1859 | 'Ordnance' Field Train Department abolished. ‘Artillery Train’ absorbed into the RA. | |
| 1861 | Military Store Department (MSD) now staffed with Military Officers | |
| ‘Military Store Clerks’ of the MSD (Subordinate Senior Rank Clerks) formed | ||
| 1865 | Military Store Staff Corps (MSSC) (Other-ranks) formed | |
| 1870 | All ‘Supply’ & ‘Transport’ Services merged into the Control Department | |
| Army Service Corps (ASC) formed by the amalgamation of the military other-rank elements of the Supply & Transport Services | ||
| 1876 | “Ordnance” & “Commissariat and Transport” Departments again separated. | |
| Military Store Department (MSD) renamed Ordnance Store Department (OSD) | ||
| 1877 | Ordnance Companies of the ASC renamed Ordnance Store Branch of the ASC | |
| 1881 | (Cardwell Reforms) | |
| Ordnance Store Branch (OSB) renamed Ordnance Store Corps (OSC) | ||
| Creation of first Army Warrant Officers - Conductor of Stores (OSC) & Conductor of Supplies (ASC) | ||
| Corps of Armourers placed under OSC administive control. | ||
| 1896 | Army Ordnance Department (AOD) & Army Ordnance Corps (AOC) formed by renaming the Ordnance Store Department (OSD) and the Ordnance Store Corps (OSC). | |
| Inspectors of Ordnance Machinery and Ordnance Artificers transferred to Army Ordnance Corps (AOC) from the Royal Artillery (RA) becoming the Armourer and Armament Branch of the Army Ordnance Corps (AOC) | ||
| Corps of Armourers absorbed into the AOC. | ||
| 1904 | (Esher Committee Reforms) - AOD given its own director at War Office - The Director of Equipment and Ordnance Stores, under the QMG. DEOS branches known as QMG 7, 8 & 9. | |
| 1914 | World War One | |
| 1918 | Army Ordnance Corps granted “Royal” status and renamed The Royal Army Ordnance Corps (RAOC) on the amalgamation of the Army Ordnance Department (AOD) and Army Ordnance Corps (AOC) | |
| 1921 | Duke of York (Later King George VI) appointed Colonel-in-Chief of the RAOC | |
| 1927 | RAOC transferred from QMG to MGO control | |
| RAOC responsibilities extended to include the supply, storage and repair of all load and personnel carrying vehicles, less those driven by the Royal Army Service Corps (RASC) | ||
| 1939 | World War Two | |
| Ministry of Supply formed. RAOC again comes under QMG control, assumes responsibility for provision, issue, repair of all Ordnance stores. | ||
| 1941 | RAOC gave full combatant status. | |
| 1942 | The Royal Electrical and Mechanical Engineers (REME) formed primarily from the RAOC Armourer, Armament and Engineering Branchs of the workshops organisation, plus the mechanical workshop companies of the RASC and Royal Engineers (RE) less RE Regimental Plant Sections | |
| At the same time the RAOC assumed responsibility for the supply and storage of those vehicles and spares that the RASC used. It was also decided that larger REME Workshops should continue to be provided with RAOC Stores Support Sections. | ||
| 1952 | Queen Elizabeth the Second continues the royal tradition of the monarch being Colonel-in-Chief of the RAOC started by her father King George VI | |
| 1965 | (The McLeod Reorganisation) | |
| The RAOC became the sole supply Corps of the Army, assuming from the RASC & RE the responsibility for supplying rations, petroleum, oils & lubricants, boat stores, locomotive spares, defence stores and the provision and training of military staff clerks. This involved the transfer of 345 Officers and 2,500 soldiers from the RASC The remainder of the RASC renamed the Royal Corps of Transport (RCT) | ||
| Ordnance Directorate removed from Ministry of Defence (Army Department) The old War Office Services no longer represented at the MOD. Position almost the same as before the Esher reforms of 1904. | ||
| 1977 | Logistic Executive (Army) HQ DOS collocated with Logistic Executive (Army) and renamed HQ DGOS | |
| 1988 | (Logistic Support Review (LSR) begins) | |
| 1990 | LSR published as 'Options for Change' | |
| 1991 | Women’s Royal Army Corps (WRAC) members employed in RAOC trades. (Other than Staff Clerks) begin to rebadge to the RAOC. | |
| 1992 | Staff Clerks of the RAOC are transferred to the newly formed Adjutants Generals Corps (AGC) | |
| 1993 | Remainder of the Royal
Army Ordnance Corps, along with the Royal Corps of
Transport, Army Catering Corps, Royal Pioneer Corps and
the Postal and Courier Services of the Royal Engineers,
amalgamated to form the Royal Logistic Corps (RLC) |
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| Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth the Second stands down as Colonel-in-Chief RAOC but remains Patron of the RAOC Charitable Trust. | ||
| 2000 | Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth the Second stands down as Patron of the RAOC Charitable Trust. The Princess Royal (Princess Anne) becomes the new Patron. | |