World War, 1914-1918 -- Canada; World War, 1914-1918 -- Nova Scotia
In October, 1915, the Halifax Detachment of the Canadian Ordnance Corps
sent Overseas a nucleus of an Ordnance Mobile Workshop required by the
Canadian Corps for the inspection, repair and upkeep of guns and
vehicles of all kinds in the Field. This Unit was placed under the
command of Major A. S. Buttenshaw, Inspector of Ordnance Machinery. This
officer was afterwards Chief Inspector of Ordnance Machinery, Canadian
Forces, and was awarded the D.S.O. Other ranks of the Detachment were
moved away from time to time Overseas as ordered from Ottawa. Owing to
the enormous amount of work required in the clothing and equipping of
C.E.F. Units in the district, it was necessary to more than treble the
Staff, recruits enlisting being trained for their duties by the few
permanent men who, though much against their own wishes, were kept in
Halifax, and even then all ranks were working day and night. The
explosion which occurred in Halifax, December, 1917, also added to the
work, various temporary hospitals being equipped by the Canadian
Ordnance Corps.
In August, 1918, one officer and nine other ranks of the Halifax
Detachment, C.O.C., were ordered to Vancouver as part of the Siberian
Expeditionary Force. Several cars were loaded at Halifax with stores for
this force and sent forward. The Halifax Detachment, with Ordnance men
from other districts, arrived in Russia at Vladivostock and at once
opened up a complete Ordnance Depot, where work was carried on in the
usual smooth manner.
Several hundred thousand tons of ammunition, arms, equipment and
clothing have been handled by the Canadian Ordnance Corps at Halifax
during the period of the War, both coming from and going to England. The
Ordnance Workshops at Halifax carried out an enormous amount of repair
work, and in addition manufactured large quantities of military stores
which were unable to be purchased. Tradesmen enlisting in the C.E.F. in
various parts of Canada, such as wheelers, blacksmiths, saddlers and
armorers, who were required to accompany troops Overseas, were sent to
the Canadian Ordnance Corps, Halifax, for training. The Ordnance
Department was also called upon to carry out all repairs and testing of
ammunition for the Naval Services, both Imperial and Canadian, in
addition to that of the Land Service. This work has to be done by
experts, and necessitates very long hours, as certain cordite tests have
to run continually day and night for several days at a time.
Since the War, all the equipment, including ammunition, for the new
Reorganized Active Militia, is being handled at Halifax and reshipped to
the various military points in Canada.
The following officers and senior warrant officers of Canadian Ordnance
Corps have served with No. 6 Detachment, Canadian Ordnance Corps, during
various periods of the War:—
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