Misplaced Pages

#751248

84-517: The British Solomon Islands Protectorate Defence Force ( BSIPDF ) was a British Colonial Auxiliary Forces unit raised in the British Solomon Islands during World War II . It was created following the outbreak of war with the Empire of Japan in 1942 and disbanded in 1946. The Solomon Islands has not maintained a military force since independence from British colonial rule in 1976, relying upon

168-516: A garrison to guard the Tower; by the early 17th century this had been formalised into a standing militia . During the reign of Charles II , the Tower was still consistently being guarded by two garrison companies of militia. Then in 1685, following Charles's death, the new King James II asked Lord Dartmouth (who was Constable of the Tower at the time, as well as Master-general of the Ordnance) to form

252-565: A paper tiger . The Yeomanry was maintained as a back-up to the constabulary in maintaining law and order. In the 1850s, the Crimean War highlighted the problems of British military organisation, leading to the abolishment of the Board of Ordnance, with its military corps and various previously civilian transportation, stores, and other departments absorbed by the British Army. The Indian Mutiny led to

336-629: A Master of the Ordnance in Dublin oversaw a largely independent Irish Board of Ordnance until 1801 . The Arms of the Board of Ordnance first appeared in the seventeenth century, and were given royal approval in 1806, confirmed by a grant from the College of Arms in 1823. The blazon is as follows: The old Board's coat of arms is remembered today in the cap badge of the Royal Logistic Corps , which has

420-799: A central Grand Storehouse (primarily used for gun carriages). Exterior courtyards were laid out for the storage of cannonballs. The principal home Yards included: Smaller Yards were built in parts of Britain to serve particular strategic purposes at particular times (such as the Yard in Great Yarmouth , built to service the fleet stationed in Yarmouth Roads during the Napoleonic Wars ). Ordnance Yards were also constructed in colonial ports overseas; like their counterparts in Britain, these were usually built in

504-488: A fire in 1841). The Board's administrative staff had expanded during the Napoleonic Wars to such an extent that in 1806 it purchased the lease of Cumberland House in Pall Mall and moved its main offices there, subsequently expanding into neighbouring properties. The Board itself also began to hold its meetings there, in preference to the Tower or Woolwich or other locations where it had previously been accustomed to meet. At

588-547: A further ten companies of 100 men each (again drafted from the Tower Hamlets ); there was in addition a company of miners . The regiment was to be housed in the Grand Storehouse, then under construction in the Tower. As a precaution against the risk of igniting the Ordnance stores of gunpowder, it was equipped with modern flintlock fusils, rather than with the matchlock muskets borne by most other regular troops. As such,

672-572: A guard. 1793 saw the formation of the Royal Horse Artillery (who were likewise under the authority of the Board of Ordnance) to provide artillery support to the Cavalry. From the start, the Board (and its predecessor the Office) of Ordnance had had a department of military engineers and surveyors to build and improve harbours, forts and other fortifications. In 1716 a Corps of Engineers was founded by

756-693: A gunsmith, produced long guns for the Tower's small arms office in the 1780s. From the mid-17th century the Board of Ordnance began to be involved in the design, building and upkeep of forts, fortifications and various garrison buildings. Around the year 1635, a Francis Coningsby was appointed 'Commissary-General of all His Majesty's Castles in England and Wales'. From 1660 the title was Engineer-in-Chief. The Chief Engineer had responsibility for drawing up designs, supervising site surveys and building works, and visiting established defence sites to evaluate their state of repair, readiness etc. An illustrious holder of this post

840-614: A large number of Clerks to manage its substantial administrative functions. A number of other officials reported to the board, including furbishers, proofmasters, keepers and fireworkers. Two appointments stand out, as they (like the six Board members) were appointed by Letters Patent under the Great Seal of the Realm : namely the Master Gunner of England and the Chief Engineer . These were

924-442: A new Ordnance Regiment 'for the care and protection of the cannon': as well as guarding the stocks of guns, arms and ammunition in the Tower more effectively, it was envisaged that the new regiment would provide protection for the artillery trains , which were formed when necessary to deliver ordnance (e.g. to the battlefield at time of war). The old guard companies formed the core of this new regiment, but they were soon augmented by

SECTION 10

#1732844181752

1008-515: A new complex at Bull Point (where it was integrated with a nearby proofing and purifying facility) - this proved to be the last major construction project of the Board of Ordnance before its disestablishment. The Board of Ordnance was responsible, throughout its existence, for supplying the Army and Navy with weapons and ammunition. Other items were provided by various other boards and agencies (or, in earlier times, by private contractors). From 1822, however,

1092-625: A rarity in mainland Britain and (other than those attached to royal residences) they were generally only found within garrisoned fortifications. In the wake of the French Revolution , however, there was a spate of barrack building and the new post of Barrackmaster-General was established to oversee it; he was answerable not to the Board of Ordnance but to the Secretary at War . (The Board, though, retained responsibility for providing and provisioning barracks for its own corps). Apparent mismanagement in

1176-544: A regular Infantry regiment (the 7th Foot, later renamed the Royal Fusiliers (City of London Regiment) ); but they continued to retain a base at the Tower. In 1949, the regimental depot (which had been located in Hounslow Barracks since 1873) returned to the Tower, to Waterloo Barracks (which had been built on the site of the old Grand Storehouse following a fire); it remained there for the next eleven years. Today,

1260-428: A sample from each batch was proof tested . This took place in one of a pair of smaller buildings alongside and linked to the main magazine (which was a windowless quadrangle). Very soon, however, the Board was coming under pressure from local residents to remove the gunpowder store from Greenwich. Eventually, in 1763, a new set of magazines were built, along with a new proof-house, further downriver at Purfleet . Named

1344-581: A waterway, it was connected to the Grand Union Canal to facilitate access and distribution. At the same time a similar (but short-lived) facility was also built alongside the Grand Junction Canal at North Hyde , west of London. The Board established storage and maintenance areas close to the Royal Dockyards to enable easy transfer of guns, ammunition, powder, etc. on board ships (for use by

1428-583: Is understandable given that deadly Plasmodium falciparum is the predominant malaria in the Solomon Islands but it was not so in places familiar to US Marine medical staff such as Panama, Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala and Mexico, where less deadly Plasmodium vivax malaria predominated. Both Mr Martin Clemens’ (CBE, MC, AM) book “Alone on Guadalcanal: A Coastwatcher's Story”, Annapolis Maryland, Naval Institute Press, 1998 and also Mr D.C. Horton’s book, “Fire Over

1512-602: The Bermuda Volunteer Engineers with the Royal Engineers in the official Army Lists, which also listed the Bermuda Volunteer Rifle Corps and Bermuda Militia Infantry officers as part of the British Army, whereas most colonial units were listed separately or did not appear at all), whereas others that did not receive Army Funds were considered auxiliaries (British military units, but not part of

1596-682: The British Army (mostly composed of cavalry and infantry regiments), administered and funded under the War Office. Most were Home corps and units (i.e., those depoted and recruited in the British Isles, wherever they might be deployed) though some were raised in colonies. The regular forces also included at various times, usually in particular locations, invalid , fencible , and other units, utilised primarily for garrison or defensive duties. Some regular forces raised in colonies, such as those grouped in

1680-659: The British Empire were militia formations in England's American colonies (specifically, in the Colony of Virginia , settled in 1607, and Bermuda, which was settled by shipwreck of the Sea Venture in 1609, becoming an extension of Virginia in 1612) a century before the Kingdom of England and the Kingdom of Scotland unified to create the Kingdom of Great Britain in 1707 (at which point

1764-643: The Citadel at Plymouth, Upnor Castle at Chatham; later, the Ordnance Board created purpose-built Gunpowder Magazines , often apart from the Yards, and at a safe distance from inhabited areas. There were also smaller magazines, supervised by Ordnance Board staff, at several fortified locations around the British Isles (from Star Castle on the Scilly Isles , to Fort George near Inverness ). The Tower of London remained

SECTION 20

#1732844181752

1848-577: The Empire of Japan . Another 2,000 enrolled in the separate Solomon Islands Labour Corps . Allied Coastwatchers in the Solomon Islands often cooperated with or served alongside BSIPDF personnel during operations throughout the Solomon Islands campaign . Prominent members of the BSIPDF included: US Marine medical staff attached to the Guadalcanal landing were less familiar with local medical conditions in

1932-523: The Permanent Active Militia of the Province of Canada . These units consisted of professional soldiers . They supplied a reserve force either to be called up in war time to reinforce regular British Army garrisons for home defence, or in some cases were entirely responsible for home defence. Many units, however, took part in active campaigns outside of the role of home defence in various conflicts

2016-634: The Royal Artillery and Royal Engineers , however, the Board had parallel oversight of both a Military and a Civil Establishment. The Master-General was head of both Establishments; on a practical level, the Lieutenant-General had day-to-day oversight of the military personnel and the Surveyor-General oversaw the civil departments. From its earliest years, the Ordnance Office was staffed by

2100-604: The Royal Artillery and the Royal Engineers . These Corps were under the authority of the Board of Ordnance, rather than the War Office (until the Board's demise in 1855). They were not part of the Army, and their officers' commissions were issued by the Master-General of the Ordnance rather than by the Commander-in-Chief of the Forces . The Ordnance Medical Department was established to provide surgeons for these corps. In 1716

2184-904: The Royal Bermuda Regiment ; the Royal Gibraltar Regiment ; the Falkland Islands Defence Force ; and the Royal Montserrat Defence Force . The British Government is currently (2020) working with the local governments of the Turks and Caicos Islands and the Cayman Islands to raise reserve military units in those territories, also, with recruitment for the new Cayman Islands Regiment starting in January 2020. Board of Ordnance The Board of Ordnance

2268-657: The Royal Gunpowder Magazine , it was likewise used as a central store, to receive and approve gunpowder from the manufacturers prior to distribution around the country. (Soon afterwards the Greenwich magazine closed, and it was later demolished.) At around the same time, significant improvements were made to the gunpowder depots at the Dockyards (where the Board was still often using old buildings in built-up areas). New purpose-built storage facilities were constructed close to

2352-628: The Royal Solomon Islands Police Force for internal security . Although the BSIPDF was very small, it played a significant role in the Solomon Islands campaign of World War II . The BSIPDF was commanded by the Solomon Islands' Resident Commissioner . During the Pacific War of 1942–1945 6,232 indigenous Solomon Islanders enlisted in the BSIPDF and served in battles such as the Battle of Guadalcanal , alongside Allied forces, fighting

2436-765: The Royal West African Frontier Force , were funded only by the Colonial Office or local Governments and therefore not considered part of the British Army. Additional to the Regular military forces, the British Military also included various Reserve Forces. The main ones by the time of the Napoleonic Wars included the Militia (or Constitutional Force , composed of infantry regiments), mounted Yeomanry , and

2520-649: The Volunteer Force , although there were various others at different times and places. The Militia system was duplicated in many colonies, many of which would also raise volunteer units. These Reserve Forces were under the control of local authorities (the Lords Lieutenant of counties in the British Isles, and Governors in their separate offices of Commanders-in-Chief of colonies; Normally, neither Lords Lieutenant nor colonial Governors had any authority over regular forces in their territories), and locally funded. After

2604-629: The 1320s a member of the Royal Household , the 'Keeper of the Privy Wardrobe in the Tower of London', became increasingly responsible for the procurement, storage and distribution of weapons. His office and main arsenal were located in the White Tower . This 'Privy Wardrobe in the Tower' grew, both in size and significance, after the start of the Hundred Years' War . During the following century,

British Solomon Islands Protectorate Defence Force - Misplaced Pages Continue

2688-577: The 16th century the Ordnance Office had established 'annexes' in Chatham, Deptford and Woolwich; others were to follow in the vicinity of the other major Dockyards. These facilities, generally known as Gun Wharves, developed into purpose-built Ordnance Yards in the course of the 18th century. Built alongside deep-water quays, they usually comprised an assortment of buildings for storage, administration blocks, workshops (for woodwork, paintwork and metalwork) together with accommodation for officers, usually built around

2772-486: The 17th century through till 1828 the Master-General routinely had a seat in Cabinet , and thus served as de facto principal military adviser to the government. Some of the most illustrious soldiers of their generation served as Master-General: Marlborough , Cadogan , Cornwallis , Hastings , Wellington , Hardinge . While the offices of Master-General and Lieutenant-General were almost always filled by prominent soldiers,

2856-477: The 1820s-30s, but Waltham Abbey remained in Government hands until 1991. Small arms manufacture was begun by the Board on Tower Wharf in 1804, before being moved to Lewisham (Royal Manufactory of Small Arms, 1807) and then transferring ten years later to Enfield ( Royal Small Arms Factory , opened 1816). RSAF Enfield continued manufacturing until its closure in 1988. There is some indication that William Galloway,

2940-645: The 18th century the Board had generally relied on private contracts for the provision of armaments: small arms often came from the Birmingham Gun Quarter , gunpowder from Faversham (also, later, from Waltham Abbey ). Cannons and shot were procured from iron foundries (initially those in the Kent and Sussex Weald , later from further afield, e.g. from the Carron Works in Falkirk). More expensive 'brass' (bronze) ordnance

3024-450: The 18th century. By the 19th century, the Board of Ordnance was second in size only to HM Treasury among government departments. The Board lasted until 1855, at which point (tarnished by poor performance in supplying the Army in Crimea ) it was disbanded. The introduction of gunpowder to Europe led to innovations in offensive weapons, such as cannon, and defences, such as fortifications. From

3108-475: The Barrack Office led to a series of inquiries, however, and following the Napoleonic Wars responsibility for barracks was returned to the Board of Ordnance. A number of different Corps were established by the Board of Ordnance to carry out its work both in its home establishments and on the field of battle; they had (and to some extent retain) a very distinctive identity and ethos. Principal among these were

3192-582: The Board of Ordnance Storekeeping system'; staffed by uniformed civilians, the Department had oversight of the supply and provision of small arms, ammunition and other armaments to all front-line troops. After the Board's demise, the Ordnance Field Train was consolidated, together with the Ordnance Storekeepers and others, into a new Military Store Department, which eventually formed a key part of

3276-483: The Board of Ordnance, again at their Woolwich base. Initially an officer-only corps, the Engineers (called Royal Engineers from 1787) were engaged in the design, construction and ongoing maintenance of defences, fortifications and other military installations. They were also engaged for large-scale civilian projects from time to time. A civilian corps of 'artificers' provided the non-commissioned workforce of carpenters, stonemasons, bricklayers and other labourers; this corps

3360-440: The Board of Ordnance; just over a hundred years later, in 1806, the Board directed its Storekeepers and others to mark "all descriptions of Ordnance Stores ... with the broad arrow as soon as they shall have been received as fit for His Majesty's Service". In the 16th century, the Constable of the Tower of London routinely exercised his right (as ex-officio Lord Lieutenant of the Tower Hamlets ) to summon local citizens to form

3444-513: The Board was given responsibility for sourcing, storing and supplying a variety of other items for the Army, including tents and camp equipment (formerly the remit of the Army's Storekeeper-General) and 'barrack stores' (for which the Commissariat had been responsible since 1807). Later, in 1834, the Board inherited (also from the Commissariat) the task of providing food and 'fuel' (namely coal and candles for use in barracks) for all homeland troops, as well as forage for cavalry regiments. Prior to

British Solomon Islands Protectorate Defence Force - Misplaced Pages Continue

3528-452: The Board, which thus consisted of: Two overseers: And four heads of department: The offices of Master of the Ordnance and Clerk of the Ordnance may be said to date from 1414, when Letters Patent were issued on behalf of Henry V of England to 'Nicholas Merbury, Master of our Works, Engines, Cannons and other kinds of Ordnance for War, and to John Louth, Clerk of the same Works' (though it appears that these were appointments for service in

3612-449: The British Army). Many colonial units started out as auxiliaries and later became regular units and forerunners to the current militaries of those colonies which have become politically independent. While most of the units listed here were army units, colonial marines were raised at various times, as were colonial naval and air force reserve units. Today, only four British Overseas Territories regiments remain (not including cadet corps):

3696-409: The British Empire was involved in, including the two world wars. Some of the reserve colonial units, especially in the strategically important imperial fortress colonies (consisting of Halifax, Gibraltar, Bermuda and Malta), were funded by the War Department out of Army Funds and considered part of the British Army (by example, the Bermuda Militia Artillery was grouped with the Royal Artillery and

3780-435: The Duke of Marlborough, in his capacity as Master General of the Ordnance, oversaw the formation (by Royal Warrant) of two permanent companies of field artillery, based (together with their guns) at the Warren ( Royal Arsenal ), Woolwich. Prior to this, artillery pieces had been conveyed to the front line in any conflict by ad hoc artillery trains (their personnel convened for a limited duration by Royal Warrant). The men of

3864-418: The English Empire became the British Empire). By the Victorian era , the colonial auxiliary military forces were generally followed the pattern of the auxiliary military forces of the British Isles. There were also British military units, separate from those of the British Army (such as the West India Regiments and the Canadian Regiment of Fencible Infantry ) that were raised and recruited in colonies, such as

3948-421: The Irish military forces had been absorbed into those of Great Britain), included two regular forces (employed in the garrisoning and defence of the British Isles, other parts of the British Empire, and deploying to foreign countries as required), the Ordnance Military Corps (including the Royal Artillery , Royal Engineers , and Royal Sappers and Miners ), administered and funded under the Board of Ordnance , and

4032-441: The Islands”, Sydney, Reed, 1979, mentions Mr F. Stackpool as the Government Dispenser (i.e. Pharmacist/Chemist). In fact, Mr Stackpool, held this position in the former British Colonial Administration (Medical Service) from the year 1929 until 1942 at Tulagi and then 1943 to 1948 at Aola, later at Honiara in the Solomon Islands. British Colonial Auxiliary Forces Whether a British ("Home" or "Colonial") military unit or corps

4116-443: The King referred to it as 'Our Royal Regiment of Fusiliers'. In its formative years, the regiment accompanied the royal artillery train to Hounslow Heath each summer (where the Army remained encamped for several weeks); there they guarded the guns, and the gunners and matrosses who had been drafted in to operate them. In due course, after the Glorious Revolution of 1688, the Fusiliers ceased to be an Ordnance Regiment and became

4200-399: The Lieutenant-General); the post was consolidated with several others in 1836 to form that of Paymaster General . The Master of Naval Ordnance was a specific office established in 1546 who was assigned to the Council of the Marine and acted as a liaison between both boards. The Board also had a network of officers in place in key forts, ordnance yards and other installations throughout

4284-421: The Navy at sea or for delivery to the Army in areas of conflict). They also provided ordnance supplies for the defensive fortifications of the Dockyard itself, and secure storage space for ships in port (Royal Naval ships returning from duties at sea were obliged to unload their stores of powder and ammunition; if a ship was to spend time ' in ordinary ' (i.e. out of commission) it had its guns removed as well). In

SECTION 50

#1732844181752

4368-437: The Office of Ordnance took over the work of the Office of Armoury at the Tower; the Armoury had been a parallel body which was originally responsible for armour and edged weapons , but its activities had gradually widened over time, causing a degree of duplication. At this time, the Ordnance Office also began to conduct oversight of the nation's forts and fortifications. In 1683, the board of management (first assembled in 1597)

4452-420: The Old Artillery Ground was sold and the staff and equipment involved in proof testing moved to Woolwich. From 1688 all new ordnance items were ordered to be delivered to Woolwich rather than the Tower (thereafter the Tower continued to be used as the Board's main repository for general stores). The Woolwich Warren (later renamed the Royal Arsenal ) continued to serve as Britain's principal ordnance depot until

4536-407: The Ordnance Office was a largely civilian organisation up until the formation of its Artillery and Engineer corps in the early 18th century. Prior to 1716, civilians were generally employed as gunners and engineers by the Board; Storekeepers and their subordinates were also civilians (and remained so through till the Board's demise in the 1850s) as were those engaged in manufacturing. Having established

4620-410: The Ordnance, displacing the incumbent Sir Christopher Morris , who continued his previous work but with a new title: Lieutenant of the Ordnance. Thereafter the Lieutenant (or Lieutenant-General) had day-to-day oversight of the Board's activities, while Master (or Master-General) had more the role of a statesman and supervisor (albeit still with specific responsibilities to the Board and its work). From

4704-409: The Realm (including overseas). The senior Ordnance officer in these locations was usually termed the Storekeeper, and he was responsible directly to the Board. Prior to the Union of the Crowns there was a Master of the Ordnance in the North (with oversight of Berwick, Newcastle and the nearby coastal forts) who had greater autonomy, though he was reliant on the London office for most supplies. Moreover,

4788-402: The Reserve Forces were generally referred to as the Auxiliary Forces (i.e., auxiliary to, but not part of, the British Army), or as the Local Forces (as they were originally all for home defence). With the threat of invasion by France, the Reserve Forces in the British Isles were also re-organised throughout the latter half of the 19th Century, into the first decade of the 20th Century. The Militia

4872-417: The Tower remains the Regimental Headquarters of the Royal Regiment of Fusiliers . In the medieval period, storage and supply of weapons and armaments was the responsibility of the King's Wardrobe . Royal palaces (including the Tower of London) were therefore used for storage of armour, weapons and (in time) gunpowder. When the Office of Ordnance came into being, the Tower of London was already established as

4956-420: The abolishment of the East India Company, with the India Office taking over administration of India. The company's military forces were split, with the white units absorbed into the British Army and the native ones composing the Indian Army . The British Army saw significant change through the latter half of the century, with the British Army Regular Reserve formed in the 1850s, following which, to avoid confusion,

5040-417: The conclusion of the Napoleonic Wars and the American War of 1812 , the British Government slashed defence spending, down-sizing the regular forces, including disbanding the fencibles (most of which units had been raised in Scotland due to the lack of Militia there in the 18th Century as a result of fears of rebellion), disbanding the Volunteer Force in the British Isles, and allowing the Militia there to become

5124-408: The early 19th century. The Board was a decision-making body, answerable to the Master-General who had power of veto. (He was also empowered to act independently of the Board). They were required to meet at least twice a week (8am every Tuesday and Thursday) at the Tower in order to transact business. By the mid-16th century the Master was assisted by five 'Principal Officers' who later went on to form

SECTION 60

#1732844181752

5208-403: The field of war rather than to a permanent position). Merbury was present at the Siege of Harfleur and (albeit without his guns) at the Battle of Agincourt . By 1450 Master of Ordnance was a permanent appointment, firmly based at the Tower of London. The office of Yeoman of the Ordnance (established in 1430 to oversee both the storage of weapons and accoutrements and their delivery for use in

5292-420: The field) was abolished in 1543 and its duties were split between two new officers: the Storekeeper of the Ordnance and Clerk of the Deliveries. At the same time the office of Surveyor of the Ordnance was also established. Until 1544 the Master had generally managed the day-to-day activities of the Ordnance Office. In that year, however, King Henry VIII appointed his brother-in-law Thomas Seymour as Master of

5376-468: The influence of the Privy Wardrobe and its staff receded, and no new Keepers were appointed after 1476. In its place, a distinct Office of Ordnance began to establish itself at the Tower; this body was responsible for firearms and artillery, and was staffed in the 1460s by a Master, a Clerk and a Yeoman. In the 1540s, during the reign of Henry VIII , the Ordnance Office was expanded, with new officers appointed and their principal duties clarified. In 1671,

5460-465: The main repository, and it remained the administrative centre of the new Board. Gunpowder was stored in the White Tower (and continued to be kept there until the mid-19th century). Small arms, ammunition, armour and other equipment were stored elsewhere within the Tower precinct, a succession of Storehouses and Armouries having been built for such purposes since the fourteenth century. From the mid-16th century bulkier items began to be stored in warehouses in

5544-462: The main, central repository until 1694, when a new gunpowder depot was established on the banks of the Thames at Greenwich Peninsula . The location was chosen both for reasons of safety (it was largely uninhabited marshland) and for convenience (because gunpowder barrels were invariably delivered by boat). The powder arrived at Greenwich from the manufacturers. Once there it was not only stored, prior to being despatched to wherever it might be needed, but

5628-529: The mid-17th century. It later expanded into a large-scale production facility, specializing in: Gunpowder manufacture was mostly kept separate of other operations (though some took place at Woolwich in the early years, inherited from the Wardrobe 's earlier activities at Greenwich Palace). Beginning in the 18th century, the Board began to purchase mills that had been established under private ownership: Ordnance Board activity at Ballincollig ceased in 1815; both it and Faversham were returned to private ownership in

5712-425: The mid-twentieth century. It also developed into a major manufacturing site (see below). During the Napoleonic Wars , concerns were expressed about the vulnerability of the nation's ordnance stores to attack from the sea. One response was the establishment of a Royal Ordnance Depot at Weedon Bec , well away from the coast in Northamptonshire: a sizeable complex of storehouses and gunpowder magazines constructed along

5796-437: The nearby Minories and cannons were proof-tested on the ' Old Artillery Ground ' to the north. Within the Tower, the New Armouries of 1664 served the Board as a small arms store (it can still be seen today in the Inner Ward). The vast Grand Storehouse of 1692 served not just as a store, but also as a museum of ordnance, precursor to today's Royal Armouries . (It was destroyed (along with its contents, some 60,000 objects) in

5880-414: The new artillery companies (which became the Royal Regiment of Artillery from 1722) now provided troops for this purpose; before long, they were also providing guns and heavy artillery for forts and garrisons around the country and indeed across the Empire. In addition, the Artillerymen did on-site work at the Arsenal and at other Ordnance Board facilities, from preparing fuses and proving weapons to providing

5964-413: The principal Dockyards at Portsmouth ( Priddy's Hard ) and Devonport (Keyham Point), and at Chatham the Upnor facility was (eventually) expanded. These centres continued to grow, as the processes for refining and preserving gunpowder became more complicated and as new explosives began to be used, requiring their own storage and maintenance areas. In 1850, Devonport's magazine depot was moved from Keyham to

6048-604: The same regimental name). Although the Auxiliary forces remained organised as, and nominally, separate forces (until the Territorial Army was renamed the British Army Reserve in 2014), their being funded by the War Office meant they were also considered parts of the British Army. Outside the British Isles, the funding of auxiliary forces remained largely with the local governments. The first colonial units established in

6132-455: The same time the Tower, though still technically the Board's headquarters, was mostly given over to storage. In the mid-17th century the Board began to use land at Woolwich for storing and proving its guns. The land (known as The Warren ) was purchased in 1671 and in 1682 a thousand cannons and ten thousand cannonballs were transferred to Woolwich from the Tower and the Minories. At the same time,

6216-497: The senior technicians on the staff. The appointment of Master Gunner was first made as early as 1485, though it ceased after the establishment of the Regiment of Artillery in the 18th century; that of Chief Engineer was instituted in 1660. The Treasurer of the Ordnance was another important officer of the department, although he did not sit on the board. This office was instituted in 1670 (its duties having previously been discharged by

6300-552: The shield at its centre (it was previously used, along with the Board's motto, by the Royal Army Ordnance Corps ). The crest appears on the ensign of the Corps of Royal Engineers . The broad arrow was the Board's mark, used as such from the 17th century. Stamped on guns, papers, buildings and all kinds of equipment, it originally signified royal ownership. A proclamation of 1699 clarified its use on stores of war belonging to

6384-866: The southwest Pacific than they were with tropical Mesoamerica and Caribbean conditions, which they knew very well. The pre-war experience and malaria records of Dr. Edward Sayers In the Western Province of the Solomon Islands was helpful to the United States forces in reducing malaria rates during the Solomon Islands campaign . Large numbers of sick combatants in their care were initially treated for dengue fever. They were persuaded by two factors to revise this initial diagnosis to favour malaria due to: On seeing these successful results first-hand, US Marine medical staff very quickly adopted similar malaria treatment practices for their sick combatants in care. The initial approach to treat for dengue fever instead of malaria

6468-454: The vicinity of naval dockyards. Bermuda's , begun in the 1830s, remains largely intact behind the dockyard fortifications; its magazines and storehouses are arranged around a small pool, where boats would arrive by way of a tunnel through the ramparts to be loaded with ammunition. For storage of gunpowder, a nearby fortified building was often used initially: the Square Tower at Portsmouth,

6552-417: Was Sir Bernard de Gomme . In 1802 the post of Inspector General of Fortifications was established, and this official took over supervision of these works. The Board also had responsibility for the building, upkeep and management of barracks and associated structures (except during a 30-year period, 1792-1822, when responsibility was transferred to a separate Barrack Office). Before this time, barracks were

6636-637: Was a British government body. Established in the Tudor period , it had its headquarters in the Tower of London . Its primary responsibilities were 'to act as custodian of the lands, depots and forts required for the defence of the realm and its overseas possessions, and as the supplier of munitions and equipment to both the Army and the Navy'. The Board also maintained and directed the Artillery and Engineer corps, which it founded in

6720-604: Was considered part of the British Army was ultimately decided by whether it received Army funds from the War Office. Within and without the British Isles, the British military, (referring to land, rather than naval,components of the British armed forces ) by the end of the Napoleonic Wars (by which time the Kingdom of Ireland had been absorbed into the Kingdom of Great Britain , forming the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland , and

6804-470: Was formally constituted as the Board of Ordnance by Warrant of King Charles II; it consisted of five Principal Officers meeting under the chairmanship of the Master-General. At the same time it was given a new constitution ('Instructions') by Lord Dartmouth , the Master-General. These detailed Instructions continued, with relatively little change, to provide the working framework for the Board and its officers until

6888-771: Was militarized in 1787, and named the Royal Military Artificers (they were then renamed the Royal Sappers and Miners 25 years later). The year after the demise of the Ordnance Board, the Sappers and Miners were fully amalgamated into the Royal Engineers, and at the same time the Corps moved from Woolwich to its present headquarters in Chatham . A Field Train Department was established in 1792 to serve as 'the field force element of

6972-682: Was produced on a smaller scale, by specialist foundries mostly in the London area (in Houndsditch , Vauxhall , Southwark , at The Foundery in Moorfields and elsewhere). In time, the Board made moves to set up or purchase its own facilities. The Board's primary manufacturing site, and a key location for several of its activities, was the Royal Arsenal in Woolwich . Guns had been stored and proved there from

7056-826: Was re-organised as a voluntary force from the 1850s, and the Volunteer Force restored as a permanent part of the peacetime military establishment. Both now included units other than infantry. These changes were copied to some degree in the colonial Reserve Forces. From the 1870s, administration and funding of the Auxiliary Forces in the British Isles passed from the Lords Lieutenant to the War Office and their units were increasingly integrated into British Army units (new infantry regiments, by example, being formed to include two regular battalions, with one or more Militia battalions and one or more Volunteer Force battalions, all bearing

#751248