The Army Service Corps was the NZEF’s supply and transport branch, providing food, equipment and ammunition, and helping evacuate the wounded. The Corps collected goods from central depots, transported it to the front lines, and distributed it amongst the various units.
The ASC was made up of companies attached to each infantry brigade and several stand-alone units. Collectively these companies formed the ‘Divisional Train’ or supply column, along with the ASC headquarters. From March 1916 New Zealand also contributed five base depots which formed a link in the greater supply chain across France.
Army Service Corps units, August 1914–Mar 1916
| Name | Unit attached to | Campaigns | Dates | Further information |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| No. 1 Company ASC | Headquarters, New Zealand & Australian Divisional Train | Gallipoli, 1915 | Aug 1914–Mar 1916 | Unit diaries at Australian War Memorial |
| No. 2 Company ASC | New Zealand Infantry Brigade | Gallipoli, 1915 | Dec 1914–Mar 1916 | |
| No. 3 Company ASC | New Zealand Mounted Rifles Brigade | Gallipoli, 1915 | Dec 1914–Mar 1916 | |
| No. 4 Company ASC | New Zealand & Australian Divisional Train | Gallipoli, 1915 | Apr 1915–Mar 1916 |
Army Service Corps units, Mar 1916–November 1918
| Name | Unit attached to | Campaigns | Dates | Further information |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| No. 1 Company ASC | 1st New Zealand Infantry Brigade | Western Front | Mar 1916–Feb 1919 | |
| No. 2 Company ASC | 2nd New Zealand Infantry Brigade | Western Front | Mar 1916–Mar 1919 | |
| No. 3 Company ASC | New Zealand Rifle Brigade | Western Front | Mar 1916–Feb 1919 | |
| No. 4 Company ASC | 4th New Zealand Infantry Brigade | Western Front | Mar 1917–Feb 1918 | Unit diaries at Archives New Zealand |
| No. 5 Company ASC (renumbered No. 4 in Feb 1918) | New Zealand Divisional Train | Western Front | Aug 1917–Jun 1919 | Unit diaries at Archives New Zealand |
| New Zealand Field Bakery | Unattached | Western Front | Mar 1916– Mar 1919 | Unit diaries at Archives New Zealand |
| New Zealand Field Butchery | Unattached | Western Front | Mar 1916– Mar 1919 | Unit diaries at Archives New Zealand |
| New Zealand ASC Motor Workshop | Unattached | Western Front | Mar 1916– Mar 1919 | |
| No. 1 Depot Unit of Supply | Unattached | Ambleteuse | Mar 1916– | Unit diaries at Archives New Zealand |
| No. 2 Depot Unit of Supply | Unattached | Western Front Menesvillers, Roye, Dieppe | Mar 1916– | Unit diaries at Archives New Zealand |
| No. 3 Depot Unit of Supply | Unattached | Marseilles | Mar 1916– | Unit diaries at Archives New Zealand |
| No. 4 Depot Unit of Supply | Unattached | Western Front Hesdin | Mar 1916– | Unit diaries at Archives New Zealand |
| No. 5 Depot Unit of Supply | Unattached | Western Front Boulogne | Mar 1916– | Unit diaries at Archives New Zealand |
| New Zealand Mechanical Transport Depot 1918–19 | HQ NZEF England | Weybridge, Surrey, England | 1918–19 |
Badges, shoulder title and puggaree
Cap and collar badges: The monogram ‘ASC’ within the garter, surrounded by a laurel wreath, surrounded by an eight-pointed star. Motto: Nil sine labor (Nothing without work).
New Zealand Army Service Corps shoulder title.
New Zealand Army Service Corps puggaree (hatband).
Further reading
Millen, Julia, Salute to service: a history of the Royal New Zealand Corps of Transport and its predecessors 1860–1996 (Wellington: Victoria University Press, 1997)
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