KEEPING DIVISION SUPPLIED

Southland Times, Issue 25513, 6 November 1944, Page 4

KEEPING DIVISION SUPPLIED

Ordnance Field Park’s Work One of the units of the N.Z.E.F. about which little is heard is the Ordnance Field Park, whose task is to keep the division supplied with all kinds of equipment. A former member of . the unit, Corporal H. W. Rogers, who returned to Invercargill with the last furlough draft, told a reporter something about its work. Before the division went to Italy, Corporal Rogers was attached to the base depot in Egypt with the rank of staff sergeant. He relinquished this rank to go to Italy with the Ordnance Field Park. The 0.F.P., as it is called, carries all sorts of supplies apart from food—spare parts for tanks, trucks, cars and weapons and clothing for the troops. The unit moves forward with the division. If a tank is hit and the tracks are knocked off a man is sent to the O.F.P. for new tracks. Supplies for the O.F.P. are drawn from the New Zealand base depot, and sometimes a long, hazardous drive is involved.

During the fighting in Italy last winter, when the weather was bad, the demand for clothing became extremely heavy, said Corporal Rogers. In one month the O.F.P. was called on to supply 25,000 pairs of socks and 15,000 pairs of boots. Woollen underclothing, battledress, balaclavas and scarves were in great demand. Occasionally the supply convoys from the base were prevented by snow or washouts from getting through to the 0.F.P., which was often within shellfire of the enemy. But in spite of this the division was always kept well equipped from reserves held by the O.F.P.