Ammunition Technician - History

History

Within the Royal Army Ordnance Corps, the receipt into service, storage, examination and issue of ammunition was possibly the oldest and most important function of the Corps. War could not be waged without ammunition, and to be waged successfully the ammunition had to be in every respect serviceable and dependable. The trade were previously called Ammunition Examiners (AE) and it was in the safeguarding of ammunition stockpiles during the wars that the Ammunition Examiner proved his worth. Promotion however was limited up to Warrrant Officer Class 2 and at this stage the AE had to re-muster in the trade of RAOC Clerk in order to obtain higher rank. In 1948, the increased responsibility of the ammunition organization in Ordnance Services and in order to utilise the experience of these highly skilled tradesmen both as Warrant Officers and as Officers, the RAOC decided that promotion to WO1 would be introduced. RAOC Instruction No 466 introduced a new type of Quartermaster commission into the Royal Army Ordnance Corps to permit the Warrant Officer Ammunition Examiner being commissioned within the sphere of his normal employment on ammunition duties. These commissioned WOs would be called Assistant Inspecting Ordnance Officers (AIOOs).

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