Royal Arsenal Departments

The main departments of the Royal Arsenal were:
 
PD                   Proof Department
RCD                Royal Carriage Department
RGF                Royal Gun Factory
RL                   Royal Laboratory
SD                  Store Keepers Department

The Departments functioning in the Arsenal in the 19th and 20th Century are as follows:

Acronym	Description
A D M T	Army department of mechanised transport
A O S	Army Ordnance Stores ( R O A C )
B W D	Building Works Dept
C D	Catering Dept
C I A	Chief Inspector Of Armaments Inspection Dept
C S O F	Chief Superintendent of Ordnance Factories
M E D	Mechinical Engineering Dept
I O	Indian Office
I N O	Inspector Of Naval Ordnance
M B	Mechanisation Board
M D	Medical Dept
N I D	Naval Inspection Dept
O C	Ordnance Select Committee
O F S	Ordnance Factory Stores
P O	Pay Office
R A F	Royal Ammunition Factory
R G C F	Royal Gun & Carriage Factory
R C D	Royal Carriage Dept
R G F	Royal Gun Factories
R A R D E	Royal Arsenal Research & Development Establishment
R E M E	Royal Electrical & Mechanical Engineers
R D	Research Department (R I )
R N A D	Royal Naval Armament Dept
S A A F	Small ARMS Ammunition Factories
S A D	Stores Audit Department
U K A E A	United Kingdom Atomic Energy Authorities
W D C	War Department Chemist
W D C	War Department Constabulary
W O A B	War Office Audit Board
W D F B	War Department Fire Brigade

 

The first ‘ordnance’ to be based at the Arsenal was the Ordnance Store Department (Officers only) and the Ordnance Store Corps (NCOs and Soldiers) until 1896 when these became the Army Ordnance Department and the Army Ordnance Corps. These are the correct titles of the units who occupied part of the Woolwich sites in both the Dockyard and Arsenal. The AOD and AOC merged in November 1918 to form the Royal Army Ordnance Corps (RAOC), elements of which remained at the Arsenal into the 1960's
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1931 Secret MAP

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Royal Carriage Department

Royal Arsenal Woolwich Carriage Department Management outside the Central Offices, January 1919

This rare photo was sent to me via an estate clearance of an original photograph dating January 1919 representing the complete management staff of the Royal Arsenal Woolwich Carriage Department at that time.

It measures approx. 54 inches in width and 10 in height and has been scanned and stitched to upload this photo.

The photo was taken outside the Royal Arsenal's Central Offices.
They all have just played their part in winning the First World War. To do that they would have worked 12 to 14 hour shifts every day except 6 to 7 hours on Saturday and a day off on Sunday. They would have had no holidays since 1914, no wonder they thought it worth having a record of themselves.
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The RCD employed many thousands at this time. Unlike the management, they didn't get photographed...

​Royal Guns and Cartfidge Factory (RGCF)

1917 Gun Section orders branch (RGF). Photo provided by Pat Borcherding

CIA - Chief Inspector Of Armaments

​C I A means the Chief Inspector Of Armaments After the first World War had terminated departments were reorganised under the name of Armaments Inspection Department And functioned under a Chief Inspector of Armaments C I A This was responsible for Land Service stores Including small arms ammunition. The department in 1929 was responsible for the inspection of all new armament stores supplied to the Land Forces It was also responsible for the inspection of new small arm ammunition for the naval service Other duties for the department consisted in preparing specifications for armaments and M T stores The department was also responsible for the design and inspection of its own gauges The preparation of Hand books Magazine regulations In the Arsenal C I A inspectors were in most of the production shops Pieceworkers not only had a Factory inspector to pass there work but also a C I A inspector They had there own canteen They even had there own Sports ground Not a popular section.

Mechanical / Engineering Department

RARDE "ARD High Explosoves" Department

Names of people referred to on the cartoons working at  A.R.D  H.E. Section 1945 Arsenal
:-

1.       Col. Mozozen	Polish Officer
2.       T.E Wallace	E.A.II
3.       R. F. J. Freeman	E.O.	“Professor”
4.       Dr L. R. Outridge	S.O
5.       J. V. Westwood	E.O.
6.       Capt. Hackel	Polish Officer
7.       P. Cliffe		E.O.	“Percy”
8.       V. Jamieson	A.I.	“Jimmy”
9.       C. B. Roberts	E.O.	“Carl Brian”
10.   D. McKenzie	S.S.O	“Mac”
11.   C. J. A. Cooper	S.O.
12.   R. A. W. Walker	A.II	“Bill”
13.   Dr J. G. Bennet	E.O.
14.   E. V. Saunderson	S.O.	“Sandy”
15.   Dr W. E. Soper	S.O.
16.   W. E. Slater	S.S.O	“Trauzyl”
17.   R. G. Early	P.S.O	“Mum”	(Head of section)
18.   W. L. Long	S.S.O	“Dad”
19.   W. A. Bailey	S.S.O	“Uncle B”
20.   Dr J. W. Rowe	S.E.O	“Doc”
21.   H. B. Young	A.II	“H. B.”
22.   P. E. Hall	A.III	“Sam”
23.   R. M. Laidler	A.II	“Ronny Mac”
24.   J Williamson	E.O.	“Jock” (By himself)
25.   R. W. Bolland	E.O.
26.       D.E. Jarrett	E.O.
27.       J. S. Beard	E.O.	“Bluebeard”
28.       H. J. Lacey	E.AIII	“Hugo”
Other members
Miss M. Arnold	A.I.	“Matthew”
K. Reed	E.O.
E. V. Wobschall	E.A.III
J. A. Jackson	L.A.
Mrs M. Allwright	Clerk
Miss S. Woolgar	Clerk
Miss P. Prime	Clerk
S. Brown	Clerk

Unknown Photos