3rd Divsion Canadian Ordnance Services Shoulder Title

[GregN]

Hi guys, I'm puzzled by this shoulder title I picked up at a gunshow in Ontario. The dealer didn't know what it was (which is why it was expensive) nor did I but as I hadn't bought anything at the show, I had to buy this to appease the collector gods.

I can't find this in any books (Harper, Brooker, Charton or Mazeas) and only by looking in Love's "A Call to Arms" The Organization and Administration of Canada's Military in World War One" do I find a reference to the 3rd Divisional Deputy Assistant Director Ordnance Services (Chapter 24, pg 230).

I'm hoping that someone else has some idea as to where this fits within the CEF.

Regards,

Greg

[soldier1]

Originally Posted by GregN

Hi guys, I'm puzzled by this shoulder title I picked up at a gunshow in Ontario. The dealer didn't know what it was (which is why it was expensive) nor did I but as I hadn't bought anything at the show, I had to buy this to appease the collector gods.

I can't find this in any books (Harper, Brooker, Charton or Mazeas) and only by looking in Love's "A Call to Arms" The Organization and Administration of Canada's Military in World War One" do I find a reference to the 3rd Divisional Deputy Assistant Director Ordnance Services (Chapter 24, pg 230).

I'm hoping that someone else has some idea as to where this fits within the CEF.

Regards,

Greg

Hi Greg; I'll try to answer your question.

This is a COC Shoulder title. The COSC was formed on 1 Jul 1903 and redesignated COC on 2 Dec 1907.

Ordnance services of the Canadian Corps in CEF were directed by an ADOS at HQ, assisted by a DADOS, an Ordnance Officer, an officer for ammuntion duties and a staff of one WO, a Ssgt and two clerks. The ADOS administered all COC pers in UK and France.

At Div HQ there were a DADOS,an Ordnance officer, four WO's and 10 OR's.

An Armourer Sgt Maj and an Armourer QMS served with each infantry brigade
and an Armourer Ssgt with each battalion.

I have never seen a COC shoulder title with a numeral in it before. We have many COC titles in the museum but none with a number in/on it. They were not, to my knowledge, issued that way. So this could be a local quiff for 3 Div?

All that said, it is a beautiful piece of Ordnance history!

Hope this helps;

Cheers Al

[GregN]

Thanks Al for the in-depth explanation. Maybe there is a specialist CEF collector out there who has a similar one.

Greg

[John S.]

Greg:
IMO this is a normal COC WWI era title that has been made into a sweetheart brooch item.
The 3 can mean anything, but having a brooch back fitting only re-enforces this belief.
My two cents.......
Cheers,
John S.

[soldier1]

You could be right on John.In my technical explanation a sweetheart pin never entered my mind!

Cheers Al

[Bill A]

I agree with John. The title has the characteristic pin back of sweethearts. How is the silver "3" attached to the title?