Who rides a horse in an Infantry Battalion?

[sneakyimp]

So I've recently read about the CEF 2nd Brigade marching from Estaires to Steenvoorde in early April and I'm trying to picture it. I expect this would be all the battalions (5th, 7th, 8th, 10th, 2nd trench mortar battery) probably consisting of about 4500 men. In a particular battalion (let's say it was 7th bln), who would be riding a horse for this march? I'm guessing that the CO and second-in-command and adjutant would likely do so, but what about other majors? Captains? company commanders? Lieutenants? Machine Gun Officer? If someone could help me determine which of these gentlemen would be mounted for this march, I'd be much appreciated.

These are the officers' names when they sailed from Blighty in Feb 1915 as described in The Dukes by Douglas Harker. Some of these guys were likely not present at Estaires as this would be the complete officer list when they were at full strength of 1033 men. By Estaires, they would be reduced to approximately 932 men.

Lt.-Col. W. Hart-McHarg - Commanding Officer

Major V.W. Odlum - Second-in-command

Captain S.D. Gardner - Adjutant

Captain J.W. McMillan - Quartermaster

Captain G.H. Gibson - Medical Officer

Captain F. Bayliss - Paymaster

Lieut. E.D. Bellew - Machine Gun Officer (and winner of VC at 2nd Ypres)

#1 Company

Major G. Moberley

Captain J.W. Warden

Lt. H.B. Scharschmidt

Lt. G.H. Leslie

Lt. N.A. Jessop

Lt. W.L. Ford

Lt. A.G. Spencer

#2 Company

Major P. Rigby (KIA near Neuve Chapelle two weeks prior)

Capt. T.V. Scudamore

Capt. T. Locke

Lt. R.P. Latta

Lt. J.C. Thorn

Lt. R.P. Steeves

Lt. H.G. Anderson

#3 Company

Capt. R.C. Cooper

Lt. R.V. Harvey

Lt. G.C. Chisholm

Lt. R.F.E. Buscombe

Lt. H.A. Bromley

Lt. H.B. Boggs

Lt. J.D. Dawson

#4 Company

Major P. Byng-Hall

Capt. L.E. Haynes

Lt. C.C. Holmes

Lt. H.V.C. Macdowall

Lt. G. Hornby

Lt. O.F. Brothers

Chaplain: Capt. W. Barton

[nigelfe]

Field officers and I assume the Adjutant

[sneakyimp]

Field officers and I assume the Adjutant

Thanks for the response. I assume by field officers and adjutant you mean pretty much all of them except the CO, second-in-command, medical officer, paymaster, and chaplain? I find it surprising that the CO and second-in-command would not have a horse.

[centurion]

I think by field officers is meant Major and above

[bill24chev]

Also probably QM and Transport Officer, they would need mobility to keep the Bn and its Equipmet under control.

Billeting officer may also have a mount to get to and arrange billets.

Have seen photos of Captains at head of companies on foot but these may have been Coy 2i/c. Captains and O/c Coy may have had a horse.

[sneakyimp]

I think by field officers is meant Major and above

Ah OK then. Sounds like we're saying the C.O., second-in-command, all majors, and possibly captains as well. I expect the allocation of horses is partly an issue of status and partly one of available resources. QM and Transport definitely seem to need horses IMHO. One would certainly need to ride up and down the transport line to keep an eye on things.

I suppose we could probably rule out all the lieutenants then? And possibly the captains too?

[Ron Clifton]

Hello everyone

According to War Establishments 1914, there were thirteen riding horses in an infantry battalion:

Two for the lt-colonel commanding

One each for the Major 2i/c, Adjutant, Quartermaster, Medical Officer, four Company Commanders, Officer i/c Machine Gun Section, Transport Officer and Transport Sergeant.

Ron

[sneakyimp]

Thanks, Ron! The clarity and authority of your posts is always impressive. What is this document War Establishments 1914? I've googled around a bit and haven't seen anything especially commanding in book form.

[Guest]

sneakyimp. Ron is the man

Useful thread here Click

mike

[Ron Clifton]

Hello sneakimp

You are too kind!

War Establishments 1914 is an official publication of April 1914 setting out the composition in men, horses and vehicles of every unit which would form part of an Expeditionary Force. I don't think it has been reprinted and second-hand copies will be very hard to come by, but if you can get to the National Archives at Kew, you will find it in fole WO24/899.

The next thirty or so files in WO24 contain the amendments to it during the war period. There are over 2,000 of them, and each "file" is a small bound volume containing fify to a hundred of them. I have spent many happy hours browsing them over the years!

Ron

[centurion]

http://www.amazon.co.uk/ESTABLISHMENTS-PART-EXPEDITIONARY-FORCE-1914/dp/B0035FVITE

[Ron Clifton]

Thanks centurion. I'll stick with my photocopy though it probably cost me nearly as much! £39.99 sounds about right though.

Ron

[alf mcm]

Sneakyimp,

According to the book 'Horsing the British Army', Chaplains were allocated horses at one time, only to have them removed and replaced with bicycles at a later date. This would no doubt be covered by the Amendments mentioned by Ron. Perhaps someone knows when horses were first allocated to Chaplains.

Regards,

Alf McM

[sneakyimp]

Sneakyimp,

According to the book 'Horsing the British Army', Chaplains were allocated horses at one time, only to have them removed and replaced with bicycles at a later date. This would no doubt be covered by the Amendments mentioned by Ron. Perhaps someone knows when horses were first allocated to Chaplains.

Regards,

Alf McM

This is a remarkable detail. I just love the color it gives us 100 years later.