regimental structure

[Peter furness]

This may seem like a silly question, but i am a bit confused as to how companies / regiments / batallions etc are structured and how many men are in each. Can anyone give a easy guide as to how they were structured for me.

Apologies if this is a silly question.

[bushfighter]

Peter

There isn't a quick simple answer. Probably the easiest thing for you to do is to obtain a copy of Field Service Pocket Book (1914) (David & Charles Reprints) which is not expensive.

You will see there the different types of Regiments with their different structures (called Establishments).

Ask a question or questions again if necessary after you have looked through the book.

Harry

[MBrockway]

This may seem like a silly question, but i am a bit confused as to how companies / regiments / batallions etc are structured and how many men are in each. Can anyone give a easy guide as to how they were structured for me.

Apologies if this is a silly question.

Peter,

Not silly at all - in fact it crops up regularly. If you do a Forum search on some of those terms, I think you should quickly throw up some of the threads where this has been tackled before.

The FS Pocket Book is worth having too.

Cheers,

Mark

[Pete1052]

At different times in the last 200 years an infantry company could range in size from 60 to 200 men commanded by a captain or occasionally a major; a battalion would consist of three or four companies and a headquarters element, commanded by a major or lieutenant colonel; and a regiment would consist of one, two, or more battalions under the command of a colonel. Regiments are rarely tactical organizations that fight together as single entities on the same field; battalions are the units that go places and do the fighting.

[Angular]

All this comes with a 'USUALLY' attached...for exact information you'll need to check the sources already indicated, and fix your location and timepoint of interest pretty clearly.

For British infantry, the building blocks were/are Section (Corporal's command, 8-12 men): Platoon (Second Lieutenant/Lieutenant, 3-4 sections + HQ elements): Company (Major, 3-4 platoons + HQ elements): Battalion (Lieutenant Colonel, 3-4 companies + HQ and support elements). Captains are Company second in commands (2 i/c) and commanders of specialist platoons. Full colonels tend to be Brigade 2 i/c's or staff officers.

A British regiment tells you which capbadge you'll be wearing and when your regimental day is, and would probably give you a good indication of where your mates came from. Even now our infantry regiments recruit in specific geographical areas. The British infantry would NEVER fight as formed regiments. A regiment could have 2 battalions in peacetime and over 20 by 1917. The Germans would send a regiment of 3 battalions into battle together; we'd put 3-4 battalions from wherever, together, and call it a Brigade, giving the command to a Brigadier General. German (and often American) companies would be numbered or lettered 1-10 or A-I through the regiment (i.e. the 2nd battalion could have companies D, E and F). This was not done it the British Army.

British cavalry do things slightly differently, so they go Section:Troop:Squadron:Regiment, but as elements of combat power they equate to the infantry Section:Platoon:Company:Battalion. You don't often get more than one 'battalion sized' group from each cavalry regiment, but it did happen (e.g. 1 and 2 Fife and Forfar Yeomanry).

[ARMAGH]

Hello Peter

An infantry Battalion in the 60/70 was as such

3 Sections per Platoon each sect being Cpl, L/lcpl & 8 men

3 Platoons PLUS Company HQ, per Rifle Company

A,B,C.D.SP&HQ Company per Battalion, strength 800 men, however war time Battalion was up to a 1001 men strong.

Hope that helps,

Joe

[Wienand Drenth]

A British regiment tells you which capbadge you'll be wearing and when your regimental day is, and would probably give you a good indication of where your mates came from. Even now our infantry regiments recruit in specific geographical areas. The British infantry would NEVER fight as formed regiments. A regiment could have 2 battalions in peacetime and over 20 by 1917. The Germans would send a regiment of 3 battalions into battle together; we'd put 3-4 battalions from wherever, together, and call it a Brigade, giving the command to a Brigadier General. German (and often American) companies would be numbered or lettered 1-10 or A-I through the regiment (i.e. the 2nd battalion could have companies D, E and F). This was not done it the British Army.

It was done, however, occasionally. The 4th and 5th Battalions of the Royal Green Jackets, Territorial Army battalions, had their companies lettered in one sequence A - I by the late 1980s. B, C, F, G and H for 4th Bn, and A, D, E and I for 5th Bn. The regional binding as indicated by Angular added much to the regimental spirit and cohesion. However, as always in the British Army, there are exceptions. Regiments like the Rifle Brigade and King's Royal Rifle Corps did recruited nation wide, though they seem to have had strong ties to the Metropolitan Area.

British cavalry do things slightly differently, so they go Section:Troop:Squadron:Regiment, but as elements of combat power they equate to the infantry Section:Platoon:Company:Battalion. You don't often get more than one 'battalion sized' group from each cavalry regiment, but it did happen (e.g. 1 and 2 Fife and Forfar Yeomanry).

In this case, and the example of the Yeomanry, I would like to add that this is a WWII practice. Early 1939 it was decided to double the Territorial Army. As such the Fife and Forfar Yeomanry split in two, and those became the 1st Fife and Forfar Yeomanry, and 2nd Fife and Forfar Yeomanry. However, there are exceptions (surprised?). In Scotland you will find the 1st and 2nd Scottish Horse (prior to the Great War), which were indeed two distinct regiments in the Territorial Army with different recruiting areas.

The main difference between a cavalry regiment, whether it be regular of territorial, and an infantry regiment, is that the cavalry regiment is a tactical unit, and the infantry regiment is more like an organisation (regimental family) that maintains and spawns tactical units (i.e., battalions), without taking the field itself. (Prior to 1881, when infantry regiments were numbered, the infantry regiment was a tactical unit) In peace time, say in 1912, the family would have consisted of two regular battalions, one or two reserve battalions (meant as depot for the two regulars), and a number of Territorial battalions. In times of war this number could grow enormously, as you can see at the various regimental pages on the Long, Long Trail website.

Hope this helps a little too,

Wienand

[Ron Clifton]

Hello Peter

Here are some notes I prepared for a battlefield tour last weekend:

HQ: Lt-Col commanding, Major 2i/c, Adjutant (captain), Quartermaster (lieutenant).

Sergeant-Major (warrant officer).

Quartermaster-Sergeant, Orderly Room Clerk (sergant or corporal), Sergeant-Drummer, Sergeant-Cook, Transport-Sergeant, Sergeant-Shoemaker, Pioneer-Sergeant, Signaller-Sergeant.

11 Drivers, 10 Pioneers, Signaller-Corporal, 15 Signallers, 16 Stretcher Bearers, 2 MO’s Orderlies, 6 Batmen.

Attached: Medical officer, Armourer-Sergeant AOC, Corporal and 4 Privates RAMC, 4 Drivers ASC.

Machine-Gun Section (2 Vickers guns): Lieutenant, Sergeant, Corporal, 12 Privates, 2 Drivers, Batman.

Four Companies, each: Major or Captain commanding, Captain 2i/c, 4 Subalterns.

Company Sergeant-Major, Company Quartermaster-Sergeant, 8 Sergeants.

10 Corporals, 188 Privates, 4 Drummers, 3 Drivers, 6 Batmen.

(One of the company subalterns also acts as battalion Transport Officer.)

The establishment includes eight lance-sergeants and 49 lance-corporals.

Left at Base: Subaltern, Orderly Room Sergeant, Band Sergeant, Sergeant Master Tailor, 2 Sergeants,

4 Storemen (one per company), 91 Privates.

Horses and vehicles: 12 riding horses (two for CO, one each for Major 2i/c, four company cdrs, Adjutant, Quartermaster, Medical Officer, Transport Officer and Transport Sergeant).

HQ: Maltese cart for MO, 5 SAA carts, 2 water carts, 2 limbered GS wagons for tools.

22 draught horses (two per vehicle except MO’s cart which has one, and three spare).

One spare pack cob.

MG Sec: One limbered GS wagons for the guns and tools, one SAA cart. 4 draught horses.

Each co: One travelling kitchen with two heavy draught horses. Two pack cobs for SAA.

One GS wagon for baggage, stores and supplies, with two horses, driven by the ASC men.

In February 1917 the organisation of an infantry battalion was modified to make allowance for the may trade and other specialisations which had grown up during the War.

HQ, Fighting portion: Lt-Col cdg, Major 2i/c, Adjutant, Lewis Gun Officer, Signalling Officer, Bombing Officer; Sergeant-Major, Orderly Room Clerk, 2 Gas Orderlies, 13 Signallers,

4 Stretcher Bearers, 9 Runners, 11 Pioneers, 2 Cooks, 6 Batmen..

HQ, Administrative portion: Assistant Adjutant, Quartermaster, Transport Officer; Quartermaster-Sergeant, CQMS, 9 Storemen, 45 Drivers and Grooms, 3 Shoemakers, 3 Tailors, 2 Butchers, Postman, 2 Cooks, 3 Batmen.

Four cmpanies, each: Company HQ: Captain cdg, Captain 2i/c, CSM, CQMS, 4 Signallers, 4 Runners (including Batmen), Cook.

Four platoons per company, each: Subaltern, Platoon Sergeant, Signaller, Batman, Runner.

Four sections per platoon, each: NCO cdg, 9 Privates.

One section consisted of Lewis gunners, one of bombers, one of riflemen and one of rifle bombers.

In 1914-18, the regiment was not a tactical unit (unlike those in the French and German armies) and it is rare to find battalions of the same regiment to be fighting alongside each other, unless they were Territorials, or in certain New Army (war-raised) divisions.

Ron