sandyford Posted 6 April , 2004 Share Posted 6 April , 2004 When Infantry Regiments were in active service, who would be riding a horse? When the troops are marching up on the Archive films there are always officers on horses riding at the side/in front. Would these be only Brigadiers/Colonels or Staff Officers or did other officers ride? Also would these officers be on horses during an advance? Sorry - to pose what may be a simplistic and obvious question. Kate Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Muerrisch Posted 6 April , 2004 Share Posted 6 April , 2004 I think you mean battalions, not regiments? If so, from the 1914 Establishments [changed a little during war]: Lt Col commanding [two horses] Major 2 i/c [correctly speaking "the senior major"] Adjutant [anything from 2Lt to Captain] Quartermaster [Hon Lt or upwards] the four company commanders [majors or captains] the medical officer RAMC attached The transport officer [a subaltern from one of the companies] Transport sergeant Machine gun officer [subaltern from one of the companies] plus a substantial number of "GS Hairies" to pull the wagons and carts. Horses were big business in 1914 and still [in the German army at least] in 1940. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sandyford Posted 6 April , 2004 Author Share Posted 6 April , 2004 Thank you very much. Your reply has helped to clarify my impression of events. At St. Julien, Brigadier General Riddell 'went' forward up the St. Julien Road to Van Heule Farm, I think, to assess the situation and was killed. It seems to me from what you have said that he probably 'went' on a horse and must have made an excellent target. And of course a Brigadier would hardly have 'run' for a distance of a mile or more. Kate Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Desmond6 Posted 6 April , 2004 Share Posted 6 April , 2004 I read in a book about the 10th Inniskillings that their co was riding a horse at the head of his men as they marched up to the trenches prior to the 1st July Somme attack. The horse stumbled on some duckboards, threw the colonel and he broke his leg! In the light of the subsequent casualties, some might say this was original 'lucky break'? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sandyford Posted 6 April , 2004 Author Share Posted 6 April , 2004 Desmond, that Colonel was very lucky, I wonder if his name was James. So. They marched up with Captains and the other entitled officers riding on horses. Then do we think that when they were actually on the battlefield, going over the top, the captains and all ranks beneath advanced on foot? I know that the Captains were with their men in the advance and I can't imagine them being on horseback. Kate Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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