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The Great War (1914-1918) Forum

Remembered Today:

Left or Right?


jollgo

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Reading about various military actions I come across something like, "A" company was on the right. Is there a certain way of looking at this?

Is the "right" looking at it from the enemy's point of view, or is it looking over the shoulders of "A" company towards the enemy?

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Left and Right is from the point of view of the unit in question - i.e. would be looking over the shoulder toward the enemy

Alan

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Traditionally, also, British units took precedence from the right, so in the GW, deployments are normally listed from the right to the left. In olden times, "The right of the Line" was the place of honour, and also, I imagine, why units on parade dress from the right.

So, if you can imagine yourself facing the enemy, the right-hand unit is 'on the right'.

Surprisingly difficult to explain easily, I find.

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How about your right faces the enemy's left

... er ... wouldn't that work for either proposed definition ... provided the enemy is using the same definition? ... or is it just too late at night for me :blink::mellow::unsure:

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Left and Right is from the point of view of the unit in question - i.e. would be looking over the shoulder toward the enemy

Alan

Alan,

I may be missing something in that last part but if you were "looking over the shoulder towards the enemy" wouldn't you'd be going in the wrong direction? They shoot you for things like that!

Bob

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I mean, if you are facing each other your right is facing his left side and his right side is facing your left

David

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Next week, the rules to One Song to the Tune of Another (Sorry - BBC Radio 4 afficionado in-joke)

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Alan,

I may be missing something in that last part but if you were "looking over the shoulder towards the enemy" wouldn't you'd be going in the wrong direction? They shoot you for things like that!

Bob

Ha! Good point....maybe it should say "from the point of view of an observer standing behind the unit in question looking over their shoulders toward the enemy"

Of course, said observer wouldn't last very long!

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f course, said observer wouldn't last very long!

Probably longer than an observer standing in front of the unit, looking over his own shoulder at the enemy.

Let's not go into what happened when a unit retired!

Ron

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Mods ... for pity's sake, close this thread now. It's going to deteriorate rapidly, I just know it.

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If you are facing forward, and taking fire from the right flank, and you throw out a right flank, to cover your right flank, the other side would be left flank. best I shut up I think!

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