4 company establishment - regular battalions

[Nepper]

Following on from the earlier thread about TF units moving from 8 company to 4 company formation, when did this occur for regular units? Presumably it was decided by an Army Order and I'd be interested to know if it happened everywhere at once or at different times for units on overseas service.

thanks

Nigel

[Ian Riley]

Nigel

Just on my way out to lunch but if my memory is correct there was a short note issued at the beginning of 1914 either as a memo or as an amendment to Infantry Training 1912 (?) It is in small format. (same sort of size as the pre-war training manuals) and runs perhaps to eight sides if that I would need to check when I get back this evening

Ian

[Nepper]

Ian

thanks - would be grateful for any information.

Nigel

[Moonraker]

In November 1914, the First Canadian Contingent on Salisbury Plain was re-organized with the aim of transforming it more into the size and shape of a British division. There were several changes of mind, with battalions converting from having eight companies each to four and back again, the argument for four being that they were easier for a battalion commander to control than eight dispersed across a battlefield. The sequence went something like this, though there are variations in different accounts:

20-22 October: Each battalion's eight companies merge into four. This formation was used for Lord Roberts' inspection on the 24th. The 15th Battalion's diary for 3 November refers to it being 'manoeuvred' that day for the first time in four-company formation.

6 November: The Army Council decided that overseas contingents should have an eight-company formation.

17 November: The Contingent started to revert to this. The 15th Battalion's diary for the 19th refers to orders being received to revert to eight-company formation, something its officers regretted, as they had become proficient in the new drill. On 23 November the 14th Battalion's diary optimistically noted that all battalions were 'definitely organised on 4 (sic)) company and platoon basis', the compiler perhaps being understandably confused about the number of companies.

10 December: By this date the Army Council had decided on a four-company formation.

14 December: The Army Council reversed this decision.

15 January: The 3rd Infantry Brigade diary notes orders to revert to a four-company formation, the Contingent as a whole starting to do so the next day.

Note that the above re-organizations relate to the First Contingent and, I would like to think, not British-raised units.

Moonraker

[nigelfe]

The Field Service Pocket Book, 1914 (actual date unclear, but I've always understood it to be the first half of the year) shows British infantry battalions as having 4 rifle coys (each 6 offrs and 215 ORs). However, British battalions on the Indian establishment remained 8 coy bns (each coy 3 offrs 97 ORs, while Indian coys were 1 BR offr, 2 Ind Offrs and 88 Ind ORs).

[Nepper]

That's really helpful, thanks. Do you know when the establishment changed for British battalions in India? My specific interest is in 2nd North Staffs which in its war diary for the NWF campaign in early 1915 mentions it being on a 4 company establishment and I'm trying to work out if this is due to orders or simply to a lack of replacements leading to reduced manpower? I know at this time the CO was a Major not even an acting or temporary Lt Col so I'm thinking that no new officers were being posted and if no officers then no drafts of tankers either.

[Ron Clifton]

Hello NigelP

I cannot now recall the exact source - it may have been seeing the original Army Order - but I believe that British Regular battalions at home, and abroad other than in India, were ordered to adopt the four-company organisation in November 1913, following some experimental use of the system earlier that year.

It would probably have been followed by the introduction of a short pamphlet, detailing the changes, to be inserted in copies of Infantry Training 1911 as an earlier post has suggested. A fresh edition of IT, specifically subtitled "Four-company Organisation" was introduced in 1914.

I know that battalions of the Indian Army remained on the eight-company establishment but I do not know whether battalions of the British Army in India converted at the same time as those at home. In any event, both they and the battalions of the Territorial Force seem to have adopted the four-company system just before going on active service.

A new edition of War Establishments, Part I: Expeditionary Force was published on 1 April 1914, and it shows infantry battalions with four companies. I assume, therefore, that all Regular battalions at home would have completed the change by that date.

Ron

[Ian Riley]

Nigel,

Following up from my Post of yesterday #2 , there was a publication Preliminary Instructions Regarding the Training of an Infantry Battalion Under the 4-Company Organization (14pp with size to match the standard pre-war training pamphlets) issued with Special Army Order dated 7 January 1914 coded 40/WO/2040. It was issued as provisional pending the issue of Infantry Training 1914.

This was technically 'notes on training' rather than the promulgation of a change in establishment and it may well be that the actual organization was implemented earlier in the Regular Home army, as Ron Clifton suggests #7 in November 1913. I think that there had been discussion for some time, either Staff College Conference minutes or Royal United Service Institute discussions.

Ian