adjutant rifle volunteers at eton college (his role)

[44fish22]

hi there has any member got any idea of the role this officer by the name of   adjutant  captain george algernon soltau-symons based at eton college  and was an officer in the rifle volunteers .   He was appointed in 1900 and had been a boy at the school. he left in 1909. he came from a military family who were in the kings royal rifles .what would he have a actually done as army officer based at willow brook house  in eton college and did he ever see military service . he was after all the adjutant in the regiment  and at the college . his title and role seem incompatible with being at eton for nine years  .any  pointer would be gratefully acknowledged . regards 44fish22

[DavidOwen]

Moved to a more appropriate sub forum. 

If no ww1 connection can be made it will have to be locked. Hopefully the connection will be found.

[Ron Clifton]

Adjutants for volunteers/Territorials and cadet units were normally officers seconded from Regular regiments (or, as in this case, Rifle Volunteers). Their job was basically to attend to the day-to-day military affairs of the unit, which entailed keeping personnel records and probably supervising training exercises and musketry instruction.

 

Given the dates, it is unlikely that he saw any active service abroad.

 

Ron

[DavidOwen]

Looks like he did serve as a Lieutenant Colonel on General Staff according to the Eton College list on FMP.

https://www.findmypast.co.uk/transcriptid=gbm2funiv-roll2f20627

 

[FROGSMILE]

I think he would probably have been a regular or perhaps militia officer attached to the Rifle Volunteers for a tour of duty as adjutant.  The unit formed by Eton College was itself accredited as within the Rifle Volunteers.  However, nine years seems an inordinately long time to be attached as adjutant.  As Ron has said it was an administrative appointment and the post which acted as the personal secretary for the commanding officer, running his orderly room and with special responsibility to oversee the administration of discipline and training.  The adjutant invariably had the secondary but important role of ‘musketry (training) officer’ and had to be trained and ‘certificated’ by the school of musketry at Hythe.  The practicalities of this role were delivered on his behalf by the college’s sergeant instructor of musketry, who at that time was usually a long service regular colour sergeant serving on attachment, or increasingly on an extended engagement after completing his colour service.

Edited 14 May , 2020 by FROGSMILE

[Steven Broomfield]

I know the Adjutants of the (I think it's called) 'Senior Division' (i.e. University) units of the OTC were seconded Regulars, but is it possible the Junior Division was more of a post for officers on the Retired List? That might account for the longevity of the appointment - I can't see spending nine years in such a role would be particularly attractive to a career-minded chap.

[TullochArd]

There is a Great War connection - Lt Col GAJ Soltau-Symons was CO 18th (Service) Bn KRRC 01 Feb 16 until he was "replaced" on 24 Jun 16. In April 17 he was a Home Service PW Camp Commandant at "Henbury Camp, a mile from Henbury itself, (which) was opened for 399 soldiers and one sailor in April 1917. The POWs were housed in four large huts, each holding 60 men and six smaller huts with 30 men in each; but within two months the camp was closed and the POWs moved to Pattishall in Northamptonshire, the parent camp for Eastern Command. Maj G A Soltau-Symons was the Commandant and Schindling the camp leader."  (Bristol Area First World War Prisoner of War Camps - Colin R. Chapman Jun 2014).  He had no overseas War Service.

 

Regarding the original post and pre Great War service - as Captain, A/Adjt ECRV (note - Assistant Adjutant, Eton College Rifle Volunteers) he was heavily involved in the development of target rifle shooting at Eton and there is/was a Soltau-Symons Cup which some more knowledgeable member may brief us on.  There is an fascinating article at https://www.rifleman.org.uk/Wilkinson_sub-target_machine.html which includes a 1905 letter from him as the A/Adjt ECRV regarding the use of the 'Wilkinson Sub-Target Machine'.  The content of this letter confirms his role in the supervision and delivery of military training at Eton College.

 

Edited 14 May , 2020 by TullochArd
Additional detail and Great War context.

[FROGSMILE]

52 minutes ago, Steven Broomfield said:

I know the Adjutants of the (I think it's called) 'Senior Division' (i.e. University) units of the OTC were seconded Regulars, but is it possible the Junior Division was more of a post for officers on the Retired List? That might account for the longevity of the appointment - I can't see spending nine years in such a role would be particularly attractive to a career-minded chap.

Yes I agree Steven.  We don’t know yet how old he was, but the scenario outlined suggests that he was perhaps a time served regular officer taking on a sinecure.

Edited 14 May , 2020 by FROGSMILE

[TullochArd]

13 minutes ago, FROGSMILE said:

Yes I agree Steven.  We don’t know yet how old he was, but the scenario outlined suggests that he was perhaps a time served regular officer taking on a sinecure.

 

……. 1867-1947 ...... so he is 47-ish in 1914.  In 1905, as A/Adjt ECRV, he was also Secretary of the national Preparatory Schools Rifle Association (PSRA). 

Edited 14 May , 2020 by TullochArd

[FROGSMILE]

2 hours ago, TullochArd said:

 

……. 1867-1947 ...... so he is 47-ish in 1914.  In 1905, as A/Adjt ECRV, he was also Secretary of the national Preparatory Schools Rifle Association (PSRA). 

So he was around 36 in 1905, quite old for an Adjutant, suggesting just a moderate career advancement.  A typical job for a reasonably competent junior officer who has been passed over for field rank in a period when it was not a given to reach that far. Fit to command a company, but not more.  This rather leads into his apparently unsuccessful tenure as the commanding officer of a war raised service battalion.  His eventual fate commanding a home based POW camp, just a year later, rather speaks for itself...  That said, he was clearly a successful trainer with a successful interest in musketry training, so perhaps he should be remembered in that way.

Edited 14 May , 2020 by FROGSMILE

[TullochArd]

20 hours ago, FROGSMILE said:

So he was around 36 in 1905, quite old for an Adjutant, suggesting just a moderate career advancement.  A typical job for a reasonably competent junior officer who has been passed over for field rank in a period when it was not a given to reach that far. Fit to command a company, but not more.  This rather leads into his apparently unsuccessful tenure as the commanding officer of a war raised service battalion.  His eventual fate commanding a home based POW camp, just a year later, rather speaks for itself...  That said, he was clearly a successful trainer with a successful interest in musketry training, so perhaps he should be remembered in that way.

 

……….. and signing off letters as A/Adjt in 1905 - not Adjt 

[FROGSMILE]

1 minute ago, TullochArd said:

 

……….. and signing off letters as A/Adjt in 1905 - not Adjt 

That makes complete sense, in units where they existed, assistant adjutants were typically given the musketry training officer role.