Skipman Posted 17 July , 2021 Share Posted 17 July , 2021 What were the duties of an Acting Quartermaster Sergeant at Brigade. Where would he have been located. I take he would not have been at Brigade HQ but further back at a depot? Also, would the Brigade War Diary be the most relevant diary? Mike Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ron Clifton Posted 17 July , 2021 Share Posted 17 July , 2021 Hello Mike In 1914 a Brigade HQ consisted of four officers and 23 other ranks. There was no quartermaster so the A/QMS would have attended to the supplies, food etc of the HQ itself, as well as being the senior OR in the HQ and therefore effectively in charge of discipline. Ron Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Skipman Posted 17 July , 2021 Author Share Posted 17 July , 2021 Hi Ron many thanks as ever for you help. So this was no cushy number way behind the lines but in the brigade headquarters, wherever that happened to be at the time? Mike Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FROGSMILE Posted 17 July , 2021 Share Posted 17 July , 2021 (edited) 5 hours ago, Skipman said: What were the duties of an Acting Quartermaster Sergeant at Brigade. Where would he have been located. I take he would not have been at Brigade HQ but further back at a depot? Also, would the Brigade War Diary be the most relevant diary? Mike Mike just to check are you referring to a tactical (i.e. infantry) brigade or an artillery brigade? I ask because there was an appointment for Artificer QMS (AQMS), although I’m not sure where he was located. Edited 17 July , 2021 by FROGSMILE Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ron Clifton Posted 17 July , 2021 Share Posted 17 July , 2021 My various War Establishments indicate that each artillery brigade HQ had an armament artificer, and given that his duties would basically have been "first aid" for the guns, he would have to be fairly close to the gun lines. Ron Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Skipman Posted 17 July , 2021 Author Share Posted 17 July , 2021 1 hour ago, FROGSMILE said: Mike just to check are you referring to a tactical (i.e. infantry) brigade or an artillery brigade? I ask because there was an appointment for Artificer QMS (AQMS), although I’m not sure where he was located. Yes, 111th Infantry Brigade. Mike Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FROGSMILE Posted 17 July , 2021 Share Posted 17 July , 2021 (edited) 19 hours ago, Skipman said: Yes, 111th Infantry Brigade. Mike Understood. Interesting. Actually I don’t think he will be a logistics QMS, Mike, it’s more likely that he’s involved in the clerical effort. It’s sometimes forgotten that QMS are not just logistical appointments, but a whole range of specialised roles broadly covering the ‘A’ and ‘Q’ staff divisions of that time. Put simply A was Adjutant General and covered personnel matters and Q was Quartermaster General and covered logistics as we call it now (service support back then). The most senior clerk in an infantry brigade was a SNCO and rank ranged depending on length of service and breadth of experience. The most senior step was QMS, which until 1915 was top of the SNCO scale, but in that year the post was elevated to the new grade of 2nd class warrant officer. I suspect that your man headed up the brigade orderly room. Edited 18 July , 2021 by FROGSMILE Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Skipman Posted 17 July , 2021 Author Share Posted 17 July , 2021 That is interesting. He was a clerk to trade, and ended up as acting Adjutant . "I suspect that your man headed up the brigade orderly room. " That too is interesting, I will check his service record again to see if there are any mentions of that but don't think so. Mike Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FROGSMILE Posted 17 July , 2021 Share Posted 17 July , 2021 (edited) 1 hour ago, Skipman said: That is interesting. He was a clerk to trade, and ended up as acting Adjutant . "I suspect that your man headed up the brigade orderly room. " That too is interesting, I will check his service record again to see if there are any mentions of that but don't think so. Mike If he was a clerk by trade then that pretty much confirms my assumption. It was a specialised area and once a man was in it he rarely stepped outside it except on commissioning. An adjutant’s post was a typical destination for a ranker of his background. Edited 17 July , 2021 by FROGSMILE Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Skipman Posted 17 July , 2021 Author Share Posted 17 July , 2021 Thank you both for your help. Very interesting and useful. Mike Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FROGSMILE Posted 18 July , 2021 Share Posted 18 July , 2021 16 hours ago, Ron Clifton said: My various War Establishments indicate that each artillery brigade HQ had an armament artificer, and given that his duties would basically have been "first aid" for the guns, he would have to be fairly close to the gun lines. Ron Thank you Ron, that’s useful. Apologies for this belated acknowledgment, I hadn’t spotted this post previously. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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