Officer perception in the war?

[armourersergeant]

I have just read a piece that quotes that in the first month of the war over five hundred warrant officers and NCO's were promoted to officer rank alone. I was not aware that this was such a high figure and shows that cetainly there must have been a very high percent of trained soldiers leading the kitchener boys as i assume this is where they went.

Does anybody have any info on this line as too where these chaps wopuld have gone, ie to Kitcheners army or back to the regts in France.

Arm.

[Guest stevebec]

Of the 21,000 light horse and Camel Corps soldiers of the AIF I 've looked at so far some 932 were prom to 2/Lt while overseas during the war.

Many were either Trades man or Uni trained but there were also many with out eduction such as Stockman and farmers. There were only a small number who were ex Militaman or Boer War veterns.

But during the first recuitment of the AIF during 1914/1915 most men who were given commision rank were ex Militia man or Boer War veterns.

This was because our regular army was only around two thousand men and were mostly instructors.

S.B

[charlesmessenger]

Arm

Most of those promoted from the ranks in the early months of the war in France were commissioned into their own regiments and remained in France, although some were later posted to Kitchener bns. A number did very well, rising to command battalions, and one, ex-Sergeant W J Cranston of the Scots Greys, finished the war as a Brevet Lt Col comanding an MG battalion with a recommendation for brigade command.

Charles M

[Guest tintin]

I have a very interesting biography of Haldane who was the Secretary of State for War responsible for the creation of the TA

While he was at the War Office a study showed that, in the event of a land war with a European power the anticipated rate of casualties would cause an officer shortage dangerously quickly.

This was a concern throughout his time as Minister. The conversion of the volunteer units at schools and colleges into the Officer Training Corps was one step taken to deal with this, another was the circularising of all units to identify WO's and SNCO's with the potential for promotion in wartime. Could these be the same men?

[armourersergeant]

I visit the Birmingham world war one uni site alot and this is where i saw this info in a small 'essay' on a chap

http://www.firstworldwar.bham.ac.uk/carter.htm

I get some good info from this site. Sorry i do not know how to make it a link! It is quiet a good story also they have snippetts about some generals.

Arm.

uhm it did it without me trying?

[Staffsyeoman]

You can do no better than track down Garry Sheffield's "Leadership in the Trenches" which addresses this subject in quite some detail.

"LEADERSHIP IN THE TRENCHES : OFFICER-MAN RELATIONS, MORALE AND DISCIPLINE IN THE BRITISH ARMY IN THE ERA OF THE FIRST WORLD WAR"

Palgrave-Macmillan. Brand New Hardcover in Dust Jacket - 270pp - Index - Biblio. ISBN:0312226403

Borrow it, don't buy it (£52 new...).

A further example: Partner's grandfather. Sgt, 2/KRRC on outbreak of war. Promoted C/Sgt not long after arrival in France. Further advance to CSM in October. Battlefield commission late Nov 14 (subsequent to act of gallantry resulting in DCM 31 Oct 14), and transferred to 1/KRRC. Severely wounded by a shell 8 Jan 15; following hospitalisation transferred to a KRRC Trg Bn. Dug out from this by his former CO late 1916 to go to MGC. Ended war as substantive Captain, MGC; reverted to 2/KRRC 1919, retired from Army 1921.