Number of officers per Battalion anomaly

[Skipman]

I can't find the thread now but a number of years ago I posted a diary entry of the 153rd Inf Brigade which showed there were many more officers in the battalions than was normal establishment. Something like double the amount of officers per battalion. I don't think we ever got to the bottom of it. I've found another example in the Canadian 38th Battalion in June 1917. Why so many officers?

Battalion strengths

2/6/1917 46 officers 860 other ranks

9/6/1917 44 officers 868 other ranks

16/6/1917 44 officers 1004 other ranks

Mike

Edited 13 May , 2023 by Skipman
typo edited '8th' to '38th'

[stevenbecker]

I am unsure if its the same for your units, but in 1917 the AIF intro the LOB concept

Where at lest a third of the Bn was left out of battle, so if they were destroyed, then at lest part would be left to reform the Bn.

How they went about that is not explained and veried from unit to unit

But your right, AIF officer numbers don't appear to be that high

But I've seen that before in the modern Army, when after Duntroon graduates its officers, our unit use to get flooded with young officers to under study those already there

This happen for short peroids until the cream settled, then  most moved on

S.B

[Skipman]

Thanks Steve. Found this further on. It probably helps explain but am not sure what the explanation is.

 

Mike