Staff Officers

[Ted Marchant]

Good Evening all,

We all have our opinions on  Staff Officers, but I'm seeking what slang term(s) were applied to these men by the rank and file in the BEF during the Great War

Thank you

[TullochArd]

My favourite remains "If bread is the Staff of Life then what is the life of the the Staff?" ..... (all together now) ..... "One big loaf!" 

[FROGSMILE]

On 16/09/2023 at 09:22, Ted Marchant said:

Good Evening all,

We all have our opinions on  Staff Officers, but I'm seeking what slang term(s) were applied to these men by the rank and file in the BEF during the Great War

Thank you

‘Brass Hats’** and ‘Top Brass’ for the hierarchy.  ‘Red Tabs’ was probably the most common sobriquet and referred to the red collar tabs (‘gorgets’) worn by all general staff officers, from the most humble subaltern appointed as an aide-de-camp, to the most august of general officers commanding a formation.

**relating to the single and double rows of gilt lace, respectively, on the leather peaks of full colonels and general officers forage caps.

Edited 17 September , 2023 by FROGSMILE

[Ted Marchant]

Thanks

[stevenbecker]

I think we like those men, are a bit hard on the Staff.

The Staff or the Staff officers (the workers) not so much the General officers ( Blechards)

If you never worked on staff, you don't know how hard it is trying to get it right, so what happened in that war, didn't happen.

You only have to read what the Staff got up to on Monash's Div, and Corps, to known the Staff worked very hard to get it right.

That's not to say that early in the war, inexpirenced officers and Generals, did kill a lot of men on all sides.

As for the British Army I am unsure, but seeing them in action in Bosnia, they worked hard and also played hard off duty.

No different then any other soldier

You only have to think about it.

In the middle of the night waiting for a convoy that got lost and missed its check point stuffing up the whole movement of the unit and other units.

With the boss breathing down your neck wanting to know wwhat the F---

Words fail me

Most problems are not caused by the staff, but units who screw up, but its easy to blame the staff after the movement order has been checked and double check and finding the Army Reserve unit attached to you has forgotten to resupply and ran out of fuel during a fighting withdrawal over three hundred Km's leaving armoured Vech's along the road.

 

Edited 19 September , 2023 by stevenbecker

[ianjonesncl]

On 19/09/2023 at 09:53, stevenbecker said:

Most problems are not caused by the staff, but units who screw up, but its easy to blame the staff

A valid point and one the staff have to sort out the problem out. 

However.... 

Orders can also be problematical if he staff do not understand or lack experience of the units with which they are dealing with. 

[stevenbecker]

True but it works both ways.

I was at an orders group and informed the unit commanders that I wanted guides so I could show them the route to be taken.

 The odd one looked at me like I had acussed them, thinking his unit does not need guides, when the young officer showed up, and having gone over the route and tasking, he again looked like I was a fool, teaching him to suck eggs?

You can go over a plan, and having checking all aspects, but it come down to the people carrying out the orders

The Staff is only human and can and do make mistakes, but units are surpose to double check these, and find the flaws before hand, so they can question the orders, and ajust, if possible

But the movement on the ground is all units, not staff. we can impose check points and guides, but its the unit that has to get there to carry out the operation.

The old saying "S--- happens"

And it does, very quickly

I long while ago I looked at an operation in Palestine where the 3rd Camel Bn was attached to a British Bde for an operation Nth of Beersheba around 6 Nov 1917

The British Bde moved at night to attack the Turks, but went astray or lost, and only the Camel Bn arrived at the right spot, and found it self trapped for three days, fighting for its life against the 19th Ottoman Div

The British never mention they got lost, and the wondering in the hills was part of the plan?

But the British commander of the Australian Camel Bn goes into the story with maps.

Cheers