Promotions for Service in the Field

[rflory]

During the Great War many non-commissioned officers were promoted to 2nd Lieutenant "for service in the field."  These promotions were listed in the London Gazette under the title "Promotions for Service in the Field."   Does anyone know where a person would look to find information on the authorization for these awards or any information indicating how this award system worked?

 

Thanks in advance for any information.

Dick Flory

[FROGSMILE]

On 17/12/2023 at 04:06, rflory said:

During the Great War many non-commissioned officers were promoted to 2nd Lieutenant "for service in the field."  These promotions were listed in the London Gazette under the title "Promotions for Service in the Field."   Does anyone know where a person would look to find information on the authorization for these awards or any information indicating how this award system worked?

 

Thanks in advance for any information.

Dick Flory

It’s a very interesting question Dick.  I’ve never been able to find any codification of the process.  In the British and old Commonwealth Armed Forces one would expect it to have been covered in the King’s Regulations for the Army, but I’ve never seen it mentioned.  I think in part it’s a little like the fact that the U.K. has no written constitution and the argument for that was it made it far more flexible and less bound by religion or any particular ideology.  It had room to breathe.   Similarly, the appointment of lance corporal was already in the gift of officers commanding units and so for an outstanding man it wasn’t uncommon for him to be appointed lance corporal on the spot (a laid down proportion of which slots were paid) and at the same time promoted acting corporal.  None of those moves required any special permission, and I think that is why it wasn’t necessary to have any carefully constructed regulation.

As for men commissioned in the field, there was likewise already a system of commissioned other ranks for the purposes of specialised battalion staff in the role of quartermaster (all units) and riding master (mounted corps), so stretching that to a man commissioned for an outstanding act wouldn’t be that difficult.  The war had already led to a range of wartime (hostilities only) temporary commissions, and these too met the requirements of the time.  Thus I think that a man commissioned in the field is likely to have been simply granted one of these positions (types of commission - with an annotation as to how he received it).  After all, it wasn’t a sinecure and a man so qualified would be required to function as an effective officer.  His day-to-day life would as a matter of course have been hazardous and, unless he was taken out of the line and placed temporarily on say, recruiting duties (as some especially brave men were), then it seems unlikely that he would have long survived continued combatant duties.  

Edited 22 December , 2023 by FROGSMILE

[michaeldr]

Dick,

This paper's pages 130> (139>of the pdf) may be of some help, though I can't seem to find here an answer to your specific question. The origins appear to be in the Wynne Report, or at least a development of the ideas which that report put forward.

“In 1910, the army council had anticipated commissioning a maximum of 2,000 officers from the ranks as a short-term measure in the event of a war. This figure was surpassed in July 1915, and there were at least another 5,015 ranker officers commissioned before the end of the war”

 

Deeks17PhD.pdf

[FROGSMILE]

1 hour ago, michaeldr said:

Dick,

This paper's pages 130> (139>of the pdf) may be of some help, though I can't seem to find here an answer to your specific question. The origins appear to be in the Wynne Report, or at least a development of the ideas which that report put forward.

“In 1910, the army council had anticipated commissioning a maximum of 2,000 officers from the ranks as a short-term measure in the event of a war. This figure was surpassed in July 1915, and there were at least another 5,015 ranker officers commissioned before the end of the war”

 

Deeks17PhD.pdf 8.95 MB · 0 downloads

It’s unsurprising that the matter of commissions from the ranks was considered in the lead up to what had clearly become an anticipated war in Europe, indeed there were many other studies, many of which emerged from lessons of the 2nd Anglo/Boer War**.  What the OP seeks, and is seemingly impossible to pin down, is any anticipation of granting such commissions as an “award”.  I personally don’t think that was included for the reasons I’ve given.

**there were significant numbers of junior officers commissioned from the ranks, although those ranks were often those of British and Dominion auxiliaries (mostly middle class), rather than Mr Thomas Atkins.

Edited 18 December , 2023 by FROGSMILE

[rflory]

FROGSMILE and michaeldr:  Thank you both for your assistance concerning 'ranker officers' and the process by which they were promoted to officer rank.  The thesis by Roger Deeks is especially informative.  

Regards, Dick Flory

[stevenbecker]

The AIF tended to prom NCO's & SNCO's (Cpl , Sgt to Wo's) in the field, before doing any officers courses.

While we did prom soldiers most had to do courses before hand.

I have a large number in the ALH who gained there officers rank this way.

Proven men with combat expirence leading men many gain wards always seam to become officers.

As the war went on, more men were being sent to schools to be officers

[Chasemuseum]

Also for the AIF, there were informal protocols.

 

When an NCO was to be commissioned, while out of the line he and his mates would go off and "party" as a farewell, with the understanding that once commissioned their relationship would be changed and the familiar relationship could not be resumed until they had left military service. As part of the process new officers were normally assigned to other battalions, if remaining in the same battalion they had to change company.   

[MaureenE]

See the following online account for the AIF

"And on to Messines" by Capt G D Mitchell 10th and 48th Battns AIF, page 6, (digital page 8)  Reveille, July 1, 1936 (commenced in June 1936 issue). nla.gov.au. He was commissioned as an officer, in the field, with a group of other NCOs. Reveille was published by The Returned Services League of Australia New South Wales Branch. Mitchell also wrote "The Winter of 1916-17" a series of articles appearing in Reveille commencing December 1934, page 15 (digital 17) and continuing each month to at least October 1935, previously online, but not currently so. There is reference elsewhere to further articles in Feb 1936 and Sept/Oct 1936. Mitchell, George Deane (1894–1961)Australian Dictionary of Biography. Also see Gallipoli for another series of articles. Mitchell was the author of Backs to the Wall 1937, published in a 2007 reprint edition^[52] as Backs to the Wall: A larrikin on the Western Front - Sample pages Google Books.

[52] Backs to the Wall: A larrikin on the Western Front by G D Mitchell.

Maureen

 

Edited 23 December , 2023 by MaureenE