Army Order 324 of 1914

[trooper]

The above Army Order authorised the creation of Kitchener's New Army. Can anyone give me its full text?

Thanks

Trooper

[Glosters]

AO 324 of 1914 is pages 35 to 48. That's a lot of text! It even includes the training syllabus for Infantry, Artillery and Engineers. Also a long list of the composition of Divisions and HQ's for training centres etc.

Steve

[Glosters]

AO 324. Published 21st August 1914

I - Augmentation of the Army -

1. With reference to Army Order II of 6th August 1914 (as amended by AO III of 7th August 1914) introducing special terms of enlistment into the Regular Army, His Majesty the King had been graciously pleased to approve of the addition to the Army of six divisions and Army Troops.

2. The composition and nomenclature of the new units and formations will be shown in Appendix A. The establishment of each unit will follow War Establishments (Part I) 1914.

3. The new battalions will be raised as additional battalions of the regiments of Infantry of the Line, and will be given numbers following consecutively on the exisiting battalions of their regiments. They will be furthur distinguished by the word "Service" after the number, e.g. - "8th (Service) Bn. The Royal Welsh Fusiliers."

4. Recruits will be clothed and equipped at depots, and subsequently collected at training centres, where brigades and divisions will be formed.

5. The following training centres have been selected: .... etc (list)

6. The battalions allotted as Army Troops will be attached to divisions for training as indicated in Appendix A.

7. A general officer will be appointed to command each training centre, and will be known as the General Officer Commanding Training Centre. He will be responsible for the discipline as well as the training of the new units at his centre. He will be provided with a staff, and until brigade and divisional headquarters are formed will communicate direct with artillery brigade and battalion commanders on matters of training and discipline.

8. The administration of the new units will be undertaken by the major-generals (or brigadier-generals) in charge of administration of Commands.

9. Establishments for the headquarters of General Officers Commanding Training Centres have been fixed provisionally in Appendix B.

10. A syllabus of training is given in Appendix C.

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Appendix A, B and C then follow.

Steve

[Muerrisch]

and soon followed by further AOs, very similar in content, raising more sets of 100,000

[trooper]

Thanks folks.

I hadn't realised that the Order was so long and contained so much detail.

Trooper