ARMY ORGANISATION.

Evening Post, Volume LIX, Issue 12, 15 January 1900, Page 2

ARMY ORGANISATION.

j INTERESTING DETAILS. There is some confusion in the mind [ of the non-military public (says an ex- ' change) as to the meanng of certain terms used in describing the various bodies forming the British Army Corps operating in South Africa Military designations are not thoroughly "underslauded of the people," and consequentl ly the following intprpretation of some of Ihem will doubtless be appreciated. The numerical strength of an Army Corps is of an elastic and indefinite cha- > ' racter. The British Army, known as ' the "Home Army," is supposed to pro- • I vide three Army Corps for home defenre ' and two for active service abroad, in ad- ■ • dition to forces for minor expeditions. i ' According to the War Office theory, an

Army Corps consists of about 36,00( men, but the Army Corps mobilised it October (exclusive of the troops addec since then) numbered 49,000 of all ranks of whom 31,000 were infantry. T( those must be added the local Cape Col ony and Natal forces, the Canadian unc Australian tuoops, and the Naval Con tingents. To complete an Army Corps all "units" have to be made up to thcii war strength, a portion of the Arm} Reserve being mobilised for that pur pose. The Army Reserve is not a sepa rate force, but lias been described as "men who have been allov\ed to go or furlough on certain conditions." The men of tlfS* Army Reserve have servec in the ranks, and have gone back tc civil life, receiving nominal pay in or der that their services may oe utilisec when required. Their pay varies from 4d to Is per day (according to length oi service) when not serving with the colours. From this reserve (being totally distinct from the Militia Reserve whicl is intended for garrison duty at home (when necessary) the "peace strength" oi the "units" (battalion of infantry, regiment of cavalry, battery of artillery, company of engineers, etc.) is made uj to "war strength." The total available strength of the Army Reserve is 82,000, Specially, misunderstanding prevails as to the meaning of "regiment" and "battalion." Each infantry regiment is divided into a certain number of battalions. With the exceptions here stated (Grenadier, Coldstream, and Scott Guards, having three "line" battalions each, the Royal Fusiliers, the Lancashire Fusiliers, the Royal Warwickshire Regiment, King. Royal Rifles, and the Rifle Brigade, each having four "line" battalions), all the other infantry regiments have each two "line" battalions, their battalions after the second being militia, the volunteer battalions in addition being sc designated. No infantry regiment is ever moved or treated as a "unit." The two "line" battalions, if they ever come together do so by accident. A cavalry regiment is a complete "unit." An infantry battalion consists of eight companies, in addition to two companies at the depot. The "war strength" of an infantry company is 116 of all ranks, and, therefore, on active service, a battalion, indluding staff (83), numbers iuIO. The normal "peace strength" oj a battalion is 881. Mounted Infantry is a composite force, composed of a certain number of companies, each one formed of sections oi specially selected officers and men from different infantry battalions, A company in the field consutn of 142 officers and men, and every two companies have a machine gun section attached. Four companies of mounted infantry are attached to each cavalry brigade. Mounted Infantry are armed a* infantry, an<J fight 1 dismounted, being mounted only for the purpose of rapid movement, A cavalry regiment at home, exclusive of th» Household Cavalry, which has a cpecial organisation, has a "peace strength." of three "service" squadrons and one "reserve" squadron. A "service" squadron consist* of four troops, • 192 men and horses in all. A reserve j squadron of two troops has 102 officers I and men. The whole regiment "on the higher establishment" consists of 696 of fleers and men. The "lower establish- [ ment" cavalry regiments have 'ess squad rons, and a total of 578 of all ranks There are eight "higher establishment' cavalry regiments always readj for war. The others have to be mad( up to war strength if necessary. Th« word i "troop" has a definite military meaning, although it is often used most vaguely. A certain number of the mej of every Dragoon and Hussar regimen' (as well as all Lancers) is now suppliec with lances. The Royal Artillery Regiment is com posed of Horse Artillery, Field Artil lery, Garrison Artillery, and Mountaii Batteries. The Royal Horse Artillery act with cavalry, the Royal Field Artil lery and Mountain Batteries with infan try, and the Royal Garrison Artillery ii used in the field for siege purposes witl heavy guns, or for defending a camp oi permanent position. Horse and Fiflc Artillery are organised in "brigade divi sions," each consisting of two batterie: of R.H.A. and three of R.F.A. Each bat tery has six guns. Three batteries o; R.F.A. are attached to each infantry di 1 vision in the field, and nine batterie! of R.F.A. and two of R.H.A. form tin separate "corps artillery" so that ai Army Corps has about 20 batteries it all, exclusive of R.H.A., belonging t< , the Cavalry Brigade, which is attachec i to, but not treated as part of, the Armj : Corps. A peace battery R.H.A. hai ! 167 and R.F.A. 141 of all ranks. A war Battery R.H.A. 179, and R.F.A 171 of all ranks. A Howitzer Batterj comes under the head of R.F.A. A garrison battery has 150 officers and mer (in peace, and 200 in war. The Armj Corps has (on the basis of a tot a strength of about 50,000) 138 guns, in eluding those attached to the Cavalrj Division. The Royal Engineers are divided as follows: — Bridging battalions; field com panics (for earthworks, etc.) ; balloon sec ■ tions ; fortress battalions j railway bati talions (including engine-drivers, stokers, i etc.), and telegraph battalions. The companies of R.E. battalions vary considerably. The Army Service Corps has over 1500^officers and men in South Africa,. The A.S.C. is divided into companies, each company being subdivided into "Supply" and "Transport." Transport is divided into two sections — regimental and general. The former is in the hands of the battalions, regiments, and batteries, each unit carrying its own supplies for iood, ammunition, etc., for immediate use. The general transport is entirely in the hands of the A.S.C, which includes butchers, bakers, etc. The Army Ordnance Corps deals witl the storage and supply, but not transport, of all kinds of stores, as well as reserves of machine guns and other munitions of war, but not food, fuel, oi light. The Royal Army Medical Corps in the Army Corps numbers about 1800 officers and men, and 50 nurses, apart from voluntary organisations. This force is composed of surgeons, bearers, and hospital orderlies. The bearers receive the wounded from the regimental stretcher bearers, and convey thorn to the dressing stations, thence, when necessary, to the field hospitals, and then to hospitals on the lines of communcation, base hospitals, and finally hospital ships.

The Italian Red Cross Society has sent out fifty large cases of oranges and lem ons, and the fruit will be followed fry liberal consignments af Marsala anc other wines. (For continuation of News see page 7.)