TERRITORIAL ARMY

Evening Post, Volume CXIII, Issue 88, 13 April 1917, Page 8

TERRITORIAL ARMY

THIS YEAR'S CAMP

FAULTS IN THE TRAINING

SOME "HINTS" TO OFFICERS.

Some rather candid criticism of the Territorial camps being held this year is contained in General Orders issued today. It has a special application to officers and also to the employment of men in unnecessary duties. The General Order states: — '

"The attention of all concerned is directed to the following. Strict compliance with these orders must be insisted upon.

"Syllabus of Training.—The Syllabus of Training issued from Headquarters shows the maximum standard of efficiency to which units will be allowed to go. Until the squad, section, and other minor training of a unit is entirely satisfactory no endeavour must be made to proceed to higher training. All attempts to do so on the part of unit commanders must be firmly discouraged. Higher training without individual and complete efficiency is profitless and fatal to success.

"The 'B' Syllabus of Training must be,adhered to by the majority of units during 1917.

"Officers.—Officers who are obviously unfitted to -instruct will be placed in a squad and drilled by the sergeant-major of a unit until passed as efficient by the adjutant. They are not to be permitted to drill a unit until so qualified. ■ The practice of permitting young officers to assume the control of a unit on parade, or the role of a spectator, must be abolished, N.C.O.'s.—-N.C.O.'s who, are not qualified to instruct will be placed in a. squad under tho best available instructor until passed as efficient by the adjutant. They will not be permitted to drill a unit until so qualified. , ' "Training.—As it is obvious that only faulty and bad training can be expected from officers and n.c.o.'s who are inexperienced, in addition to the loss of confidence and indiscipline which results in the soldier, the. withdrawal of officers and n.c.o.'s into instructional squads will not affect the efficiency of units. It may, however, result in the efficient officers and n.c.o.'s having to supervise and give instruction to larger units. At the present abnormal time this must be expected, and it is obviously: better that one efficient instructor give good and practical instruction to a hundred soL diors than four incapable instructors give bad and useless instruction to the same numbeT. . Inexperienced officers and n.c.o.'s must not be allowed to experiment and practise upon inexperienced soldiers.

"Extra Regimental Employments.— The practice of permitting a large mm-, ber of all ranks to escape training by unnecessary fatigues, guards, and other duties in camp, and of allowing officers servants and mess orderlies, to remain, off all parades, must be stopped. Permanent duties in camp which prevent a soldier from attending parades (such as cooks and sanitary men) must be filled by trained soldiers. One officer's servant only should be allowed to remain off parade, who will.be responsible for all the officers' tents, and all mess orderlies, with the exception of those absolutely necessary, 6hould attend every parade. ■ _ : "In one camp recently it was found that over fifty men were* idling in camp during training-hours. In a well-organised battalion of a thousand men the maximum number of soldiers allowed off. parade or camp duties would be under twenu ty. .To allow ■ untrained soldiers to escape training in this manner is most reprehensible. ■ "' "Sick. —A large number of young 6oldiers continually report sick in order to avoid fatigues or drill. Care must be taken that the daily sick-parade takes place at a sufficiently early hoar to allow all those who are found fit for duty by the medical officer to parade with their companies. To allow young soldiers to escape parade and early rising by reporting sick for trifling reasons is to court indiscipline and inefficiency. "Captain of the Day and Orderly Officer.—TJie Captain of the Day will attend all parades, and the orderly officer and quartermaster should be the only officers allowed in camp during trainingtime.. ■

"Staff Instructors*—Staff instructors must not be ■ used for work other than instructional. They must .attend every parade, and be so distributed as.to ensure that all ranks benefit by their instruction. On no account will they be permitted to undertake administrative duties within the unit which interfere with Iheir proper duties of instruction. "Bands.—While bands are encouraged and their value is recognised and appreciated, care must be taken that all members of a band receive military training and instruction in first aid. This is a most necessary part of a battalion's training."