WW1 Officer Rank Structure (1914 Infantry Battalion)

In this video, we take a look at the different roles and responsibilities of regular infantry officers in 1914, and their place within the battalion.
Sources:
Field Service Manual (Infantry Battalion), 1914
Infantry Training, 1914
Field Service Regulations, 1909
"The Military Education of Junior Officers in the Edwardian Army", by Andrew Duncan
"Stemming the Tide, Officers and Leadership in the British Expeditionary Force, 1914", by Spencer Jones

[@tandemcompound2]

The Colonel is dead and the gatling is jammed; the square had broken and there is blood on the sand.

[@randymorash7013]

Informative and very well presented, thank you. I don't recall reading that the appellation of subaltern being used much in the dominion armies, ( Canada, Australia, NZ,SA) although the organization of the battalions at least at the beginning of the war was the same.

[@dondouglass6415]

What a fascinating video. No wonder at the outset of WW1 the small British Army was such a professional force. It makes one reconsider the term 'Lion's led by donkeys.' Huzzah!!

[@longtabsigo]

You used the term “precedence.” That is an interesting term to use in this circumstance. We use DOR or Date of Rank; all the way down to their promotion sequence number. However, in my 26 years I found myself in a few potentially awkward situations. There were two times that, as a MAJOR, I took command of the ad hoc group of soldiers, sailors and 3 marines. I deferred to the 2 Lieutenant Colonels with everything But issues dealing with bullet launching contests. I was a Bn Adjutant, my Bn Cdr, was traveling, my Operations Officer was at a major training event called JRTC while my Bn Executive Officer was in Haiti. Our Major command showed up at our headquarters to conduct an inspection that no one knew about. I was asked to convene all the Bn’s officers, after about 15 minutes of calling and sending messengers, we discovered that there were exactly 3 officers, all captains, present at Fort Bragg for duty that day. It was just myself, one of our company commanders and our assistant operations officer; then, when the inspector, a Colonel, asked who was in command, the three of us kind of looked at each other, I shrugged my shoulders, and started by giving my date of rank to Captain, the company commander laughed and said “you beat me” as the assistant S3 shook his head and said “ I guess I’m it.” 😂. The colonel set down all of his papers, and asked us how long we had been operating that way, we all chuckled out and said that it was pretty much the usual day in our battalion. By the way, 2 of us had been Captains less than a year, the other just 2.5.

[@user-dd9tc4zz8j]

I think he meant precedence to mean DOR. If you listen again, he does not specifically indicate ‘precedence’ as an official term, but rather as an explanation to the lay person.

[@John_Pace]

In a 1970s tank battalion, I can still see the relevance of this video.

[@blacksmith67]

Excellent presentation.

[@EdMcF1]

7:39 Lt-Col A Grant-Duff CB was killed on 14 September 1914 at the battle of the Aisne.

[@hardalarboard8876]

Good Video, You should try to post Back to Back.

[@ogpu1]

Great video. Thanks for posting!

[@jimthird2854]

The tune is The Blue Bonnets are over the Border. It is the Regimental march of the Kings Own Scottish Borderers now 2nd Bn the Royal Regiment of Scotland

[@Bulldozer2010]

Great video. Just subscribed. Thanks.

[@albertarthurparsnips5141]

I wish that you could produce a video detailing the uniforms & weaponry typical to any & all Scotch officers who may have served in what was then His Majesty’s realm of Ireland,..circa the Easter Rising..

[@Infantryprod]

Very Nice!

[@wesor8688]

Very interesting👍👍👍

[@Infantryprod]

Hello

[@wesor8688]

@@Infantryprod hi😂😂

[@Infantryprod]

@@wesor8688 Hello I didn't Knew you are also subscribed to him

[@wesor8688]

@@Infantryprod I was like his 10th sub 😂

[@Infantryprod]

@@wesor8688 Wow 😂

[@davidgray3321]

Very interesting, my grandfather George Gray was in the 5th Cameronians and went to France in November 1914. They were Territorials and had to be asked to serve overseas, which of course they agreed to. They had a different social culture to the one portrayed here, in that they regarded themselves as a social elite irrespective of rank. The historian Richard Holmes refers to them being thought of as a better battalion than some professional ones, which I find interesting. They were fabulous shots, and it became a specially in trench warfare that they enjoyed, but many English regiments struggled with this skill, I don’t know why.

[@jonathanlewis453]

The Cameronians were a Rifle Regiment as such and known as the Scottish Rifles. The antecedents of all territorial battalions of the line infantry were as Rifle Volunteer Corps, taking advantage of the then novel Enfield Rifle Musket, which lent itself to a certain type of soldiering for the purposes of the Victorian volunteer movement. As volunteers underwent increasing integration with the regular forces in the late C19th, joining in the overall mobilization scheme, many submitted to political pressure and donned scarlet as they abandoned their light infantry roles. Volunteers exploited existing social cohesion and there was a considerable uptake in Scotland. Sniping in the Great War exploited the stalking and marksmanship skills practised in the highlands. Elsewhere we find that the tenants of Earl Spencer made up a Rifle Corps and in London the Civil Service Rifles, the Post Office Rifles, the London Rifle Brigade (City types), the Rangers (lawyers) so common purpose culturally substituted for traditional military discipline. The London Scottish golf club on Wimbledon Common is a legacy of the London Scottish leading part in early marksmanship under Lord Elcho (Viscount Wemyss), he being a leading light in the founding of the National Rifle Association along with the Duke of Westminster, Earl Spencer and a profusion of other non-Scots. The battalion history of the Queens Westminster Rifles records that the former Queens Prize winner George Fulton was in the trenches at age 58 and made a very fine shot through the window of a cottage at 800 yards. George’s son Arthur was present and his son in law Richard Roche also. Richard Roche was killed by a sniper and George’s younger son Frank was also killed with the 2nd Queens Westminsters in the Middle East. They were all very fine competitive marksmen. In the years 1860 to 1908, 15 Queen’s or King’s prize winners for rifle marksmanship appear to profess Scottish affiliations. Notably in 1908, one of these belonged to 5th Cameronians but whether the other 999 men of his battalion were entitled to bask in reflected glory is a moot point. Be that as it may, it was one thing for a Metropolitan volunteer to get to Wormwood Scrubs or Hackney Marsh for rifle practice but the new Lee Metford rifles required a dramatically increased safety zone, necessitating travel to a suitable range.

[@edc8388]

Regimental Signals Officers ?

[@BritishTea-eater]

Beautiful uniform

[@tuntuntumtum8887]

at 0:21 whats the name of the music ? ... sound similar to 2 Scots quick march ?

[@geordiewishart1683]

Sounds like The Road to the Isles?

[@sonnyjim5268]

When did the intelligence officer appear? In modern times, it's usually a lieutenant from the battalion.

[@Zajuts149]

Was the "1st and 2nd Captains" of a company due to infantry battalions having 8 companies until 1908, when it was reduced to 4?

[@andymoore9977]

1914, a British battalion was well trained and well led but had 2 only machine guns! No wonder Kaiser Bill described the British army as contemplable at the time!

[@smacwhinnie]

He just had a beef with Granny

[@stevekaczynski3793]

4:09 - This man seems to be in his cups...

[@tandemcompound2]

Generals die in bed, lieutenants die in a pink mist.

[@ardshielcomplex8917]

Why are you wearing Officers rank AND a Senior NCOs Sash ?

[@hardalarboard8876]

In full dress scottish regiments wear their officers waist sash around their chest rather than waist, slung over the left shoulder.rather than the right like an nco.

[@nedkellysghost1086]

Seva Jugam !