The Officers training corps of Great Britain; the Australian system of national defense; the Swiss system of national defense ...

Front matter

Rnnk 03

63d Congress \ otpxt a titt / Document

3d Session | bENATH. | ^^ .^g

Part I. THE OFFICERS TRAINING CORPS OF GREAT BRITAIN

After the Boer War, when the British Government forally decided to make a radical change in its militar}^ polic}^, steps were then taken to provide for a certain and steady supply of officers for troops in time of war or for the new Territorial Army, organized in 1907. In order to obtain men of the requisite mental qualifications as well as proper standing for the corps of officers, the British Government called into consultation a number of the heads of the big universities, colleges, and public schools. After a thorough investigation of the possibilities, it was determined to form in each of the universities and colleges, as well as the public schools, a corps which, in time of peace, would furnish officers for the Special Reserve or Territorials, with the idea of finally, in case of a call for large bodies of volunteers, commissioning all such candidates as might be then serving in the Officers Training Corps or who had passed

6 THE OFFIOEES TBAINING CORPS OF GREAT BRITAIN.

into civil life and had not become part of the Territorials or Special Keserve. There were a number of excellent suggestions made in the first place, but it was not until after 1907 that the final organization of the Officers Training Corps was completed.

There is no doubt but that the present scheme of mihtary instruction at our land-grant colleges was investigated by the committee of General Staff officers, who reported on the proposition, and who finally recommended the present plan which resembles the scheme laid down in the present regulations issued by our War Department. In the early part of 1908 a special Army order was issued making provision for the organization of the Officers Training Corps. The object of this corps was to provide students at schools and universities with a standardized measure of elementary military training, with a view to their eventually becoming Special Reserve or Territorial officers. It was hoped that, by means of this instruction, certain young men would be willing to take these commissions as Special Reserve or Territorial officers, and by producing certificates of proficiency, obtained in the Officers Training Corps, would be exempted from a portion of the probationary training, or from certain examinations required for officers in these forces. It also was hoped that the supply of officers would be increased, and that all arms and services would not only be complete in officers on mobilization, but that there would also be a surplus in the junior commissioned ranks in order to make good the losses suffered at the beginning of the war.

The oi-ganization of the Officers Training Corps did not take place until the regulations, issued for the guidance and control of that corps, received recognition by university and school authorities, and it was not until this control was obtained that the organization or formation of a cadet organization was permitted. At this time there were approximately 21,000 young men under instruction in the colleges and preparatory schools of the United States undergoing a course somewhat similar to these young men whose organization into the Officers Training Corps had just been authorized. There is, however, this difference, that the control of and standardization of instruction and exammations is regulated by a section of the Imperial General Staff, while at prt>sent in this country no such control is provided under the law, nor is it looked upon with any degree of friendliness by a majority of college authorities.

CONSTITUTION.

The Officers Training Corps is outside of the territorial organization of the Army. For purposes of organization it is directly under the War Department and mdependent of the county associations, while the traming is directly under the Chief of Staff and his assistants. The corps is organized into two divisions: (1) Senior division, consistmg of university units; ( ') junior division, consisting of public-school units . The existmg self-contained University Volunteer Corps, which, under the law of 1907, could be converted into Territorial units, and the univei*sity companies, which now form part of the local Volunteer units, were permitted to transfer with their present organization to the senior division of the Officers' Training Corps.

Similarly the existing Volunteer corps and companies and the cadet corps of public schools were permitted to transfer to the junior division, retaining their arms and equipment and altering their organization as little as possible. On a corps becoming a unit of the Officers Training Corps its affiliation to a local Volunteer unit ceases, and it comes directfy under the control of the War Office. The relations between an Officers Trammg Corps unit and a local Territorial unit were to be a matter for adjustment by their respective commanding officers. It was therefore clear that it was to the mutual advantage of each that these relations be made as close as would be consistent with the fact that each unit drew its income from a different fund, and that no county association would be required to advance funds for the upkeep of an Officers Training Corps unit.

In order to be eligible to join an Officers Training Corps a university or school contingent must have an enrolled strength of not less than 30 cadets and an establishment of officers qualified to impait the necessary instruction. A university desiring to furnish a unit for the Officers Training Corps must possess a committee of mifitary education officially recognized by the university authorities, and certain officers of the unit must be ex officio members of this committee. Any school or university corps may apply to the Army Council for permission to join the Officers Training Corps, but no corps is admitted unless it reaches the standard laid down and is, in the opinion of the Army Council, capable of efficiently carrying out the work prescribed. In the same manner the Army Council may disband any university or school cori3s should it consider its retention as a unit of the Officers Training Corps undesirable in view of the object for which the corps was organized and maintained.

CONDITIONS OF SERVICE. .

Cadets of the Officers Training Corps are not lialjle for service. University cadets will be enrolled to serve under a contract which|is drawn up by each university to suit its own conditions. The Army Council must approve this contract before it is submitted to the cadets for their signatures. Membership in a unit need not be confined to matriculated members of a university, but will be open, under conditions drawn up by each university and subject to approval by the Army Council, to gentlemen who, though not members of the university, are desirous of obtaining certificate of proficiency in the military course. The enrollment of school cadets, their conditions of service, and dismissal is left in the hands of the authorities of the institution, within the limits laid down by the regulations.

TRAINING.

Each unit will be trained by its own officers under the direct control of the Chief of Staff and his assistants. Regular officers who are temporarily attached to the General Staff will be appointed to universities or groups of universities to perform the duties of adjutants and to assist in the training of both divisions of the Officers Training Corps.

CERTIFICATES OF PROFICIENCY.

Two certificates of proficiency, clesig;nated "A" and "B," wiU be obtainable by members of the Officers Traiiiino; Corps. Certificate A represents the standard of proficiency which should be reached by a school cadet after two years' efficient service in the junior division, and certificate B that which should be reached by a university cadet after two years' efficient service in the senior division. The syllabi for the examinations for these certificates are given in the army order and carry with them certain privileges. Certificate A will entitle the holder, should he take a commission in the Special Reserve, to a reduction of the probationary trammg by 4 months, or 14 da^-s, accordmg as the normal period is 12 months or 3 months. Should he take a Territorial commission, to exemption from the whole or part of the examuiation for promotion to the rank of lieutenant.^ Should he offer himself as a candidate for Woolwich or Sandhurst,^ to receive 200 marks m the competitive examination held by the Civil Service Commissioners for entrance to those establishments. Certificates A and B will entitle the holder, should he take a commission in the Special Reserve, (a) to a reduction of the probationary training by 8 months, or 1 month, according as the normal period is 12 months or 3 months; (b) to a gratuity of £35 payable at the same time as his outfit allowance. Should lie take a Territorial commission, to exemption from the whole or part of the examination for promotion to the rank of captam.' Before he can undergo the exammation for certificate A, a school cadet must have performed two years' efficient service in the junior division. Officers Training Corps; and similarly a miiversity cadet must have performed two years' efficient service in the senior division before he can be exammed for certificate B. A cadet can not midergo the examuiation for certificate B unless he is already in possession of certificate A.

CORPS ALLOWANCES AND GRANTS.

In the senior division a yearly capitation fee of £2 shall be paid to each university unit for every ''efficient" cadet on the strength. A grant of £5 wall be paid to each university unit for each certificate B obtained by a subaltern officer or cadet of that unit. A grant of 3s. per day will be paid to university units for each member attendmg camp, up to a maximum of 15 days annually. In the junior division a yearly capitation fee of £1 will be paid to each school miit for every efficient cadet on the strength, provided that 50 per cent of those for whom the efficiency grant is claimed have attended the camp during the year.

GRANT FOR CERTIFICATE A.

A grant of £10 is paid to school units for each cadet obtaining certificate A who is afterwards granted a commission in the Special Reserve or Territorial force.

1 The extent of the exemption allowed is based on the qualifications for promotion for officers of the different arms and services, as laid down in the Regulations for the Territorial Force, 1908.

2 The first entrance examination for Woolwich and Sandhurst at which this factor came into force was that held in November, 1909.

THE OFFICEES TEAIXIXG COEPS OF GREAT BRITAIN. 9

In the senior division issues of arms, equipment, and ammunition are free. In the junior division arms are issued free to eaeh unit in the following proportion: A serviceable arm (rifle or carbine) to each cadet of sufficient age to carry out practice, up to a maximum of 50 per cent of the total enrolled strength of the unit ; a " D. P." arm (rifle or carbine) to each of the remainder. There will be no free issue of equijDment or uniform. Ammunition will be issued free on a scale to be laid down hereafter.

CONDITIONS OF SERVICE OF OFFICERS.

Officers of the Officers Training Corps will be gazetted to commissions as officers of the Territorial force, and will enjoy the same privileges, precedence, and emoluments, and be subject to the same conditions as to first appointment, promotion, and retirement, as other officers of that force, with such modifications as the Army Council may think fit to introduce. Officers will have, as individuals, the same habilities for service as other Territorial officers, their services on embodiment being at the disposal of the Army Council. Recommendations for first appointments to the Officers Training Corps wiU be made by the executive head of the university or the head master of the school in whose contingent the officer wishes to serve. Promotion will be based on length of service, conditionally on the officer having qualified for higher rank. Local rank may be granted to officers commanding units. Commissioned officers now serving in university or school corps who go over to the Officers Training Corps with their units will have their commissions confirmed as officers of the Territorial force in the rank and with the seniority to which they are entitled at the time of transfer. Officers of Territorial units and officers of the Special Reserve may be seconded for service with the Officers Training Corps.

"The scheme during the first four years of its operation has been very fairly successful, as will be seen from the following table, giving the number of ex-cadets who, up to date, have accepted commissions in the Special Reserve or Teiritoi ial force. ^ In addition to those who have actually accepted commissions it must be remembered that there are a large number of others who have passed through the Officers Training Corps and have leceived the training (lualifying them for subaltern rank. Although some have now passed into civu life, and, for reasons good or bad, have not seen theii' way to serve in time of peace, while others are serving in the ranks, it is certain that they would come forward in sufficient numbers to fill gaps on mobilization for war."

1 Note.-

Appointed to Special Reserve.

Appointed to Territorial force.

S3

10 THE OFFICEES TEAINING CORPS OF GREAT BRITAIN.

THE CADET BATTALIONS.

[Report on voluntary service. Great Britain.]

''In addition to the cadet battalions and companies which form part of the Oflicers Training Corps, there is an increasing number of ordinary cadet battahons and companies all over the United Kingdom. They are recognized by the War Office, and administered by county associations, who draw a small grant on their behaK. They form a valuable link between the l)oyhood of a locality and the units found by that locality for the Territorial force, and a very large number of their ex-cadets are now j^assing regularly each year into the Home Army.

"No mention is made here of the Boy Scouts' organization, or of such of the Boys' Brigades as have decided not to apply for recognition as cadets, through which, of course, the vast majority of the boys of this country pass at one time or other of their boyhood. The primary object of these valuable voluntary organizations is not military, and they therefore not only do not receive but will not accept official recognition by the military authorities. Nevertheless, they are a striking testimony to the popularity of voluntary service in the country when wisely and sympathetically administered, and can not fail to leact favorably both u]^on the discipline and the numbers of all the branches of the Imperial forces."

Authorities. — Broad Arrow; orders. War Office, London.

Part n. EXCERPT FROM THE ARMY ORDER CONTAINING REGULATIONS FOR THE ORGANIZATION OF THE OFFICERS* TRAINING CORPS.

I. GENERAL PRINCIPLES.

Object. — The primary object of the Officers Training Corps is to provide students at schools and universities with a standardized measure of elementary military training, with a view to their eventually applying for commissions in the Special Reserve of Officers or the Territorial force. It should, therefore, be understood that the aim of every university and school which provides a contingent for the Offi.cers Training Corps must be to provide as many officers for the Special Reseive of Officers and the Territorial force as possible.

Recognition of 'proficiency . — Gentlemen, who, on being recommended for commissions in the Special Reserve of Officers or the Teriitorial force, can produce certificates of ]3roficiency obtained in the Officers Training Corps, will be exempted from a portion of the probationary training, or From certain examination, i-c^iuired from other officers. By means of the facilities thus offered to men who wish to serve their country with the least possible interference with their civil career, it is hoped that the supply of officers may be increased, and that all arms and services may not only be complete in officers on mobihzation, but also have a surplus in the junior commissioned ranks in order to make good the losses which will occur in war. The value of the above-mentioned certificates of proficiency Ues in their being the guarantee of from two to four years' consecutive training of a nature calculated to })roduce good officers.

If. CONSTITUTION.

The Olficeis Training Coijis consists of contingents of those universities and schools whose offer has been acceptel by the Army Council.

Conditions of eligibility to joiii. — To be ehgible for inclusion in the Officers Training Corps a university or school contingent must show an enrolled strength of not less than 30 cadets, and must have at least one commissioned officer per company. A university desiring to furnish a contingent for the Officers Training Cori s must j^jossess a committee of military education officially i ecognized by the university authorities, and certain ofiicers of the contingent must be ex officio members of this committee.

Schools in receipt of a parliamentary grant. — Financial assistance will in no case be given to any school in receipt of a parliamentary grant in respect of the military training of &nj boy who has not attained the age of 16 years. The term ''financial assistance" includes the issue of arms an(] ammunition; but schools already in receipt of such assistance may retain their lifles and e uipments, and continue to receive issues of ammunition.

III. CONTROL.

Control. — For purposes of organization and control the Officers Training Corps, except Irish contingents which are under the general officer commanding in chief in Ireland, is directl}^ under the War Office.

The training is under the direction of the Chief of the Imperial General Staff.

Universit}^ and school authorities will retain their ordinary powers of supervision and discipline.

Relations with local military units. — The relations between an Officers Training Corps contingent and a local unit of the Regular forces, Special Reserves, or Territorial force A^dll be a matter for adjustment by their respective commanding officers, who mil correspond direct. Inasmuch as the Officers Training Corps is intended to become the principal source from which officers for the Special Reserve and the Territorial force 'wdll be drawn, it will be to the mutual advantage of each that their relations be as close as is consistent with the fact that each unit draws its income through a different channel and that no county association can be called on to incur any expense in respect of the Officers Training Corps. It is intended that units of the Officers Training Corps should, when possible, obtain facilities from local units as regards technical instruction, the loan of material, and the use of rifle ranges and training grounds. If required, payment will be made out of the Officers Training Corps funds to the county association concerned, for the hire or use of any property of the association.

IV. ORGANIZATION.

(reneral organization. — The Officers Training Corps is organized in two divisions: (a) Senior di^dsion, composed of university contingents; (b) junior division, composed of school contingents.

A university contingent may be made up of one or more units, according as one or more arms or departments of the service are represented. In cases where a university comprises practically autonomous colleges, situated at a distance from each other, a separate unit may be formed in each of the different colleges; but each such unit will be a part of the university contingent. School contingents wiU comprise infantr}^ or engineers onl}^.

Internal organization. — Each unit will be organized as a battalion, battery, squadron, or field ambulance, or in companies (one or more), sections, or troops. As regards the details of internal organization, the general rules given below will be followed.

Estahlisliment of units. — If it is desired to raise the establishments of units without adding to the number of companies, etc., or to increase the number of companies, etc., in a contingent, sanction must be obtained from the War Oilice.

(a) Cavalry: (1) The strength of a troop wiU not exceed 30 cadets; (2) imits with a total strength of from 31 to 60 cadets will be organized as two troops; (3) units with a strength of 61 to 90 cadets will be organized as a squadron of three troops; (4) units \vith a strength of from 91 to 120 cadets will be organized as a squadron of four troops,

(b) Field and Heavy Artillery: (1) Units having a total strength not exceeding 60 cadets will be organized as a section; (2) units having a strength of from 61 to 120 cadets will be organized as a four-gun battery; (3) units having a strength of over 120 cadets will be organized as a six-gun battery, except in the case of Heavy Artillery, which will always be organized as in (1) or (2).

(c) Engineers, Infantry, and Army Service Corps : (1) The strength of a company will not exceed 100 cadets; (2) should the strength of a unit exceed 100 cadets, two or more companies of not less than 50 cadets each will be formed; (3) should the strength of an infantry unit exceed 400 of all ranks, it will be organized as a battalion of 5 or more companies.

{d) Medical: (1) Units with a strength not exceeding 90 cadets will be organized as a section of a fiehl ambulance; (2) if the total strength exceeds 90, a second section will as a rule be formed.

{e) Veterinary: A unit with a strength not exceedmg 100 cadets will be organized in four sections Army Veterinary Corps.

(/) In all units the cyclists, signalers, buglers, and band cadets will be inchuled in the strength of companies, and not organized as separate units.

The estabhshment of officers, noncommissioned officers, drummers, etc., for the above units is given in Appendix II.

V. CONDITIONS OF SERVICE.

1. (OFFICERS GENERAL CONDITIONS

Four classes of officers. — Officers of the Officers Trammg Corps may belong to any of the followhag classes: (1) Officers who have been gazetted to commissions in, or transferred to, the unattached hst of the Territorial force, for service with the Officers Traming Corps; (2) officers of Special Reserve ^ or Territorial force units who have been

1 The words "Special Reserve," used in this section, will be held to include the Channel Islands Militia and the military forces of the colonies.

THE OFFICEES TRAINING CORPS OF GREAT BRITAIN. 13

seconded for service with the Officers Training Corps; (3) officers of Special Reserve or Territorial force units who are temporarily attached for duty with the Officers Training Corps; (4) officers of medical units appomted to the Territorial Royal Army Medical Corps, supernumerary for service with the Officers Trainmg Corps. In the case of undergraduate officers, who are not qualilied as practitioners under the medical acts, they will be appointed "on probation" until they have obtained the necessary qualification, when they wiU be confirmed in their appointment.

Conditions of service. Officers will have, as inchviduals, the same liabilities for service as othei officers of the Special Reserve or the T(UTitorial force, as the case may be; their services on embodiment will be at the disposal of the Army Council.

Appointment. — Csidcti-, of the senior division, including university candidates for the Regular forces, who are recommended for commissions in the Territoria] force under paragraph 10 (1) and (4) for service with their university contingent must have qualified in the examination for certificate A of the branch of th > service in which they propose to serve.

2. CADETS.

Conditions of service. — Cadets of the Officers Training Corps will not have any legal liability to service, and will not be required to take the oath of allegiance.

University cadets. — Cadets of the senior division will be enrolled to serve under a contract to be drawn up by each university to suit its own conditions. Membership need not be con&ied to members of a university, but may be open, at the discretion of the university authorities and officers commanding units, and under the terms of the contract mentioned above, to gentlemen who, though not members of the university, are desirous of gaining certificates of proficiency obtainable in the Officers Training Corps, and to students who, on passing out of residence, are desirous of remaining in the contingent in order to obtain these certificates, subject to the approval of the military committee.

School cadets. — 'No boy under 13 j^ears of age will be enrolled in the junior division; otherwise the conditions for enrollment, service, and dismissal of school cadets will be in the hands of head masters and school authorities within the limits of these ):egulations. Cadets who have left the school may, with the approval of the head master, bt' retained in the contingent, on the understanding that such cadets are continuing their service for the sole purpose of obtaining certificate A. In no case can they remain after attaining the age of 20.

Cadet officers. — In the junior division cadets may, with the approval of head masters, be appointed "cadet officers" in the proportion of 1 cadet officer to every 30 cadets. Cadet officers will wear officer's uniform without any badges of rank; they will not hold commissions, and will not be recognized as officers, or exercise any power of command as such, outside their own units.

Adjutants, senior division. Adjutants of contingents will not merely be required to assist in the administration of the contingent; they must be fully competent to undertake the duties of instructor and lecturer in the theory and practice of the subjects which are included in the military education of cadets ; and as ex officio members of the military committees of universities they must be qualified to advise the committee on all matters of military education and training.

Appointments will be made by the War Office from the approved list of candidates. Officers desiring that their names may be noted on this list will submit their applications thi'ough the usual channel. In view of the extreme importance of their position, it is desirable that commanding officers should forward the names of those officers only whom they consick^r fully qualified to undertake the duties and hkely to acquire a strong influence over the cadets of the contingent.

Sergeant 'insirw^tors. Noncommissioned officers of the Regular forces will be appointed to the establishment of contingents of the senior division. No instructor will be attached to a unit, or part of a unit, of the senior division, whose strength is less than 30 cadets, nor to a unit of th(^ junior division in any case.

VI. TRAINING.

OFFICERS.

Attendance at parades.— Insismuch as the training of caches is for the greater part of the year in the hands of the officers of each contingent, it is desirable that officers should attend all drills at which cadets of their squadron, company, etc., are present, unless excused by the officer commanding the contingent. Commanding officers of contingents will certify in the annual inspection report that all officers on the establishment of the contingent have attended the number of drills laid down for Territorial force officers of the same branch of the service in Territorial Force Regulations, Appendix 6.

Regimental exercises. Regimentsd exercises will be organized by the General Staff at the War Office, with the assistance of such officers of the Officers Training Corps as may reside in the neighborhood of the place where the tour is held. The duties of the directing staff will, when required, be carried out by Regular officers detailed by general officers commanding in chief.

Camp training. —All officers of contingents of the senior division should, if possible, be present at the annual camp of their contingent. In the junior division, should the number of officers in a contingent exceed 1 to every 30 catU^ts attending camp, leave may be granted at the discretion of the officer commanding. Officers excuscnl from attending the annual camp with their contingent should endeavor either to perform training by being attached to a unit of the Regular forces. Special Reserve, or the Territorial force, or to attend a course of instruction as laid down in paragraph 382, Territorial Force Regulations.

CADETS.

Object of training. — The object of all training in the Officers Training Corps is to bring the largest possible number of cadets up to the standard of proficiency indicated by the syllabus laid down for the examination for certificates A and B.

Responsihility. — The training of the Officers Training Corps generally is under the direction of the Chief of the Imperial General Staff. Each unit will be trained bv its own oflicers.

Assistance from Regular officers, senior division. — In contingents of the senior division, the adjutant, as representative of the General Staff, will supervise the training of the contingent. He will be assisted for a few weeks prior to each of the half-yearly examinations for certificates of proficiency by Regular officers attached to the contingent. Officers commanding contingents in England, Scotland, and Wales will apply to the War Office for the officers they require. Officers commanding conting nts in Ireland will apply to the general officer commanding in chief the forces in Ireland.

Junior division. In the junior di^'ision, assistance in the training of contingents will be given either by an officer detailed from a depot in the vicinity of the school, or by the adjutant of a neighbonng university contingent, or by an officer from headquarters, as shown in Appendix I^^ Such officers should pay occasional visits to the contingent during drills, maneuver practices, or musketry training, and should, when their duties permit, be present at field days and at the annual inspection. They will correspond direct with contingents.

Nature of training. — Training will comprise: (a) Instructional parades and exercises, and field operations; (b) musketry; (c) annual training in one of the camps organized for the Officers Training Corps.

Instructional parades. — A parade will consist of not less than 45 minutes' actual training. Two parades of half an hour each will count as one parade. Any tactical or instructional exercise is included under this heading. If the exercise is of not less than 3 hours' duration, it will count as two parades, but no single daj^'s work will be reckoned as more than two parades. Each complete day spent in annual camp will count as a parade up to a maximum of 5 davs annually in the senior division, and 10 days in the junior division. In the case of cadets of the senior division who are performing the additional parades laid down, the maximum of 5 days will be increased to 10 days.