Page:Statesman's Year-Book 1913.djvu/173

 DEFENCE 51

The Regular Army in peace time consists of the permanently embodied roops, the Army Reserve, and the Special IJeserve.

Service in the permanently embodied portion of the Regular Army and the army Reserve is for 12 years, with permission to extend to 21 years under certain circumstances. Of the original 12 years, from 3 to 9 are spent * with the colours,' e.e., on permanent service, and the remainder of the time in the Army Reserve ; the majority of the men serve for 7 years with the colours and

5 years in the Army Reserve, which is the rule for infantry other than the Foot Guards. Men enlist between 18 and 25 years of age. The peace estab- lishment of the regular troops at home is consitlerably below war establishment ; iu South Africa and the Colonies it is higher ; in India it is practically the same as the war establishment. On mobilisation for war the ranks, after eliminating recruits and young soldiers, are filled up from the Army Reserve, and also, to a small extent, from the Special Reserve.

The permanently embodied portions of the Regular Army^ consist of 31 cavalry regiments (17 at home), 28 horse artillery batteries (14 at home), 150 field batteries (99 at home), 9 mountain batteries (all abroad), 99 companies of garrison artillery (43 at home), 84 companies of engineers (63 at home), 9 battalions of Foot Guanls (8 at home), 148 battalions of infantry of the line (74 at home) besides departmental services and depots. Horse and field batteries are grouped as ' brigades ' of 2 and 3 batteries respectively, of 6 guns each. \ Infantry of the line is organised for recruiting purposes as 69 regiments of 2 or 4 permanent battalions, and 1 or 2 Special Reserve battalions {vide below) ; half the permanent battalions of each regiment are at home and half abroad. For training and command purposes infantry battalions are for the most part formed into brigades of 4 battalions each. For recruiting purposes and relief, cavalry regiments are linked in pairs, 1 at home and 1 abroad ; for training and command they are generally grouped into brigades of 3 regiments each.

The Special Reserve consists in the main of troops not permanently embodied, but its units also act as permanently embodied depots. The period of service of special reservists is for 6 years ; recruits, with certain ex- ceptions, undergo 5 months' preliminary training ; the trained men are called up annually for 3 weeks, with 6 days' musketry in addition for infantry. The Special Reserve consists of two cavalry regiments, 12,000 (establishment) field arlillary men, 2 regiments of garrison artillery, 2 battalions of engineers, 101 battalions of infantry, forming part of the 69 regiments of infantry of the line above-mentioned, and departmental services. Of the 101 battalions, 74 are Reserve battalions, formiug depots for the permanently embodied battalions of their regiments ; the other 27 are * Extra ' Reserve battalions, intended to act as reserve units on mobilisation. The oflScers of the Special Reserve are for the most part non-professional. The Special Reserve (which was created out of the Militia in 1907) is available for service abroad in time of war. Special reservists can re-engage for 4 years terms, and can enlist into the permanently embodied forces.

On mobilisation for war, the bulk of the Regular Army at home becomes absorbed into the ' Expeditionary Force ' to consist of a cavalry division,

6 divisions, and certain 'army troops,' and 'line of communication troops' with a total establishment of 5,873 officers and 163,279 other ranks (Parliamentary White Book of March, 1911). A cavalry division consists of 4 cavalry brigades (3 regiments each), 2 horse artillery brigades, 4 engineer troops, 1 signal squadron and 4 signal troops, 1 cavalry train, and 4 field ambulances; total establishment, 486 officers, 10,301 other ranks, 10,570 horses, 24 guns. A division consists of 3 infantry brigades of

1 Commonly referxed to as the ' Regular Army.'

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