Lessons drawn from the mobilisation of January" 28, "1902, are allotted a prominent place in. the annual report of Colonel N. W, B. B. Thoms, Commandant of the Shan; thal Volunteer Corps.
After recalling that the Corps was completely mobilised within six hours, Colonel Thoms writes: As predicted in my last annual report the shortage of -men gave great cause for anxiety. This was par ularly felt with regard to the infantry of the Corps which was at Yeast" 50 per cent. deficient in numbers.
During the first ten days of ypobilisaion; the Corpa, expanded from 1,500 to 2,800, but the new recruits were without uniform, many were without boots, an many were totally deficient in tral ing. The lack of boots and great coals, compelled the withdrawal of certain units from the line are most P.W.D. officials and. the system is that of the P.W.D.
We were caught in a period of reorganisation of the engineer services, The old Engineer Company had dwindled in numbers and was in state of suspended animation. It had been recognised that the Public Works Dept., with at its disposal ths vast resources council of the council I lad always played a major ost efficient share in the raliary engineering of previous periods jomergency, and so a sort of dual service had sprung up. However, notwithstanding the fact that there was a dual organisation in existence, P.W.D. gave splendid service, would be' impossible praise too highly. Miles of barbed Wire entanglements were erected in wonderful time There was" never question of impossibility. The Field Company is now almost entire-
[ly composed, of members of the and its officers are all senior officials in that service, and the result is most satisfactory. the consequent. ex sloned by them and the gravity of 1 must here pay a. tibuie to, the the: situation, the behaviour of all Oflicers. of the old Engineer, Com-any and to its few N.C.0's Who yanks was splendid-and Tam tremely" proud to. have had. the lad been retained, and tothe new honour to command the Corps men who Were etiolied. ° They one during the period of emergency. and all worked night and day and ata feel nae shoul be own that {for the first week had practically no sleep. Two of the officers. broke luring the period of emergency several oficets and "wien of the down in health as a consequence. 8.V.C, who live in. Hongkew-Dix-'The S.V.C. differs from the re-well Road' areas, and "who. in gular formations of the various diately answered the call to mobile Dowers in the Settlement to the lost "everything they pos Greatest extent in the fact that the their houses having. ven" Too organisation is essentially a peace The situation. with regard organisation (which goes back to the strength is slightly better to-day, days when volunteering was a sort and the groups of infantry which of hobby, when numbers were com will, Tam ture, again have an paratively small, and when equi equally important 'Pole' as. then, ment was not 80 complicated as it is have a deficiency of about' 27 per! today). The S.V.C. Headquarters cent. as against. the "50. por cent.
Jeals with 23 units and about 1,500 previously mentioned. "T estimate come individually to its office the shortage in. infantry as being for their many wants. about 400 men, of which about 250 The staff ts much too small even should be either British or Amel for normal peace time requirements, can. The other nationals aye, I and stores ave neither accounted £oF ik, fairly well "Yepreninted.
"9! nor are records kept they should tin obtaining the requisite me When the Corps is mobilised it systems of strength, new units ave and. provision has been 4 abnokutety ital that auch, a bottle neck should not exist. These de-made to enrol exssorvice and other! ts were foreseen to a certain trained men as reservists of exist out last year but the 1932. mo-Ing "its, with which "they" will bilisation has shown where the worst, nesses are and. arrangements The Special Reserve which exintnow being made to cope with <a in the beginning of this yea has them with as little expense to the been abolished az it was found that [Council as possible. it was just as diMieult to absorb its members into units as it was to Officers are now definitely apabsorb ordinary "last minute" repointed to their emergency roles and ferent lesson" of the We are beginning to think in terms mobilisation was the impracticability groups of units. It is, however, of relying' on reerulte who. offer necessary to adapt the store and themselves after" mobilisation has office accommodation to the new re-been ordered, quirements anda scheme of, construction ig now under considera 'As hsfore stated the question of boots was Yital one. 'Many men tion, which it is hoped wil eliminate much of the confusion which existed only' have "shoes and many. only during the mobilisation of 1992. very light shoes. Shoes ave totally Unsuitable for military duty. The The reaction after the mobilisaproblem of providing boots to tion has had a slight effect on train volunteers has' often been, ce ing, but this is now lessening and ed. "Tt is-a dificult one, beea parades are Involves "great expense' and. commencement is. re 12h "guatantes that ifthe men ide in tactical work. Last year ated with boots gratis, they wil be available on" mobilisation discontinued the custom of report: ing individually on units, and. for Morcover'many men leave i Cosps the same reasons as then' T retrain afier a fow mouthy' service. "The from commenting on their work
ovisicn for a supply of boots to Haver "has" made separately. I consider that almost without exception the units of the Tel by me ud Volunteers Corps 0 in a healthy condition and cent price, and ft is being made avcondition of future envoiment that men will" supply. shemeelves with suitable for civvy cold weather but The grent coats supplied are very proved useless for wet. weather remedy. this defect water proof caper ave being Held ready to ise the Corps has. been that an allow:
hitherto. the. system of fein fee in cash way nade to unite who Have engaged thee own aterere This would: have been" musket had) the. Corps: been engaged in operations, A eystim has sow beet devised: whereby units are' supplied finder arrangements mate by: Corps
of their being' actively engaged, Headaurtta 20 tht in he event they can te. mobile, ud note pendent' upon the " temporarily engaged employes of contracts.
During the mobilisation the transport arrangements were made by the P.W.D. and were most factory. Tu, view, however, of the above. mentioned centralization catering arrangements it has been found "necessary to organise a txanspor? unit so that, the essential service of supply shall not Jeonnrdized by. drivers not under military. discipline. The. organisn-Cy ion is still closely allied with the PAWD. and the off here pay a tribute fo all my unit commanders and officers who give of so much of their valuable time for the ood of the Corps. To them and fo the N.C.0's and men a very [great debt is owed.
T would like to mention the devation of Major F. A. R. Leitao znd Capitain A. Fanthorpe who s0 effectively supervise the weapon' training of the Corps. Their work is of the highest order.
During the the year the two regular Companies "of Ru: Reiment have been reinforced by a third, and the Volunteer 'Company' under Captain Saveloff has been incorporated so thatthe whole! forms a regiment. Their good bearing on parade and the excelence of their work continues to be the subject of very favourable' general comment with which concur, A number of younger men sre joining the ranks and time is gradually eliminating the ex-service element which was originally—50
During the year, the Corps Ad-jurant, Capt. J, W_ Hincheliffe, The Northamptonshire Regt, was replaced by Capt. P. H. 'Cart, Scots Goards, have drawn attention previous paragraph to the grea increase in the work of the Staff. Without exception the staff' works Corps and.
the most loyal m mer Po:
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.