“Thank you, Sergeant Painter. Are the men mostly new recruits or have they been posted from companies in the 2nd Battalion?”
That was a hard question.
“New men, sir, apart from them that ain’t.”
Richard saw his error and smiled.
“Thank you, Sergeant Painter. What can you tell me of the corporals?”
“We’ve got two, sir. And a pair of lance-corporals. Them ‘as been in for a year or two, sir, the corporals longer than the lance-jacks.”
Wholly meaningless and valueless; it established the worth of Sergeant Painter.
“Very good. Shall we inspect the men now?”
Sergeant Painter knew what to do for inspection and led Richard along the three ranks so that he could see the men for himself.
The private soldiers ranged from a dubious eighteen to thirty-five going on forty, the flood of volunteers at the declaration of war bringing all ages to the colours.
At least two of the sixty were well under-age, almost of a certainty, fourteen if that old, able to shave and getting away with a false birth certificate. The document was very simple, a printed form with handwritten entries and an indistinct rubber stamp that any printer’s shop could mock up. It would not have been difficult to lift a batch from the official printery – they had never been regarded as a valuable item that needed be locked away. No doubt some enterprising gentleman was selling them in town. There was nothing to be done without creating a great fuss. The boys were keen and would probably do the job; if they showed lacking in stamina, they could be sent back, if they survived.
Richard was more inclined to worry that some of the older men might not be able to rough it in the field – but again, that could be dealt with when the problem arose.
All were well-presented, enthusiastic, wanting nothing better than to go out to fight the Hun. They would learn the error of their ways in due time; for the while, they were as good as he could hope for.
“Very good, Sergeant Painter. The men will be assigned to platoons when they reach France and join the remainder of the company. We will have four corporals, so four platoons. Two sergeants and the three officers you can see. Lieutenants Willoughby and Presteigne will continue to exercise the men as they have been. Rapid fire in the butts is our greatest need. We can reduce drill to the minimum. Have the men experience of route-marches?”
“Yes, sir. Fifteen miles every second day, sir.”
“Good. They will be marching with a full pack when we get to France. Check every man’s gear, Sergeant, and examine their boots. They must have all they need for the field. Put a sharp on the bayonets. Carry on. Officers with me.”
They left the square, with some relief.
“Have we company offices, gentlemen?”
“Not as such, sir, but we have been given space in the depot.”
“Good. What is the procedure for meals?”
“Working dress at breakfast and lunchtime, sir. Mess undress for dinner.”
“Lunch must be the next necessity – I have some missed meals to make up for. The afternoon will be adequate for all we need do. I want to look at each man’s record – which should not take too long for the new recruits. Have you batmen?”
“Not as such, sir. There are officers’ servants at the depot who are available to transitory officers.”
“That can wait till France, then. We must see what the battalion’s policy may be. What about your own personal items, gentlemen?”
“I have a full set of uniforms, sir. What else do we require?”
“Compass; flashlight; robust pocket watch; waterproof ground sheet; extra boots; petrol lighter; blanket; raincoat; thick stockings… The list is substantial. Do you smoke?”
Neither did.
“Very wise – it can be difficult to lay one’s hands on gaspers, I am told. Some officers keep hip flasks. That I do not recommend. You will probably carry a rifle in the field so you might consider a webbing belt and pouches.”
They were amazed that an officer might use a rifle.
“A revolver is useless, unless you are another Billy the Kid. With a rifle, you can be useful in repelling an attack and you are less visible to snipers. The only occasion on which I used a revolver I needed six shots to hit a man who was no more than five yards from me by the end, with a great big bayonet he intended to stick into me. I carried a rifle after that.”
“Even so, sir. Not quite the thing for a gentleman.”
“It is for a gentleman who wishes to live, Presteigne.”
“What do we need to look out for in the field, sir?”
“Your men! The men do the bulk of the fighting. You are there to assist them to do their work. Feed them; supply them with billets; care for their health where possible. Other than that, simply show yourself as present and sharing their risks.”
It was not the concept of leadership that they had been taught previously, but they were not to argue with a company commander, particularly this one.
Lunch was taken semi-formally, officers waited on at table but not expected all to sit at the same time, as was the case for dinner. It was a lighter meal and unaccompanied by official alcohol, though Richard noticed a number of officers to have glasses with them.
“Watch the drink when in the field, gentlemen. Very easy, I would think, to take a nip or two to recruit the spirits, as one might say.”
The afternoon disclosed that fifty out of the sixty-one in the draft were new recruits, joined up since the outbreak of war.
“Means they are unlikely to be riflemen of the quality of the old professionals, gentlemen. My company could rattle off twenty aimed rounds in a minute, firing from behind cover. Eighty men producing that rate of fire will stop any attack. It does mean that you must have ammunition to hand. Sixty rounds is simply inadequate. The men must have twice that and as much again sat in the company reserve, and a damned sight more at battalion.”
“Regulations, sir?”
“Are of interest to generals and such. They are none of our business. Our function is to kill Germans and keep our men alive by any means available.”
It was very puzzling.
“What of the eleven of experienced men? Why have we got them? O’Grady, I asked for – he looks like a valuable rogue. What do you know of the others?”
Nothing it seemed – it had not occurred to them that they should. Richard explained that they had been transferred from other units and probably thrown out as incompetents or troublemakers. He knew what he would have done had he been asked to pass over some of his men.
They examined the personal records of the ten, particularly their crime sheets.
“Seven with repeated drunkenness; periods of confinement as well as the normal stoppages. Watch them for carrying bottles in their packs. Other than that – they will not find much to drink out in the fields of France. What of the other three? One with two charges of theft against him; one habitually insubordinate; one ‘indecent conduct’. What does the Army define that as, I wonder? Do you know, Willoughby?”
The man who had passed out of Sandhurst in peacetime was more familiar with Army law.
“Yes, sir. Very rude behaviour, sir. Generally with other men. It normally receives a long sentence and dishonourable discharge, sir.”
Richard took another look at the sheet, saw that the charge had not been proved; it had gone to court martial and had been dismissed there.
“His company officer seems to have disagreed with the court, sir. He could do nothing about it though.”
“He is innocent, until proven guilty. What’s his name? Coles? Watch him!”
They nodded gravely.
“We shall put these ten into different platoons where possible. Split them up and tell their corporals to keep a close eye on them. I don’t like having a known thief in our ranks. I shall warn our sergeants and they can have a word with the corporals.”