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ARMIES
Table C.—Terms of Service—continued. With the In the Corps. Colours. Reserve. Royal Engineers— Sappers for Companies and for 1st and 2nd Divisions Telegraph Battalion . 7 Sappers for Bridging Battalion . 3 Drivers 3 Military Mechanists . 12 Railway Reserve . Telegraph Reserve Submarine Mining Reserve Foot Guards— Bandsmen . 12 Other Recruits 7 or 3 Infantry of the Line 7 or 3 Royal Army Medical Corps 7 or 3 3 Army Service Corps Army Ordnance Corps12 Armourer, Machinery Artificer Sections Other Recruits . . . . . 7 Daily Rate of Pay of Lowest Rank. s. d. Royal Horse Artillery— 1 4 Gunner ...... 1 3 Driver . . .... 1 9 Household Cavalry 1 2 Cavalry of the Line .... Royal Field Artillery— 1 2i Gunner ...... 1 24 Driver ...... Royal Garrison Artillery— 1 24 Gunner ...... Royal Engineers— 1 Sapper ...... 14 1 1 Foot Guards ...... 1 0 Infantry of the Line .... 1 0 Army Service Corps .... 1 2 Royal Army Medical Corps 1 2 Army Ordnance Corps .... Boys, all corps, until they attain the age 0 8 of 18 With an addition, in all corps, of 3d. a day messing allowance on obtaining a certificate of military efficiency from the commanding officer. The actual working out of Mr Brodrick’s new scheme for having six army corps organized in the United Kingdom had not been promulgated at the time when necessar IchemtT y f°r this to goSalisbury, to press. sc eme. ^ ^ was that article Aldershot, was on]y known and Dublin were to be the headquarters of the three active army corps, and Colchester, York, and Edinburgh of what may be called the three sedentary army corps. The scheme had involved much labour, but, even on paper, the detailed distribution of the several units of the army into their brigades, divisions, and army corps, and the definition of the territorial limits of the commanders’ authority, did not appear to have reached its final stage. It has, we believe, been decided that there will be one marked difference between the new army corps and those which are known as such on the Continent. In Russia, France, Germany, and Austria the several ranks of senior officers have direct relation to the functions which they fulfil. Normally the army corps is commanded by a general, the division by a lieutenant-general, the brigade by a major-general, the regiment forming an intermediate link between the brigade and the battalion. In England this intermediate link does not exist as a part of the progressive expansion of the army from its smaller to its larger organism. The regiment forms the connecting link between the battalions at home and those abroad, and in some sort between the regular and auxiliary battalions. It is not intermediate between the battalion and the brigade. It appeared, from the indications furnished, to be intended to appoint colonels as brigadier-generals to
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command the brigades, major-generals to command the divisions, while three full generals (Sir Redvers Buller, Sir Evelyn Wood, and the duke of Connaught) were appointed to the first command of the three active army corps, though, on Sir Redvers Buller’s retirement in October 1901 his successor in the command of the 1st Army Corps, Sir John French, was a major-general with the local rank of lieutenant-general. If this be so, the rank of lieutenantgeneral would virtually disappear from the ordinary course of the military hierarchy during peace time. As experience has shown in South Africa, it becomes a very necessary link in any considerable war, and major-generals have been appointed with “ local and temporary ” rank as lieutenant-generals accordingly. This step as to the peace organization would have the further importance of greatly limiting the possibility of promoting major-generals during peace time. The royal warrant already referred to makes that promotion dependent upon there being a specific appointment to which the promotion is made. The filling up by major-generals of the specific appointments which in foreign armies are reserved for lieutenant-generals, obviously affects this question very materially, and practically would produce the result that nearly all officers who reached the rank would terminate their career as majorgenerals. Two departments, each of which proved during the Boer war to be inadequate for the work assigned to it, have been the subjects of recent and special investigation, viz., the army medical department and the remount department. Experience has shown that the attractions offered by army medical service have not been adequate. Briefly, the new scheme is as follows :—The department is to be administered by an “Advisory Board” of nine members under the chairmanship of the Director-General. Two of these are to be officers of R.A.M.C., two civil physicians, two civil surgeons, one representative of the War Office, one representative of the India Office. It advises on all medical army matters, including promotion of officers, thus superseding the “promotion board,” which hitherto has dealt with that subject. The scale of pay is to be— Lieutenant “on probation” and Lieuten £323 10 0 per annum. ant, in all . 379 15 2 Captain (after 3 years’ total service) 400 0 0 >> )> 7 ,, ,, ,, 477 15 2 „ „ 10 ,, 537 12 10 Major ,, 12 „ 632 12 10 ,, Major (after 3 years as such) 713 15 4 Lieut.-Colonel (after 20 years’ service) ,, (selected to an establish 804 15 4 „ ment of 50) 953 10 10 Colonel...... 1500 00 Surgeon-General .... 2000 00 Director-General .... Candidates must be British subjects of unmixed European blood, under 28 years of age, with good references and a registrable qualification to practise. Provision is made for examinations prior to appointment and promotion to each rank. Previous to each of these the candidate will have the opportunity of attending, partly at Netley, partly at selected civil hospitals, courses of instruction in the special subjects in which he is required to pass. Before promotion to captain and before promotion to major, he may, by passing exceptionally well, obtain an acceleration of promotion varying from 3 to 18 months. Brevet promotion may be given either for distinguished service in the field or other exceptional service not in the field. The creation of an instructional military hospital and military medical staff college is proposed. A retaining fee of £25 per annum is proposed for such medical officers as, after 3 years’ service as lieutenants, go to a reserve of officers. S. L —82
