Tuesday September 10th, 1918
Raining hard. One hour practice. Marching on road 2 till 3:30. Wrote home.
Lectures for Battle
According to the Battalion’s Diary there are three lectures planned, starting tonight. Presumably for officers and NCO, they will cover mobile warfare, machine guns and, rather oddly, the history of the American Army.
Training was an on-going activity throughout the war. It was necessitated by a growing, relatively inexperienced officer corps as well as rapidly changing weaponry and tactics. The photograph shows officers at a demonstration of a Lewis Gun on an anti-aircraft mounting at Toutencourt in France in March 1918.*
Training of Platoons
Last year, the General Staff issued ‘Instructions for the Training of Platoons for Offensive Action 1917’. It provides guidance to officers for both platoon training and battle tactics. The objectives of this training are as follows:-
‘a) The Offensive Spirit. All ranks must be taught that their aim and object is to come to close quarters with the enemy as quickly as possible so as to be able to use the bayonet. This must become a second nature.
b) Initiative. The matter of control by even Company leaders on the battlefield is now so difficult that the smaller formations, i.e., platoon and section commanders must be trained to take the necessary action on their own initiative, without waiting for orders.
c) Confidence in Weapons, necessitating a high standard of skill at arms.
d) Co-operation of Weapons is essential on the battlefield, and is the corollary of (c).
e) Discipline is most necessary at all times, and particularly on the battlefield.
f) Moral must be heightened by every possible means; confidence in leaders and weapons goes a long way towards it.
g) Esprit de Corps. True soldierly spirit must be built up in Sections and Platoons. Each section should consider itself the best section in the platoon, and the platoon the best in the battalion.’ ¹
Presumably these objectives are driving the lecture programme for the officers and NCO of the 9th Battalion.
9th Battalion War Diary – 10th September 1918 – Haudricourt
Training as per programme. Following lectures will take place:- ‘Attack in mobile warfare’ by GOC 10-9-18, ‘Machine Guns’ by Col Chartris 12-9-18, ‘History of the American Army’ by special lecturer 11-9-18. 5 OR are struck off effective strength on admission to hospital in UK whilst on leave from various dates.
References & Further Reading
¹ ‘An Officer’s Manual of the Western Front: 1914-1918’ by Stephen Bull, Conway 2014, page 123
* Q 11567, copyright Imperial War Museums