Friday August 2nd, 1918
Slept under apple tree. Fine sleeping out. Commenced to rain at breakfast time – sounded hard. Warned for GOC inspection 9am tomorrow. Letter from home.
Military Minutiae
A few days ago, the way soldiers salute an officer was changed – from now on it will always be with the right hand.
Today, August 2nd 1918, in his diary, Brigadier-General JL Jack, commented on this amendment:
‘It has hitherto been the rule in the British Army for men, when passing officers, to salute with the hand farther way from them. But a new Army Order decrees that in future a salute is to be given with the right hand only. This seems a peculiar time to select for altering so small a matter.’¹
Sometime after the war ended, Jack added an interesting postscript:
‘It has been suggested that our altering the hand salute of the Army in the midst of critical operations did much to break the enemy’s heart, the Germans considering, no doubt, that it was useless to continue the struggle against an opponent who had energy to spare for bothering with such a trifle at such a time.‘
The editor of ‘General Jack’s Diary ‘ then commented: ‘This would seem to be the perfect answer to those who scorn military minutiae.‘¹
Training & Labour
Anyone who has read other entries in Frank’s or the Battalion’s diary will have no doubt been surprised by the amount of hard labour the men do, in addition to training, when not on the front line.
Today, ‘General Jack’ made a similar comment. A couple of week ago, on return from sick leave, he was given command of the 1/Cameronians. This Battalion was part of the 19th Infantry Brigade in the 33rd Division, currently serving in Flanders.
‘This morning A Company carries out a practice attack in the presence of a Brigadier… Battle training is circumscribed by the Battalion having to find every day 250 officers and men (nearly three quarters of its available numbers) for work on roads, defences and dugouts.’¹
The recruitment poster from WWI shows four Cameronians (Scottish Rifles) in ceremonial dress.*
Frank and the 13th will be inspected by their GOC tomorrow.
13th (Service) Battalion War Diary – 2nd August 1918 – Haudricourt
Training etc as per programme. 1 OR struck off effective strength with effect from 31-7-18 and 1 OR from 2-8-18. 1 OR having rejoined is taken on effective strength from 1-8-18. Major JS Smylie leave to UK.
References & Further Reading
¹ ‘General Jack’s Diary, War on the Western Front 1914-1918’ edited by John Terraine, Cassell, 2003 (first published 1964), p250
* Recruitment Poster (PST 1644) copyright Imperial War Museums