Difference between revisions of "British Army Hierarchies"

From Linking experiences of World War One
Jump to: navigation, search
(Created page with "The British Army in the First World War era had an anomalous and complex structure. It will probably need its own semantic structures that are not analogous to those of other ...")
 
m (Text replacement - "British Infantry Arm" to "Infantry, British Army")
 
(13 intermediate revisions by the same user not shown)
Line 1: Line 1:
−
The British Army in the First World War era had an anomalous and complex structure. It will probably need its own semantic structures that are not analogous to those of other nationalities.
+
See also [[Constitution of the Military Forces of the British Crown]], which gives the contemporary legal definition of the British Army and lists the main administrative units.
  
−
==Units, Formations and Regiments==
+
== Units, formations and regiments ==
  
 
The British Army had two hierarchies:
 
The British Army had two hierarchies:
  
−
*Administrative
+
* Administrative
−
*Tactical
+
* Tactical
  
−
These were separate at higher levels but overlapped at lower levels.
+
These were separate at higher levels but overlapped at lower levels. There was also a separate hierarchy of pay offices that we haven't yet tried to represent on this site.
  
−
*Regiments/Corps were administrative. Their member units served in many different formations at the same time.
+
*Regiments/corps were administrative. Their member units served in many different formations at the same time. We class these as either [[infantry regiment (administrative)]] or [[corps (administrative)]].
−
*Formations were tactical. Their member units could be from different regiments, of different types, and even of different nationalities.
+
*Formations were tactical. Their member units could be from different regiments, of different types, and even of different nationalities. There were several different types of formation, such as [[infantry brigade]], [[infantry division]] and [[corps (tactical)]],
−
*Units were tactical and administrative at the same time.
+
*Units, such as [[infantry battalion]]s, were tactical and administrative at the same time.
  
  
−
===Administrative Hierarchy===
+
=== Administrative hierarchy ===
  
−
*Arm (infantry, cavalry, artillery etc. See [http://www.1914-1918.net/hm_forces.html The Long Long Trail: Constitution of Military Forces]
+
* [[Arm]] (infantry, cavalry or artillery; this level doesn't have its own page for other types of unit)
−
*Record Office
+
* [[Record office]]
−
*Regiment/Corps
+
* Regiment/corps (either [[infantry regiment (administrative)]] or [[corps (administrative)]])
−
*(some odd ones between regiment and unit that only apply in some cases)
+
* [[Identity]] (an intermediate level between regiment and unit that only applies in some cases)
−
**Regimental Identity (needs to be treated as a distinct level for artillery and yeomanry; same as unit for regular cavalry; same as regiment/corps for most others)
+
* Units (see below)
−
**Territorial Area (significant admin level for Territorial Royal Engineers but not for infantry; other arms may vary)
 
−
*Units (see below)
 
  
−
===Formation Hierarchy===
+
=== Formation hierarchy ===
  
 
This is a typical hierarchy based on the Western Front, but there were all sorts of non-standard formations in other theatres, especially in Africa and Asia.
 
This is a typical hierarchy based on the Western Front, but there were all sorts of non-standard formations in other theatres, especially in Africa and Asia.
  
−
*General Headquarters (usually one per theatre; sometimes synonymous with Expeditionary Force, sometimes not)
+
* General Headquarters (usually one per theatre; sometimes synonymous with Expeditionary Force, sometimes not)
−
**Lines of Communication (under GHQ in each theatre)
+
** Lines of Communication (under GHQ in each theatre)
−
*Army (not used in every theatre)
+
* [[Army]] (not used in every theatre)
−
*Corps
+
* [[Corps (tactical)|Corps]] (not used in every theatre)
−
*Division
+
* Division (can be [[infantry division]] or [[mounted division]])
−
*Brigade (infantry, cavalry or tank, but not artillery)
+
* Brigade (can be [[infantry brigade]], [[mounted brigade]] or [[tank brigade]], but artillery brigades are classed as units)
  
−
Units could be direct members of any level of formation. Above Brigade level this was in groups known as Divisional Troops, Corps Troops, Army Troops, or GHQ Troops (these groups were integral to the formation and didn't change identity so might not be worth representing as objects in their own right).
+
Units could be direct members of any level of formation. Above brigade level this was in groups known as Divisional Troops, Corps Troops, Army Troops, or GHQ Troops .
  
−
===Unit Hierarchy===
+
=== Units and sub-units ===
  
−
*Infantry Battalion; Cavalry Regiment; Field Artillery Brigade
+
There are many different types of units. This section shows the main ones for infantry, cavalry and field artillery. Each unit was divided into smaller units, sometimes known as sub-units. These sub-units are generally not represented by separate pages on this site unless they sometimes operated independently of their parent units, but they are shown here for information.
−
*Infantry Company; Cavalry Squadron; Field Artillery Battery
 
−
*Infantry Platoon; Cavalry Troop; Field Artillery Section
 
  
−
Garrison Artillery and Horse Artillery were often in independent batteries directly attached to a formation with no artillery brigade above them.
+
{| class="wikitable"
 +
|-
 +
!
 +
!Infantry
 +
!Cavalry
 +
!Field artillery
 +
|-
 +
!Unit
 +
|[[Infantry battalion]]
 +
|[[Cavalry regiment]]
 +
|[[Field artillery brigade]]
 +
|-
 +
!Sub-unit
 +
|Infantry company
 +
|[[Cavalry squadron]]
 +
|[[Field artillery battery]]
 +
|-
 +
!Sub-unit
 +
|Infantry platoon
 +
|Cavalry troop
 +
|Field artillery section
 +
|}
  
−
A Royal Engineers Company was a similar size to an Infantry Company but for many types of engineers was the largest unit, attached directly to a formation.
+
Infantry platoons were further divided into sections of about 12 men.
  
−
Cavalry or Yeomanry Squadrons could be attached directly to an infantry division, separately from their parent regiments.
+
A Royal Engineers company was a similar size to an infantry company but for many types of engineers was the largest unit, attached directly to a formation.
  
 +
[[Cavalry squadron]]s could be attached directly to an infantry division, separately from their parent regiments.
  
−
==Regulars and Territorials==
 
  
−
Every unit of the British Army could be classed as one of:
+
== Regulars and Territorials ==
  
−
*Regular Army:
+
Each unit of the British Army belonged to one of these branches:
−
**Pre-war
+
 
−
**Kitchener's New Armies
+
*Regular Army
−
*Territorial Force (including Yeomanry)
+
*Territorial Force (including the Yeomanry, which was the Territorial cavalry)
 
*Special Reserve
 
*Special Reserve
 +
*New Army
  
−
These classifications apply at unit level and don't follow the admin hierarchy: most infantry regiments contained battalions of all types.
+
These classifications apply at unit level and don't follow the administrative hierarchy: most infantry regiments contained battalions of all types.
  
 
Except for Special Reserve, they can also apply to formations at Brigade and Division level, but are usually meaningless at higher levels.
 
Except for Special Reserve, they can also apply to formations at Brigade and Division level, but are usually meaningless at higher levels.
  
 +
There was also the Volunteer Training Corps, which was originally a separate unofficial service but became a branch of the British Army later in the war.
 +
 +
== Examples ==
 +
 +
=== Infantry battalion ===
  
−
==Examples==
+
Example hierarchies for [[1/5th Battalion, Lincolnshire Regiment, British Army|1/5th Battalion Lincolnshire Regiment]], which was a battalion of the Territorial Force.
  
−
===Infantry Battalion===
+
==== Infantry administrative hierarchy ====
  
−
Administrative hierarchy:
+
* Arm: [[Infantry, British Army]]
 +
* Record office: [[Lichfield Infantry Record Office, British Army|Lichfield Infantry Record Office]]
 +
* Regiment/corps: [[Lincolnshire Regiment, British Army|Lincolnshire Regiment]]
 +
* Unit: [[1/5th Battalion, Lincolnshire Regiment, British Army|1/5th Battalion Lincolnshire Regiment]]
  
−
*Arm: Infantry
+
==== Infantry tactical hierarchy ====
−
*Record Office: Lichfield
 
−
*Regiment/Corps: Lincolnshire Regiment
 
−
*Unit: 1/5th Battalion Lincolnshire Regiment
 
−
*Unit: B Company
 
−
*Unit: 5 Platoon
 
  
 
Same battalion's tactical hierarchy, 1 July 1916 (sources: [http://www.gommecourt.co.uk/men.htm gommecourt.co.uk]; WO 95/2691):
 
Same battalion's tactical hierarchy, 1 July 1916 (sources: [http://www.gommecourt.co.uk/men.htm gommecourt.co.uk]; WO 95/2691):
  
−
*Formation: General Headquarters, British Expeditionary Force (ie Western Front)
+
* Formation: [[British Expeditionary Force]] (ie Western Front)
−
*Formation: Third Army
+
* Formation: [[Third Army, British Army|Third Army]]
−
*Formation: VII Corps
+
* Formation: [[VII Corps, British Army|VII Corps]]
−
*Formation: 46th Division
+
* Formation: [[46th Division, British Army|46th Division]]
−
*Formation: 138th Infantry Brigade
+
* Formation: [[138th Infantry Brigade, British Army|138th Infantry Brigade]]
−
*Unit: 1/5th Battalion Lincolnshire Regiment
+
* Unit: [[1/5th Battalion, Lincolnshire Regiment, British Army|1/5th Battalion, Lincolnshire Regiment]]
−
*Unit: B Company
+
 
−
*Unit: 5 Platoon
+
=== Regular Cavalry ===
  
−
===Regular Cavalry===
+
Example hierarchies for [[7th Dragoon Guards, British Army|7th Dragoon Guards]].
  
−
Administrative hierarchy:
+
==== Cavalry administrative hierarchy ====
  
−
*Arm: Cavalry
+
* Arm: [[Cavalry, British Army]]
−
*Record Office: Cavalry Canterbury
+
* Record office: [[Canterbury Cavalry Record Office, British Army|Canterbury Cavalry Record Office]]
−
*Regiment/Corps: Corps of Dragoons
+
* Regiment/corps: [[Corps of Dragoons, British Army|Corps of Dragoons]]
−
*Unit: 7th Dragoon Guards
+
* Unit: [[7th Dragoon Guards, British Army|7th Dragoon Guards]]
−
*Unit: B Squadron
+
 
 +
==== Cavalry tactical hierarchy ====
  
 
Same regiment's tactical hierarchy, 14 July 1916 (source: David Kenyon's PhD thesis, pp. 50-56):
 
Same regiment's tactical hierarchy, 14 July 1916 (source: David Kenyon's PhD thesis, pp. 50-56):
  
−
*Formation: General Headquarters, British Expeditionary Force (ie Western Front)
+
* Formation: [[British Expeditionary Force]] (ie Western Front)
−
*Formation: Fourth Army
+
* Formation: [[Fourth Army, British Army|Fourth Army]]
−
*Formation: XIII Corps
+
* Formation: [[XIII Corps, British Army|XIII Corps]]
−
*Formation: 2nd Indian Cavalry Division
+
* Formation: [[2nd Indian Cavalry Division]]
−
*Formation: Secunderabad Cavalry Brigade
+
* Formation: [[9th Indian Cavalry Brigade]] (also known as Secunderabad Cavalry Brigade)
−
*Unit: 7th Dragoon Guards
+
*Unit: [[7th Dragoon Guards, British Army|7th Dragoon Guards]]
−
*Unit: B Squadron
+
 
 +
The cavalry divisions on the Western Front were sometimes part of a tactical formation called [[Cavalry Corps, British Army|Cavalry Corps]], which should not be confused with the administrative corps of [[Corps of Dragoons, British Army|Dragoons]], [[Corps of Hussars, British Army|Hussars]] and [[Corps of Lancers, British Army|Lancers]].
  
−
The cavalry divisions on the Western Front were sometimes part of a tactical formation called Cavalry Corps, which should not be confused with the administrative corps of Dragoons, Hussars and Lancers.
+
[[Category:British Army]]
 +
[[Category:Sources]]
 +
[[Category:Help]]

Latest revision as of 11:29, 12 November 2017

See also Constitution of the Military Forces of the British Crown, which gives the contemporary legal definition of the British Army and lists the main administrative units.

Units, formations and regiments

The British Army had two hierarchies:

  • Administrative
  • Tactical

These were separate at higher levels but overlapped at lower levels. There was also a separate hierarchy of pay offices that we haven't yet tried to represent on this site.


Administrative hierarchy

Formation hierarchy

This is a typical hierarchy based on the Western Front, but there were all sorts of non-standard formations in other theatres, especially in Africa and Asia.

Units could be direct members of any level of formation. Above brigade level this was in groups known as Divisional Troops, Corps Troops, Army Troops, or GHQ Troops .

Units and sub-units

There are many different types of units. This section shows the main ones for infantry, cavalry and field artillery. Each unit was divided into smaller units, sometimes known as sub-units. These sub-units are generally not represented by separate pages on this site unless they sometimes operated independently of their parent units, but they are shown here for information.

Infantry Cavalry Field artillery
Unit Infantry battalion Cavalry regiment Field artillery brigade
Sub-unit Infantry company Cavalry squadron Field artillery battery
Sub-unit Infantry platoon Cavalry troop Field artillery section

Infantry platoons were further divided into sections of about 12 men.

A Royal Engineers company was a similar size to an infantry company but for many types of engineers was the largest unit, attached directly to a formation.

Cavalry squadrons could be attached directly to an infantry division, separately from their parent regiments.


Regulars and Territorials

Each unit of the British Army belonged to one of these branches:

  • Regular Army
  • Territorial Force (including the Yeomanry, which was the Territorial cavalry)
  • Special Reserve
  • New Army

These classifications apply at unit level and don't follow the administrative hierarchy: most infantry regiments contained battalions of all types.

Except for Special Reserve, they can also apply to formations at Brigade and Division level, but are usually meaningless at higher levels.

There was also the Volunteer Training Corps, which was originally a separate unofficial service but became a branch of the British Army later in the war.

Examples

Infantry battalion

Example hierarchies for 1/5th Battalion Lincolnshire Regiment, which was a battalion of the Territorial Force.

Infantry administrative hierarchy

Infantry tactical hierarchy

Same battalion's tactical hierarchy, 1 July 1916 (sources: gommecourt.co.uk; WO 95/2691):

Regular Cavalry

Example hierarchies for 7th Dragoon Guards.

Cavalry administrative hierarchy

Cavalry tactical hierarchy

Same regiment's tactical hierarchy, 14 July 1916 (source: David Kenyon's PhD thesis, pp. 50-56):

The cavalry divisions on the Western Front were sometimes part of a tactical formation called Cavalry Corps, which should not be confused with the administrative corps of Dragoons, Hussars and Lancers.

Retrieved from ‘http://collaborativecollections.org/WorldWarOne/index.php?title=British_Army_Hierarchies&oldid=50694’