Blackhall Camp - Formation and training: Difference between revisions
Blackhall Camp - Formation and training (view source)
Revision as of 18:43, 29 July 2016
, 7 years agomain body of article completed
(commanding the battalion section added and improved) |
(main body of article completed) |
||
Line 5:
On [[17 September]] 1914, approval of the Army Council was given (War Office letter No. 20/Gen. No./3162 (A.G.1) and an Executive Committee was formed.<ref name="lons-booklet">[[The Lonsdale Battalion Border Regiment, September 1914 to June 1915]].</ref> [[Hugh Lowther, 5th Earl of Lonsdale]] and the Executive Committee<ref>The [[Hugh Lowther, 5th Earl of Lonsdale|Earl of Lonsdale]] was appointed Chairman, with Colonel Weston, M.P., as Vice-Chairman, Major Binning, Mr. F. R. Hodgson, and Captain Wakefield were appointed Goveners of Local Committees, at Carlisle, Workington, and Kendal, respectively, and Mr. [[Gerald Spring-Rice]] became Hon. Secretary of the Executive Committee.</ref> decided to raise the "Lonsdale Battalion" in three detachments: Carlisle, Kendal and Workington.<ref name="lons-booklet" /> There were four companies in the three detachments: A and B Companies from East and North Cumberland were based at Blackhall Racecourse, C Company from Westmorland was based at Kendal, and D Company from West Cumberland was based at Workington.
On [[25 September]] the camp at Blackhall was officially started with 75 recruits under the command of [[W. W. R. Binning|Major Binning]] and Captain Sale. On [[15 October]] 1914, the West Cumberland recruits were transferred from Workington to Blackhall and with an increase in numbers there was greater need for proper accommodation instead of the sleeping in the Grandstand, the stables and other various temporary shelters. Hutments to house all the men needed to be built. Whilst there was ample space for the accommodation, the Westmorland men remained at Kendal until [[5 January]] 1915, when the hutments were completed and ready for use. The Westmorland men moved to Headquarters under the command of Colonel Haworth. He handed over C Company, 280 strong<ref name="lons-booklet" /> and at this point, with all four companies situated on site, Blackhall really was the epicentre of the Battalion. Men that had grown up together were enlisting together and "during these formative days of the Battalion’s earliest history it became clear to everyone in the Border Counties that this really was a Battalion of 'Pals,' of comrades, and of Border men." <ref name="lons-booklet" />
==Supplying the men==
Line 13:
Choosing the right officer to command any battalion has to be a carefully considered decision. Lord Lonsdale asked retired colonial officer [[Percy Wilfred Machell]], C.M.G. if he would consider returning to a position of command. Machell had spent much of his military career in Egypt, having served in the Nile Expeditionary Force, the Egyptian Army and Egyptian Coastguard, among others. When asked, he was living in his substantial retreat at Crackenthorpe Hall, near Appleby, Westmorland. A return to the military would shake the foundations of a quiet country life but he accepted and was granted the temporary rank of Lieutanant Colonel, which was eventually Gazetted on [[15 October]], 1914. By this point though he had spent his first month in post at Penrith, where he had made his headquarters, but on [[17 October]], "along with the Orderly Room Staff and Lieut. and Quartermaster Dawson, moved from Penrith to Blackhall and in a very short time the organisation of the four companies was in full swing." <ref name="lons-booklet" /><ref name="lons-england" /> Machell's prior knowledge of command enabled a structured and order approach to getting the required job done. He was by no means a cold and emotionless man, instead he was considered a caring man and was respected among his men. During October and November there was much "spade work" to be done. All manner of duties were done by himself in the early months. He was constantly busy with preparations having no Company Officers until his Adjutant, Captain [[P. G. W. Diggle]] of the 6th Border Regiment, was appointed on [[3 December]].<ref>The position of Adjutant was later appointed to Lieut. M Gordon.</ref><ref name="lons-booklet" /><ref name="lons-england" />
Even with the help of his Adjutant, Lt-Col. Machell continued with his duties in training the border men, many of whom had not even seen a soldier before their recruitment. He knew training and discipline would have to be drilled into them to make them capable, fighting men. Discipline, however, should not be confused with punishment as he says "I have to act as drill-sergeant and buck and bark vociferously to get up to a high standard....Men take the talking well. It is much better than punishing....Far better make a man than break him." <ref name="lons-england" /> It is not difficult to understand why officers and men alike revered
{{Quote|text=Every detail had to be taught by him, for the officers, with very few exceptions, knew no more than the men, and had to be taught themselves before they could teach. The simplest orderly-room work, such as making out ‘crimes’, ‘guard reports’ and ‘detail’ etc., were done by him until the adjutant was appointed, and he always checked each of the returns personally. All attestations were made out, and recruits personally approved by him, while the separation allowances claimed his particular attention. He organized the feeding of men (the messing gained the name being the best in the Command); he arranged for hutting, the clothing, the water supply, the lighting and conservancy of the Camp, and he it was who averted a strike that threatened over the wages question among the men engaged to build the huts. These activities alone would have occupied the activities of six ordinary men, but in addition to all this the C.O. was constantly on parade, training and smartening up both officers and men, drawing up the programmes or work and seeing that they were carried out.|person=[[P. G. W. Diggle]]|source=[[Record of the XIth (Service) Battalion (Lonsdale) - In England]]}}
From his adjutant's praise of a man that was passionate about his duty, it seems clear-cut that Lt-col. Machell was leading by example. Not a moment passed that he shirked on his responsibilities towards his men and never was afraid of the slightest bit of hard work. Often the day's entirety was spent on the move ensuring everything that needed to be done was acted on in an efficient manner. This desire to build the Battalion into a worthy fighting force that would stand out in a crowd was just one of many traits that made Machell unique. Everyone, including the officers, had to pull their weight and so from the "Commanding Officer to the last joined recruit, all ranks worked together with a will, and in the friendliest spirit of unity, to make a Battalion which should eventually prove itself to be worthy of the best traditions of the British Army. There was here no suggestion of men working while the officers looked on." <ref name="lons-booklet" />
==The Battalion reaches full strength==
One week after the Battalion had been formed, Battalion HQ saw a meagre population of just 75 recruits. Just over two months later and the site had been transformed into something entirely different, supporting A, B and D Companies. On [[3 December]], the same day Captain Diggle was appointed the role of Adjutant, the War Office conveyed that the Lonsdale Battalion was officially to become known as the 11th (Service) Battalion, Border Regiment (Lonsdale).<ref name="lons-england" /> During December the hutments were being built as to accommodate the increasing number of recruits. One month later on [[3 January]] 1915, the Lonsdale Battalion had reached a total strength of 1,152 non-commissioned officers and men<ref name="lons-booklet" /> and on [[5 January]] all four Companies were now stationed at Blackhall and the Battalion was, on paper, attached to the 124th Infantry Brigade, commanded by Brigadier-General Collings. Training would continue in much the same manner until the men, some just boys, were deemed ready for battle. They were not ready just yet. The various skill-sets included scouts, stretcher bearers and signallers. Digging entrenchments and bayonet fighting had to be second nature, as would firing a Lee Enfield rifle and being able to handle the water-cooled Vickers machine gun, which would in late 1915 be replaced with the lighter Lewis machine gun.
The Lonsdales were transferred to the 112th Brigade on [[16 March]] 1915, under Brigadier-General Mackenzie. The work the officers and men had put into creating a disciplined and well-trained unit did not go unnoticed when those who inspected Blackhall<ref>The inspector of Recruiting from the War Officer, the Muskerty Staff Officer from Headquarters (Western Command), and a Staff Officer for Physical Drill (Inspector of Gymnasia).</ref> during March 1915, reported to Lt-Col. Machell that his Battalion was "far ahead of other service battalions."<ref name="lons-england" /> The Lonsdales were starting to turn heads in the upper echelons of the Brigade. This was a good sign. On [[8 May]] the early group of recruits that formed the initial strength of the Battalion would finally leave Blackhall for training grounds beyond their familiar home counties. Their first port of call was [[Prees Heath camp]] in Salop (present-day Shropshire) where the Lonsdales joined the proud Glasgow men of the 15th, 16th and 17th Battalions of the Highland Light Infantry, forming the [[Glossary:9#97th Brigade|97th Brigade]] under the command Brigadier-General Hacket Thompson.<ref name="lons-england" /> The Borders and Highlanders, however, moved on Wensleydale in Yorkshire on the [[22 June]] owing to the unsuitability of the ground for Brigade Training. There they remained under canvass until the beginning of August, forming part of the [[Glossary:3#32nd Division|32nd Division]] under Major-General Rycroft.
At 1am on [[23 November]] 1915, the Lonsdale Battalion left for France with the rest of the 97th Brigade, now under the command of Brigadier-General Jardine, on board the steamer, the ''Princess Victoria''. Their time at Blackhall, Prees Heath, Wensleydale and Salisbury Plain had come to and end. The previous months' training would now have to be addressed in real combat situations, putting into practice the skills and tactics they had developed over the previous year. To stay alive and come back home to [[Glossary:B#Blighty|Blighty]] would have been the first, and last, thing on their minds as they sailed towards the unknown in a war that was to last another three bitter, long years.
==See also==
| |||