Operational Orders for Entraining

Wednesday 12th December 1917

The adjutant of the 1st Battalion, Bedfordshire Regiment has sent me the two operational orders which deal with the entraining of the Battalion for Italy. As a movement on such a scale is rare, your correspondent thought he would present them to you in full, albeit with the military acronyms given in full to avoid scratching of heads.

OPERATION ORDER No. 119

1st Battalion. Bedfordshire Regiment.

November 27th, 1917.

1. Battalion will entrain at Anvin Station, date and time to be notified later.

2. TRAINS. There are two trains at the disposal of 1st Bedfords. Each train will consist of: -

1 First or Second Class Coach, (probably 4 Compartments)

2 Third Class Coaches (each 5 Compartments)

22 Covered Trucks.

13 Flats.

2 Brake Vans.

The Battalion will be distributed as under: -

(A) Train No. 20. (Serial Number of Unit 523.) to convey: -

Headquarters - i.e. Commanding Officer, Adjutant, Captain J. C. A. Birch, Quartermaster, Second Lieutenant H. J. Snashall, Transport Officer, Medical Officer, Regimental Sergeant Major, Headquarter Servants and Mess Staff, Sergeant Wheeler and 4 Pioneers and Drums

"B" and "D" Companies complete, one Medical Officer’s Orderly.

Half Transport i.e. 2 Lewis Gun Limbers,

1 Small Arms Ammunition Limber.

Half Limber Bombs

Half Limber Tools.

Half Limber Signalling.

1 Watercart

1 Cooker.

1 Cook’s Wagon.

1 Baggage Wagon.

1 Supply Wagon

Chargers [i.e. horses] - Officers’, travelling on train.

(B) Train No. 25 (Serial Number of Unit 523.a.) to convey: -

Major W. S. Chirnside, M.C. (Officer Commanding Train)

Captain S. H. Draper. Acting Adjutant.

Regimental Quarter Master Sergeant., Transport Sergeant, one Medical Officer’s Orderly,

"A" and "C" Companies complete.

Remainder of Transport, Corporal Belben and 4 Pioneers

N.B. All Headquarter employ not enumerated above, will travel with their Companies.

Quarter Master employ will travel with Transport.

Quarter Master and Transport Officer will forward returns having exact numbers of personnel under their Command, horses, vehicles, travelling on each train as soon as possible.

3. Regimental Transport Officer Captain Warner, M.C. 15th. Trench Mortar Battery is appointed Acting Regimental Transport Officer, Anvin.

Captain Henderson, 1st Battalion, Norfolk Regiment is appointed Acting Regimental Training Officer, detraining station.

4. ENTRAINING. All animals and vehicles will arrive at the entraining Station three hours before the train is timed to start.

Personnel will arrive at the entraining station one hour before the train is timed to start.

5. LOADING PARTIES. A party of 2 Officers and 100 Other Ranks from 1st Battalion, Cheshire Regiment will be detailed for loading at Anvin.

A similar party from 16th Battalion, Royal Warwickshire Regiment for unloading at detraining station.

6. EQUIPMENT & RATIONS. Each man will entrain carrying full equipment, 120 Rounds Small Arms Ammunition, rations for day of entrainment, iron ration, full water bottle, steel helmet, box respirator, gas helmet, and 2 blankets. All animals must have one rug.

7. FORAGE. Forage for day of entrainment will be carried in the horse trucks. Men in charge of horses will travel in the horse trucks. Supply wagons will be loaded full.

8. ANIMALS. Animals will be entrained unharnessed and rugged. Harness may be loaded under its vehicle. Canvas buckets will be carried in each horse truck. Cinders or gravel should be strewn on the floors of horse trucks, otherwise they become very slippery.

9. LENGTH OF JOURNEY. The journey will take about 5 days. Halts will be arranged for watering, feeding, washing, etc. approximately 1 hour in every 10. A list of halts will be given to the Officers Commanding Trains by the Regimental Transport Officer.

10. RATIONS. Nine days’ rations, in addition to those mentioned in paragraphs 6 and 7, will be carried in bulk for all men and animals in each train. A covered truck will be set aside for issue of rations enroute. Forage and non-perishable supplies can be loaded under vehicles.

One day’s supplies will be on ration wagons.

Nine days’ supplies loaded in bulk.

11. DISCIPLINE. The strictest discipline will be maintained throughout the journey. The Senior Combatant Officer will command each train, and he will appoint Orderly Officers who will take tours of duty, and will also detail a guard at each end of the train. The duties of the Orderly Officers and guards are (a) To see that no one leaves the train when it halts, unless authorised to do so at a recognised halting place by the Officer Commanding.

(b) To ensure that no men ride on the steps or the tops of carriages, or climb along the train from truck to truck. There is very little clearance between the tops of trucks and tunnels.

(c) To guard all stores on the train throughout the journey.

(d) To watch both sides of the train when halted.

Each Officer Commanding Train will obtain from the Regimental Transport Officer before starting a copy of General Head Quarters instructions for Officers Commanding Trains. These instructions are Secret*, and should be destroyed before detraining.

11. ENTRAINING STATES. The Officer Commanding each train, or portion of a Unit entraining, will bring with him an entraining state, in duplicate. This State will shew strength Officers, Other Ranks, horses by types, vehicles by types, the number of days’ rations entrained. These states will be handed over to the Acting Regimental Training Officer at each station. A certificate will be added to the effect that the Unit is complete with equipment and rations.

* reference above. Each Officer Commanding Train will detail an Orderly Officer daily. Each Company will detail 2 guards, (1 N.C.O. and 3 men) to be on duty one on each side of the train.

They will see that above orders are strictly carried out.

The following amendments and alterations are made to Operational Order 119, dated November 27th, 1917.

1. Battalion will entrain on December 2nd at Anvin.

1st Train No. 442 at 8.20 a.m. via Étaples.

2nd. Train No. 445 at 18.57 p.m. via Arras.

2. (A) For train in No. 20 read train No. 442. Delete name of Captain J. C. A. Birch in Head Quarters, and add two Orderly Room Clerks (Sergeant H. Hoar and Lance Corporal R. Vallance.)

Mess Cart.

4 Pack Animals.

(B) For train No. 25 read Train No. 445..

Add two Orderly Room Clerks (Lance Corporal S. Kingsman and Private  W. Maundrell.)

Maltese Cart.

4 Pack Animals.

3. Breakfasts for No. 442 train will be eaten at Anvin Station, on December 2nd.

Dinners for No. 445 train will be eaten at Anvin Station on December 2nd. before entraining.

4. Two Lorries for each train will convey Blankets to the Station. Blankets for No. 442 train will be rolled in bundles of 10, marked with wooden label, and be ready for loading at Quarter Master Stores at 2.30 a.m. on December 2nd.

Blankets for No. 445 train to be at Quarter Master Stores 7 a.m. on December 2nd.

The blankets will be issued to the men at Anvin before entraining, 2 per man.

As can be seen from the above, the trains were nine days late!

Source: X550/2/5