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Committee desire to call the attention of the War Office to the present demands.
They would also bring to the notice of the War Office the necessity for providing accoutrements for the Army Reserve men residing in Canada. On p. 14 of the Scheme it is stated that there are 215 of these men who will be called out, and at the top of p. 32 that there no accoutrements or clothing for them, and that they must be fitted out regimentally as far as possible. The infantry men (131) must at any rate have accoutrements to carry their ammunition; but it is quite certain that the battalion at Halifax (88 over establishment on the 1st May, 1896) would not have 131 spare sets or half that number.
19. Page 42. Transport for Field Force. Foot-note †.-It is laid down here and on p. 98 that civilian auxiliaries, with the head-quarters transport company and with the transport of the field force, will wear distinguishing badges on the left arm, according to the corps to which they are attached. These badges should be kept ready for issue, as well as the badges for other civilian auxiliaries shown on the plate facing p. 110. The badge for the auxiliaries of the medical department should be a red cross on ground, instead of as there shown.
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20. Page 43. Royal Artillery. 1st paragraph.-Arrangements are made for carrying tents, if necessary, on the waggons of the R.A. of the field force. It is not clear under what circumstances this force would encamp at night away from the fortress.
21. Page 58. Table E (i).-If the sectional organization as now suggested by the Committee is concurred in, this Table will require modification. It would be convenient if the artillery chain of command, based on the sectional organization, were added under the heading "Action to be taken by the O.C.R.A."
22. Pages 59 to 73.—The part of the Scheme dealing with the action to be taken by the C.R.E. is not quite satisfactory in arrangement. There is some unnecessary repetition; the work devolving on the different section engineers is not clearly separated; there are discrepancies between the general Tables of men, tools, material, &c., and the detailed information given on these points with respect to the works for the defence of the water supply and of the North-west Arm, while, as pointed out in paragraph 16 of the Colonial Defence Committee's Remarks of the 27th May, 1893, and in paragraph 7 of their Remarks of the 30th June, 1894, no corresponding detailed information is given with regard to the other works proposed.
A more convenient arrangement would be to describe in general terms the works to be carried out by the Royal Engineers, and then the measures to be taken for their execution by the C.R.E. on mobilization, including the distribu- tion of the staff to the different sections. The detailed descriptions of the works in the different positions should then be given in the form of orders to the section engineers who will be responsible for carrying them out, and should be followed by the general Tables of men, tools, materials, &c., and by the estimate of expenditure involved. Finally, the further works necessary serious land attack is anticipated and the arrangements for carrying them out should be described in general terms.
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23. Page 59. Works at York Redoubt. It is proposed to construct, on mobilization, two casemates within York Redoubt-one as a bomb-proof shelter for the garrison and the other as a dressing station.
The attention of the War Office is called to this proposal, as it is con- sidered that the works, if necessary, should not be left for execution till the time of mobilization.
24. Page 59.
Works at McNab's Island. Page 61, (4), (b).—With regard to the proposals for blocking the Eastern Passage, contained in these paragraphs, see paragraph 15 of the present Remarks.
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