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ployment is provided in the Defence Scheme, and they do not, as far as the Committee are aware, receive any sort of military training.
The subject of the local forces generally is before the Colonial Defence Committee on a reference to them of the Governor's despatch dated the 20th May, 1897, and they propose to deal with it in a separate Memorandum.
CHAPTER II-Organization.
6. Page 11 (A). Divisions of Command.-In the Defence Scheme, revised to October 1895, the defences of Jamaica were divided into three sections, and in the Colonial Defence Committee's Remarks, dated the 31st December, 1895, they pointed out that this organization would require modification to fit in with the artillery chain of com- mand and with the instructions promulgated in the Special Army Order of the 10th December, 1895. The application of the Army Order has resulted in the Artillery Defences at Jamaica coming all under one Fire Command, and consequently in the disappearance from Chapter II of the Scheme of the sectional organization which divided them between an "Eastern Forts" and a "Western Forts" Section, though this organization is practically retained in Chapter IV, where the titles of the Com- manders only have been changed.
The organization as it now stands is not satisfactory, and from the Scheme itself can scarcely be understood. Some light is, however, thrown on the matter by a letter from the General Officer Commanding, dated the 27th April, 1897, on the subject of the Fortress Chain of Command. In this letter it is stated that the Officer Com- manding Royal Artillery is to act (i) as 0.C.R.A. (by which, from p. 11 of the Scheme, Fire Commander appears to be intended) for all the Defences; (ii) as O.C. Troops Port Royal, i.e., Section Commander for part of the Defences; and (iii) as B.C. Victoria Battery, i.e., Battery Commander for one of the Defences. In his capacity as Fire Commander it is proposed that he should communicate directly with the Battery Commanders of all the other works, while the Fortress Commander is to have independent communication to the Officers Commanding troops in those batteries. Again, according to Chapter IV of the Scheme, a sort of Section Commander is to com- mand all the detachments on the west side of the harbour, but the Battery Com- manders are to receive their orders from the Fire Commander.
Such a system of parallel chains of command and duplication of offices would never work. The artillery and details in each battery must be under the Battery Commanders (or Gun Group Commanders acting as Battery Commanders), and these must be under the Fire Commander only. Unless the paucity of artillery officers makes it impossible, the Fire Commander should be a separate officer from the O.C.R.A., who will be on the General's staff. The infantry for Port Royal Defences, following the organization approved for similar places elsewhere, should not be split up into small piquets in the forts, but should be centralized in three detachments under their own Commanders at or near Fort Clarence, Port Royal, and Quarry Fort, each covering its neighbourhood with outposts, e.g., that at Port Royal covering Rocky Point, and so on.
In the actual presence of the enemy, as, for instance, in an assault on one of the works, the senior officer present, whether artillery or infantry, would, according to the custom of the service, take command.
If the above arrangement is approved, the communications, in addition to those following the approved chain of artillery command, will consist simply of lines from the General Officer Commanding's Head-quarters at Up Park Camp to the Fire Commander and O.C. Submarine Miners' fighting posts, which should be located side by side in the same building at Port Royal, and to three "points of tactical importance," which would be provided at the head-quarters of the three infantry detachments at or near Fort Clarence, Port Royal, and Quarry Fort.
Thus, in time of war, the General Officer Commanding at his Up Park Camp Head-quarters would be in verbal communication with the O.C. the Field Force and in direct telephonic communication with the three points of tactical importance with the Fire Commander, and with the Officer Commanding the Submarine Miners. In case of continuous attack on the sea defences the General Officer Commanding might wish to proceed to Port Royal, in which event he would go to the Fire Commander's post. A staff officer would remain at head-quarters to deal with any communications received there, obtaining instructions, if necessary, by telephone from the G.0.0.
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