228
Factors
246
Two factors, therefore, may be considered as governing the future organisation and determining administration of the Military Forces of the Commonwealth, namely :-
Australian
Defence.
Garrison Force and Field Force for defence
(a) The defence of Australian soil.
pre-
The defence of Australian interests wherever they may be threatened. (a) “ For the defence of Australian soil" there are two essentials, namely, Garrison Troops, hereafter styled the Garrison Force, for the protection of certain determined strategical centres and places of commercial importance; and Field Troops, of Australian hereinafter styled the Field Force, for those active operations which are, as has been shown, an essential element, in conjunction with the Garrison Troops, for the defence of such an extended area as Australia. It is not necessary that the troops for garrison duty as a whole should be mobile, but it is absolutely essential that the Field Troops be not only well trained, carefully organised, and well equipped, but also ready for active operations in the field at the shortest notice.
- soit.
Field Ferces
Australian interests.
(b) "For the defence of Australian interests wherever they may be threatened" it will be for defence of obvious that the first essential is the sea supremacy which is guaranteed by the Royal Navy, and that the second is the possession of a Field Force capable of undertaking military operations in whatever part of the world it may be desired by Australia to employ them. The Field Force above indicated in (a) could, if necessity arose, be made available for this purpose.
Troops now available in Australia.
Voluntary military service.
Troops available in cachi Stato.
II. NUMBER OF TROOPS AVAILABLE and ReQUIBED, AND HOW PROVIDED.
It is now proposed to consider, in the first place, the minimum number of troops which will be required to fulfil the foregoing conditions, and in the second, how those troops are to be provided. As regards the first, it is only proposed in the present recommendation to deal with the troops which now. exist in the six States under voluntary terms of service in accordance with the Estimates, 1901-2. The numbers should be taken as the very least which Australia requires for her protection, and may be considered as the peace footing of her future military force. As regards the second, the strong military feeling now prevailing renders compulsory service by conscription unnecessary. A voluntary military service is the pride of all Anglo-Saxon com. munities, and it is safe to accept the fact that whenever a national emergency occurs a sufficient number of citizens will always be found ready and willing to voluntarily undertake the duty of defence. The liability to serve should, however, always be maintained, so as to establish the principle of the privileged duty and sacred right of every free-born citizen to bear part in the defence of his country.
The most essential element, therefore, in the organisation of the future is to provide a military system which shall be elastic, capable of expansion, and which shall form a carefully constructed framework into which the fighting material of the nation can be fitted when the emergency arises. This framework must consist (1) of a carefully considered and thoroughly complete military organisation; (2) of a well-trained, competent, and experienced staff of officers to lead and to administer; and (3) of modern and efficient equipment.
The following Schedule I. gives the number of troops available in each State:~
K
SCHEDULE 1.
247
The following Schedule II! shows the proportion which each State should possess Froportion
basis of the total number upon a population
available throughout the of Troops to Commonwealth :-
SCHEDULE II.
now
Mule Population between Ager 18-60.
Military Establishments 31st March, 1901.
State.
Total Population.
Number.
Proportion to Total Male Population of Conimonwealth
New South Wales Victoria Queensland
Number of Troops ubove or below the Proportion of Male Population.
Number.
Proportion to Total Military Establishments of Common- wealth.
Above.
Helow.
580
South Australia Western Australia Tasmania
1,352,500 875,100 1,200,851 323,200 196,596 154,200 302,604 98,600 ·092 183,178 70,000 172,318 47,000
-349
9,732
.329
-301
6,152
*218
2,138
143
5,150
•175
938
3,001
· 102
289
071
·044
2,190
+074
3,016
· 102
09 1,698
Total
3,768,056 1,075,000 1:00
29,571
1:00
3,021
3,024
States on population basis.
Garrison Forec.-The troops required for the protection of cities, towns, &c., should Garrison consist of troops raised in the localities which they will be called on to defend in war. Force. The existing Volunteer Corps should be utilised for this purpose.
The existing defence schemes of each State indicate the force which is required for purely defensive purposes, and are taken as a basis for the Garrison Troops given in Schedule III., Column 1.
Field Force. This force requires the highest possible degree of training, the most Field Force.
The troops should be complete organisation, and the latest modern equipment. furnished entirely by Militia or partially-paid troops. The number now available in each State are as given in Schedule III., Columu II.
STATE.
COLUMN I
Garrison Troops,
(Existing Peaer Establishment.)
Mɔante i Tracy.
Artillery,
4653,048
Others.
Field Guns an
Gunsof Position.
Total.
SCHEDULE III.
COLUMN II.
COLUMN IV.
IIL
Field Forer.
(Existing Pearo Establishment.
with slight modifications.)
Mounte-4 Troopsā.
Artillery.
Infantry.
4.912 1.600
VOTES.
Field Force.
(Proposed War Establishment.)
Catal.
Ciran Total of Existing
Military Establishment
31st March. 1901.
Mounted TrooFS.
Artilery,
Infantry.
Others.
Giun
Total.
4.351 1,923 3216319
Now South Wales 223
Victoris
Queensland -
South Australia.
170 2.76%
23 10
4,620
9,732
3,734
161 1,318 |1,456
263
10
5,193 1,00%
185 1,980
65 13
3,259
0,432
3,333
579
2,563 (1,08% | 20
0.163
310 i
476 (1,07%
915
4
2,079
8F4
105 1,352
150
6
2,501
5,180 1.378
-1,597
450
12
3.788
112
311917
119
1.503
610
!
ຕ
28
1,492
3.001
1,007
305
3.160
9.767
Western Australis
1900
211
$40
31
•
1,205
906
0048
35 4
955
2,190
GAIN
134
692
100
+
13:07
Tarmania
180
950 1,120
לחן
2
1,972
199
734
**
1,044
9,010
478
120
554 156
4
Total -
30 1,108 3,145 9,365 1,582
25,470 4,074 612 8,181
6356 14,101
29,571
10,438 2,750
12,120 3,414 | 00 28,748
PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE
Reference :-
TTITI C.O. 885
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8
ALLY WITHOUT PERMISSION OF THE BE REPRODUCED PHOTOGILAPHIC- COPYRIGHT PHOTOGRAPH-NOT TO
PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE, LONDON
3 4-gun batteries.
and one section.
1 battery.
2 4-gun batteries.
2 feld, 2 mountain,
and 2 siege game.
1. A slight increase in the Peace Establishment of the Troops alloted to the Garrison Force in Column 1 will be required hereafter.
Force upon the Peace 2. The proportion of the various arms in the Field Establishment now existing in each State, as given in Column II., will require some re-adjustment hereafter, in order to meet the proportion proposed in the War Establishments, It will be observed that the proportion of Mounted Troops to Infantry on the proposed War Establishment of the Field Force in Column IV. is much larger than in the existing Peace Establishment in Column II.
E 21329,
Nu.
Mounted Troops
Artillery.
Fagineers
State.
(Cavalry, Mounted Rides, and
Stadt
and
Field GICA.
Mounted Infantry).
Fick, and Electric
Sub-
mahme
Infantry Depart- Totul.
Field Guns.
Remarks.
mental
Miners
Corps.
Companies
New South Wales
1,906
240
$25
254
Victoria
1,137
1136
*
Queensland
1,194
154
427
South Australia
741
101
240
Western Australia
400
180
121
Tasmania
289
119 5,733
$55 9,733
139 3,459 3,069
217 6,452
12 18
238 5,180 10
2 4-gun batteries
| 1,049
3,001
1,220
2,190
21 2,161
10 3,016
34-gun batteries.
10 30 1
Total".
·
5,727 1,008
379
357
17,594 1,370 29,571 40
• Dona mot în
stly employed.