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CHAPTER III.

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11. Page 17 (4). General Review of Measures to be taken.-Probably "notification in accordance with" should be inserted between "receipt of " and "the cypher Code " in the first paragraph under this heading. It is not stated by which Staff Officer, how, and when the orders to mobilize are to be issued.

12. Page 17, D.A.A.G. (B), paragraphs 1 and 2.-The matters, here referred to should be arranged in peace time, and not left till the moment of mobilization. The distribu- tion Tables should be in the hands of the O.C. A.S.C. beforehand.

13. Page 17, S.M.O., paragraph 3.--This paragraph is very obscure; as it stands, the S.M.O. is to satisfy himself that some unnamed persons would direct their subordinate officers to see that requisitions are complied with.

14. Page 17, C.0.9., paragraph 1.—The details for working parties and transport required for them are matters which should be noted for action by the D.A.A.G. (a) and D.A.A.G. (B) respectively. The ammunition to be taken with them by detach- ments of corps should be noted in the orders for corps on mobilization.

15. Page 18, paragraph 3 at top of page.-The return, which it is here stated that the C.0.0. is to require, seems unnecessary. The only ammunition Officers Com- manding would have beyond the twenty rounds of service ammunition would be the unexpended quantities of their practice allowance, and this might be left out of calculations, as it would vary according to the time of year, i.e., to whether it were near the beginning or end of the musketry season.

The "explicit list" of extra items required by the Brigade Signalling Officer and demands of medical officers could be agreed on beforehand, and issued without waiting for a list. It is not traced that the Brigade Signalling Officer is elsewhere referred to in the Scheme.

16. Puge 18, First Day, C.0.0.—The numbers of rounds per rifle and carbine to be issued to detachments as given here and in Table (G) on page 34 appear to be arrived at in an arbitrary manner. It would be more in accordance with "War Establishments, 1898," page 6, if the twenty rounds of service ammunition per rifle or carbine, which are always held by Commanding Officers, were made up by the Army Ordnance Department on mobilization to-

Infantry.. Engineers Artillery..

250

100

50

The Colonial Defence Committee note with satisfaction that the Infantry Militia are now armed with the Martini-Metford rifle.

17. Page 18, last sentence.-On the first day of mobilization the O.C.R.A. is to practice manning, while on the third day his subordinate, the Fire Commander, is to do the same thing. It would be more in accordance with the usual practice of the service if the Fire Commander carried out the first manning, so that mistakes might be corrected before the inspection by the O.C.R.A.

18. Page 19, Second Day, O.C.R.A. and C.0.0.—It is not obvious why the prepara- tion of the mobile armament by O.C.R.A. should not be carried out on the previous day. In this connection it is remarked that 6—2·5-inch R.M.L. guns are allotted to the Field Force in Table (B) (i), but arrangements are here made for the movement of only four of these guns; it appears from Table (G) on page 34 that the remaining two are to come from Newcastle, but the only direction to the Royal Artillery to remove them thence to Up Park Camp is contained in a note to Table (G), which is part of the orders to C.0.0. It is not understood why it should be necessary to send any ammunition to Newcastle, as no troops are to remain there, unless it is for these two guns, in which case it would appear to be more convenient to send it direct to Up Park Camp.

19. Page 20, paragraph 5.-Sending information to the Home authorities is a matter for the General Officer Commanding.

[1942]

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