COMMENDED ESSAY, 1899. 405 
In support of this contention we may quote the following: 
opinions: — 
“ Young officers, . . . and I lay stress on this, should be posted 
direct to the branches with which they are intended to serve.” * 
“If there is a separation at all, it must mean separation ab initio 
. . . from the very beginning.” t 
“ What is wanted is that the officer should from the beginning of his 
career, be imbued with the idea that he is entering a coast defence 
service, and that the study and practice of coast defence is to be his 
profession.” J 
Above all things the senior officers should have risen to their posi¬ 
tion in the Garrison Artillery and should know their work thoroughly. 
A Lieut.-Colonel for example, who would be a Fire Commander in 
time of war, must have done the work in the lower ranks for a proper 
appreciation of what can be expected of his juniors. Nothing is more 
disheartening to officers who know their work, than to have a man put 
over them who has perhaps served all his time in other branches and 
knows nothing, nor ever can thoroughly know anything of the interior 
working of bur most intricate system of defence. 
CHAPTER III. 
HOW IS THIS TRAINING TO BE OBTAINED ? 
We will now examine what means we at present have of imparting 
the necessary technical knowledge, see if it is all that can be desired, 
and suggest possible improvement. For this purpose we will divide 
the subject under five heads : — 
A. Training at Royal Military Academy. 
B. Young officers on first appointment. 
C. Junior officers. 
D. Officers generally. 
E. Courses of instruction and specialists. 
A. Training at Royal Military Academy. 
This is a most important part of the training of a Garrison Artillery 
officer, and is the foundation of all future work, the thorough ground¬ 
ing he receives as a cadet should last him throughout his service. 
Unfortunately, however, the circumstances are such that a cadet, from 
the first day he joins, gets imbued with ideas greatly to the disadvan¬ 
tage of Garrison Artillery. He sees horse and field batteries, but never 
gets the chance of knowing what a smart Garrison company can do. 
His drills all tend to make him compare the two services detrimentally 
to the Garrison ; the Field Artillery drill is smart and quick and he is 
very keen about it, but he gets disgusted with the slow and tedious 
redrilling at “ elementary ”, and the almost more boresome drill with 
64-prs. at the battery, where nothing is realistic and the antiquated 
* Major-General J. B. Richardson’s evidence before Committee on Organization, 1888. 
t Major-General S J. Nicholson's evidence b°fore Committee on Organization, t88«. 
t R.A.I. “ Proceedings,” Vol. XVIII., No. 12, “ Having regard to recent improvements in 
Materiel , could the training of the Personnel of our Garrison Artillery, be further perfected to 
ensure greater efficiency.” By Colonel R. W. Rainsford_Hannay, R.A. 
