GOLD MEDAL PRIZE ESSAY, 1892 . 
495 
Fire Discipline begins and continues from the day the recruit joins his 
battery to the day he passes to the reserve. He should be taught, 
therefore, to look to his battery not only for pay, clothing, and food, 
but for instruction in his duties as a soldier. This instruction should 
be carefully directed by his own officers, and not delegated to any one 
else. When the recruit first joins he is more impressionable than at 
any subsequent period, and if taken in hand at once by his own officers 
they will acquire a hold over him which will rarely be lost. 
The drill season properly so-called begins on the 15th of March. 
By that date officers, non-commissioned officers, and men have all 
returned to their batteries. Every battery should then begin the 
season with a complete course of instruction in drill and Fire Discipline. 
For this purpose batteries in turn should be taken off regimental and 
garrison duties so that all may be present. During this period the 
battery should be absolutely at the disposal of its Commanding Officer. 
The duration of the course should be for one month. A lesser period 
is not sufficient for all the work that has to be got through. The 
method of taking sections of batteries off duty at a time does not 
meet the necessities of the case, which requires the entire battery to 
be trained simultaneously under the personal executive supervision of 
its own chief instructor. There should be no “ casuals ” remaining to 
be taught when the course is finished. The object of the course is 
not to put non-commisioned officers and men through so many hours 
of mechanical drill, but to train the battery as a whole in the practice 
of Fire Discipline—each individual taking the place he will occupy 
during the subsequent annual practice and autumn manoeuvres. 
It is the function of the Battery Commander in his capacity as chief 
instructor to draw up a syllabus of instruction to be followed during 
the course. In this matter he should have full latitude 1 consistent 
with the ultimate end in view. Uniformity in instructional work is 
impossible. So much depends on the circumstances of each case. 
Methods which are known to lead to good results in one battery may 
be found to be inapplicable to another. Far from fixing a limit to the 
range of their efforts Battery Commanders should be encouraged to 
develop the system of training which they may find best adapted to the 
case of their own batteries. 
In a battery which obtained full marks for Fire Discipline last year 
the following is an outline (details being omitted) of the programme 
as arranged and executed. It will be seen that full advantage is taken 
of the battery organisation by sub-divisions and sections—the pro¬ 
gramme being based on the principle of decentralising responsibility, 
and of gradually working up by progressive steps from the individual 
gunner to the Battery Commander. 
1st Week.—Sub-divisional drill. 
During this week each sergeant in charge of a sub-division (under the 
direction of his Section Officer) placed his men and selected his layers, 
1 “ It is much better not to lay down a minute system of instruction. The Commanding 
Officer of a battery is the proper instructor of his battery. He should be held responsible for 
results without fuss as to the manner of his getting them. Let him clearly understand that 
his reputation depends on it and leave him free.”— ;; Field Artillery Progress.” by Lieut.-Colonel 
Fox Strangways, R.A. “Proceedings,” R.A.I. Vol. IX. 
Annual 
course of 
instruction. 
Functions of 
the Battery 
Commander 
as Chief 
Instructor. 
Suggestions 
for a pro¬ 
gramme. 
66 
