503 
THE 
ORGANISATION OF A GARRISON COMPANY. 
BY 
MAJOR P. SALTMARSHE, R.A, 
In a Horse or Field Battery, divided as it is into two or three divisions 
or sections of two sub-divisions each, the establishment of such units Garrison 
with their officers, N.-C. officers, gunners, drivers, and artificers, is C ompS 
clearly laid down, and as far as possible the subaltern officers and their 
Nos. 1 have charge of the same men both in barracks and on parade. Horse. 
The advantages of such a system it is needless to point out. 
Except sometimes in a spasmodic sorb of fashion, no such system 
appears to have prevailed in the Garrison Artillery, and I have never 
seen any continued attempt to keep men under the same officers and 
N.-O. officers at gun drill, on other parades, and in the barrack-rooms; 
that this has been the case is due no doubt partly to the ever varying 
detachments that have to be found, but chiefly, I think, to the fact 
that up to the date of the re-organisation, but one subaltern, as a rule, 
was continuously present with head-quarters, one being on detachment, 
and in the event of there being three with the battery, another going 
through a course. 
With the present establishment of most Garrison Companies, how¬ 
ever, a Commanding Officer may hope under favourable circumstances 
to have four at head-quarters, and under the most unfavourable to 
have at least two. 
The organisation I suggest will meet either case. 
I propose dividing the company into four sections or divisions each Divisions or 
under a subaltern officer, such being numbered ABC and D Divisions; Seet ^” s and 
each division to coutain either two or three sub-divisions according to Divisions * 
the nature and grouping of the guns of the fort or battery the com¬ 
pany is told off permanently to man, these sub-divisions being numbered 
from 1 to 8, or from 1 to 12. 
Taking the establishment of a company to be that laid down in R.O. Establish. 
76 of 28th July, 1891, for the Southern District, plus the gun-layers company, 
which by a subsequent order are now borne on the strength of the 
company we have a total of 
Major 
... 1 
Captains... 
... 2 
Subalterns 
... 5 
Sergeant-Major 
... 1 
Quarter-Master Sergeant 
... 1 
Pay-Sergeant . 
... 1 
Sergeants ... 
... 9 
Corporals 
... 10 
Bombardiers . 
... 10 
Acting-Bombardiers ... 
... 10 
Gun-Layers 
... 36 
Gunners 1 
... 180 
Trumpeters . 
Total all ranks ... 
... 4 
... 270 
1 In R.O. 76 of 1891 the Acting-Bombardiers are included among the 190 gunners. 
10. VOL. XIX. 
67 
