Friday, December 18, 1914
In Camp, West Down South, Salisbury Plains
The Battalion War Diarist wrote for this day: “Lt.-Col. Meighen, 14th Bn., as senior C.O. of 3rd Bde. assumed command of the Bde. during General Turner’s disablement. As Lt.-Col. Burland, 2nd in Com’d. of Battn. was on duty at Hayling Island, Major A.C. Shaw assumed command of the 14th.” [1]
THIS DAY IN RMR HISTORY: Hayling Island, on the south coast of England a few miles east of Plymouth, was the site of the British Army’s Southern Command School of Musketry. A complete timetable from the Southern Command School of Musketry for a 40 hour course of training for instructors over a period of 8 days covered the following topics:- Trigger Pressing; Aiming Instruction; Firing Instruction Care of Arms; Visual Training; Judging Distance; Mechanisim; Tests of Elementry training; Miniature Range Work; Indication and Recognition of Targets; Fire Orders; Fire Discipline; and Use of Cover. In addition to training musketry instructors, training was also given for the Hotchkiss Machine Gun.
[1] War Diary, 14th Canadian Battalion, The Royal Montreal Regiment, Dec 18, 1914. Library and Archives Canada, Ottawa, http://data2.collectionscanada.ca/e/e044/e001089681.jpg
[2] http://www.cafr.ebay.ca/itm/WW1-WWI-Southern-Command-School-of-Musketry-Royal-Hotel-Hayling-Island-
[3] http://www.iwm.org.uk/collections/item/object/30034918