Officer / NCO School of Instruction Basic Drill Procedures Formation of companies in battalion Moving off in open column - wheeling Taking the open order.

Officer / NCOSchool of Instruction

Basic Drill Procedures

Formation of companies in battalion

Moving off in open column - wheeling

Taking the open order – Single company and in battalion

The oblique step

Stepping upon make ready and present

Charging Bayonets

Positions and duties of officer & covering sgt. on the march

The figures and who they are

The officer

The covering sergeant

The marker

The troop

Formation of companies in battalion

1st sergeant’s call

We will look at forming the battalion showing one company

All NCO’s call

The troop

The battalion is dressed and then handed over to the adjutant

Officers are brought on parade

The officers approach the covering sergeant, who salutes, reports and moves back

The adjutant makes any last minute adjustments needed and then hands off the battalion to the commanding officer.

The battalion is now formed.

QUESTIONS? DiscussionThe 1st sergeants come out and are organized by the RSM

Taking the open orderAs a Single CompanyFirst, a look at the movements when

formed as a single company

“Company, will take the open order”

The order is given

The left AND right rear marker step back and turn to their right

“Quick, march”

The remainder of the rear rank step back and the 2 markers turn back to their left

The officer is now free to inspect the troops QUESTIONS? Discussion

Taking the open orderSingle Company

“Company, will take the open order”

“Quick, march”

QUESTIONS? Discussion

Taking the open orderSingle Company

From the Drill Manual S.26. Open Order.

“Rear Ranks take open Order” The flank men on the right and left of the centre and rear ranks, step briskly back one and two paces respectively, face to their right, and stand covered, to mark the ground on which each rank is to halt, and dress at open order; every other individual remains ready to move.“March” The dressers front, and the centre and rear ranks fall back one and two paces, each dressing by the right the instant it arrives on the ground.

Taking the open orderWhile in Battalion

When in battalion there are some differences.

“Battalion, will take the open order”

The order is given

The right rear marker steps back and turns to the right

“Quick, march”

- The officer steps forward and to the left- The covering sergeant steps up to take the place left by the officer- The remainder of the rear rank step back and the marker turns back to their left

QUESTIONS? Discussion

One company shown with officer on the

right, covering sergeant behind him

ONLY the right rear marker of each company steps back. They turn to the right and dress to each other.The officer is now free to inspect the troops

Taking the open orderWhile in Battalion

“Battalion, will take the open order”

“Quick, march”

QUESTIONS? Discussion

Taking the open orderWhile in Battalion

From the Drill Manual S.72. When the Battalion takes Open Order.

“Rear Ranks take Open Order.” At this command--the flank men on the right of the rear ranks of each company step briskly back to mark the ground on which each rank respectively is to halt. They face to the right, and cover as pivots, being regulated and dressed by the adjutant or serjeant-major on the right.--Every other individual remains ready to move.

“March.” At this command--the flank dressers face to the front, and the whole move as follows: The rear ranks fall back one and two paces, each dressing by the right the instant it arrives on the ground. The officers in the front rank, as also the colours, move out three paces--those in the rear, together with the music, move through the intervals left open by the front rank officers, and divide themselves, viz. the captains covering the second file from the right, the lieutenants the second file from the left; and the ensigns opposite the centre of their respective companies.

Taking the open orderComparing Battalion to Company

“Take the open order” “Quick, march”

QUESTIONS? Discussion

Battalion Company

Moving off in open columnCompanies have been formed into a

battalion and must move off“Battalion will move off to the right in open column of sections, right leading.”

At this point nothing happens“By sections on your left, backwards wheel…”

The left marker turns to his right

The officer steps out, turns to his left and walks to the centre of his company and stops, facing left

The covering sergeant turns to his left and faces to the rear left

The Captain moves to the end of the company, turning toward them

The sergeant runs around the wheeling company to the left

The company wheels backward

“quick, march.”

Moving off in open column

“Battalion will move off to the right in open column of sections, right leading.”

“By sections on your left, backwards wheel…”

“quick, march.”

Moving off in open column

Wheeling into column. In wheeling from line to column, each moves out, and places himself one pace before the centre of his platoon; each turns towards his men during the wheel, and inclines to his pivot flank; each give his word Halt, Dress, when his wheeling man has just completed his degree of wheel; each squares his platoon, but without moving what was the standing flank.--After wheel into column is completed, no one is to cause his platoon to shift, by way of covering on the pivot flank, unless so ordered by the commanding officer, or that in the course of marching a straight line is gradually taken up.

Attentions in Platoon Officers.

From the drill manual

Positions and duties of officer& covering sgt. on the march

The battalion will march off, the dressing is to the left

The whole move off together

The sergeant will move to the rear and take position behind the 2nd file from the left

The officer is responsible for the direction and pace of the march

The sergeant moves out of the way so the next officer can see the one ahead

It is his job to ensure company dress is followed during march, NOT the officers

Positions and duties of officer& covering sgt. on the march

Positions and duties of officer& covering sgt. on the march

From the drill manual

Leading Officer. On the leading platoon officer of the column, much of the precision of march depends; he must lead at an equal, steady pace; he must lead on two objects either given to him, or which he himself takes up on every alteration of position; this demands his utmost attention; nor must he allow it to be diverted by looking at his platoon, the care of whose regularity depends on the other officers and non-commissioned officers belonging to it. The second platoon officer must also have a knowledge of the points on which the first leads: he is always to keep that first officer and those points in a line, and those two officers, together with the placed mounted officers, thus become a direction for the other pivot officers to cover.--In marching in open column, the covering serjeants are placed behind the second file from the pivot officers, that the officers may the more correctly see and cover each other in column.

When the column marches, if the officer is in front of the platoon, the serjeant is on the pivot of the front rank, and is answerable for the platoon distance; if the officer remains on the pivot flank, the serjeant then falls behind the rear rank, and covers the second file from the pivot.

The great attention during movement is, that files are correct, ranks kept up, and that perfect order is preserved among the soldiers, circumstances in which they (the covering sergeant) greatly assist the platoon officer, who having the important objects of distance and covering of pivots to observe, cannot in such situation be giving minute directions to his platoon, without losing sight of his more material duties.

QUESTIONS? Discussion

The Oblique stepTo the Left, oblique, March, step with left foot, point and carry it forward 19 inches in the diagonal line, to the left, which gives about 13 inches to the side, and about 13 inches to the front. On the 2nd movement, bring right foot 30 inches forward, so that the right heel be placed 13 inches directly before the left one…. …From the combination of these two movements, the general obliquity gained will amount to an angle of about 25 degrees.

With one exception whenever stepping off in march, the left foot always steps first

The foot not of the angle steps in front of the other, ie. Left oblique the right foot steps infront of the left.

When stepping off to the right oblique the left foot steps off first, THEN the right foot does the oblique. The right foot does NOT step first and to the right.

Squareness of the body to the front MUST be strictly maintained.

QUESTIONS? Discussion

19 inches

13 inches

13 inches

30 inches

The Oblique stepKeeping the squareness of the body to the front is extremely important and one of the hardest things for anyone to master.

Here will be an example of 2 groups marching to the right oblique. The left will do it correctly, the right will falter.

At the end of the march the right hand group has bent its line, twisted the body and not stayed true to the front.

QUESTIONS? Discussion

Stepping upon make ready and present

Front rank

Rear rank

The movement of the feet during the firings is different between the front rank and rear rankThe front rank steps back and to the right with the right foot at the present.The rear rank steps to the right at the make ready

“Make Ready”

“Present”

“Fire”

After the firing is done the front rank steps back with the right foot to the left while the rear rank closes to the right bringing the left foot to the right.

The process is then repeated. The front rank continues to step back at the present, the rear rank steps to the left on the present.

“Load”

Stepping upon make ready and present

Front rank

Rear rank

“Fire”

“Make Ready”From the top

“Present”

“Load”