less than 5 years service and fulfil the requisite conditions which are laid down in regulations. The examination for entrance is competitive, a certain standard in mathematics, French or German, fortification, military topography, and tactics being obligatory. The course of instruction at the college is a severe and comprehensive one, both theoretical and practical, in all military subjects, modern languages, natural sciences, and riding. In the fourth term the students visit the schools of the engineers at Chatham and of the artillery at Shoeburyness; a large amount of the work is outdoor execution of reconnaissance and survey, and schemes of various kinds connected with the attack and defence of positions, encampments, bivouacs, railway reconnaissances, staff duties, &c. On leaving the staff college each officer after being individually reported on by the commandant, who is assisted by the military professors, is attached to the different arms of the service at Aldershot or elsewhere, to obtain a knowledge of the working of other arms and of staff duties in the field. (See "Regulations for the Staff College" issued with Army Orders, 1 Nov., 1890, also Queen's Regulations, Sect. IX., Part II.). (iv) The Artillery College is under the orders of the Deputy AdjutantGeneral, Royal Artillery, with the exception of the course of studies of the Senior Class of officers and the civilian Professors, who are under the Director-General of Military Education. The College, formerly called the Department of Artillery Studies, was first established to enable officers of artillery to acquire technical knowledge special to artillery service and manufacture. Now, the Royal Navy, the Indian and Colonial Governments, and other Departments avail themselves of its resources in some branches of special instruction for their officers and others, while all arms of the service send artificers for training. The headquarters are situated in the Red Barracks, Woolwich. The principal classes are the Senior Class, that for Firemasters,' for the Long Course, for Position-finders, for Gunnery Lieut., R.N., for Inspectors of Ordnance Machinery, for Ordnance Store Officers, for Master Gunners, and for Armourers, R.N. 250 artificers-viz., wheelers and carriage smiths, for all arms, and machinery gunners, are constantly under instruction in the workshops. All details are to be found in a government publication, "The Artillery College"; to be had, on application, from the Director, Artillery College. All officers passing the final examination of the Senior Class, Artillery College, have the letters " p.a.c." after their names in the army and regimental lists; other distinctive letters are used in the regimental lists to designate those officers who have passed in certain of the other courses. (v) The School of Military Engineering at Chatham, besides being identified as to location with the headquarters and depôt of the Royal Engineers, is the centre of engineering instruction for the British army—viz., the regular army, the militia, volunteers, and Colonial forces, and, more especially, for the officers and men of the Royal Engineers. 1 Properly called "Assistant Inspectors at out-stations," see "Inspection Staff," p. 436. The staff of the school is composed of a commandant, assistant commandant, brigade major, and adjutant, with instructors and assistant instructors in the various subjects taught. The instruction may be divided into three heads:- (a) The instruction of officers, Royal Engineers. (c) The instruction in engineering of the officers, non-commissioned (a) Every officer of the corps, on receipt of his first commission, is sent to the school to be trained in military and engineering duties. The course is of about two years' duration, divided into two parts, the first of which must be completed before an officer leaves the school. The second portion of the course, consisting of the higher branches of each subject, may be completed before the officer is sent elsewhere, or may be postponed for two or three years according to circumstances. The course consists of theoretical and practical instruction in military duties, fortification, construction, civil engineering and military sanitation, surveying, reconnaissance, and astronomy, military history and tactics, electricity, chemistry and photography, and also musketry. In addition to the first course, there is an advanced course for senior officers who are serving in India, and other senior officers are encouraged to return to the school in order to refresh their knowledge with the latest improvements. (b) Every recruit, on joining at Chatham, on the completion of his recruit military course, if passed as efficient in military duties, goes through a one year's course of field and siege fortification and military bridging, and is also instructed in the use of explosives, in well sinking, hutting, &c. During the summer each company in turn goes into camp at Wouldham, a few miles from Chatham, where they receive instruction in all the duties connected with military bridging and with camp life. On the conclusion of the course, every recruit is carefully examined, and if he gives satisfaction, is rated as an efficient sapper. He is then eligible to be transferred, in his rating, to a service company, or is selected for further training in the special schools at Chatham. Men who enlist as telegraphers, photographers, printers, lithographers, or draughtsmen, usually go through a shorter course of field works, while those selected for submarine mining are generally passed on to the School of Submarine Mining, on the completion of drill and musketry. The special schools are for instruction in surveying, building construction, engine-driving, electric-lighting, machinery, electricity, telegraphy, photography, printing, lithography, drawing, submarine mining, and diving. There are also courses at the school for Royal Engineer non-commissioned officers, appointed as assistants to staff officers for instruction, and as volunteer instructors; also for non-commissioned officers of the mounted detachment, and for military foremen of works. (c) This part of the work includes classes for cavalry and infantry officers, Royal Engineer militia and volunteer officers, cavalry and infantry pioneers, and non-commissioned officers and sappers of the Royal Engineer militia and volunteers. The courses for each of the above include all the knowledge in field engineering and military bridging which might be of service in the conduct of a campaign. (vi) The School of Gunnery at Shoeburyness, as its name implies, is for the instruction of officers, non-commissioned officers, and men of the Royal Artillery, in all matters pertaining to the science of gunnery. The commandant of the school, (a colonel on the staff, Royal Artillery), is also superintendent of experiments, and as such conducts for the Director of Artillery proofs and experiments with ordnance and ammunition of all kinds, also of all instruments and appliances in use by the Royal Artillery. The ranges are used for the instruction of classes and in some cases of field batteries. Long and short courses of gunnery, some of the latter being open to officers of other arms of the service, are undergone here, there being a special instructional staff, under the commandant, of 5 chief instructors and 12 instructors, besides 3 officers in the experimental branch; all being officers of artillery. The school at the R. M. Repository, Woolwich, for instruction of militia and volunteer officers, and the non-commissioned officers of the permanent staff of those branches of the service, as also the artillery schools at Golden Hill, Devonport, and Sheerness, are branches of the School of Gunnery. (See standing orders of the School of Gunnery, 1890.) (vii) The School of Musketry at Hythe is for the special training in musketry, including the use of machine guns, of officers, warrant officers, colour-sergeants and sergeants, to qualify them to instruct recruits and establish a thorough system of instruction throughout the army. There are courses at the school of musketry for officers, warrant and noncommissioned officers of the regular forces, for officers of militia and volunteers, and for non-commissioned officers of the permanent staff of militia, yeomanry and volunteers, the dates of which are annually given in Army Orders for January. There are also two senior officers' courses in each year. Certificates-viz., the "extra certificate" and the "officer's certificate" are given to officers, on the conclusion of the course, in accordance with the results of the final examination. There is also a "warrant and noncommissioned officer's certificate." The school of musketry is under a commandant, who is a colonel, assisted by a chief instructor, two captainand two lieutenant-instructors. (See the official manual of musketry instruction, 1892.) (viii) Gymnasia.—In each large garrison there is a gymnasium under a superintendent, with a staff of non-commissioned officers as instructors. The supervision of these rests with the inspector of gymnasia at Aldershot. The superintendents are selected from those officers who have successfully passed the officers' gymnastic course at Aldershot. Noncommissioned officers are also trained at Aldershot for the post of instructor in gymnasia. The dates for holding these courses are not as yet periodically published but can be ascertained on reference to the Deputy Adjutant-General, Royal Artillery, War Office. The whole of the young officers on joining the Royal Artillery now receive practical instruction during a course at the School of Gunnery. All young officers (not already qualified), and recruits have to go through a gymnastic course on joining their battalions. There are also courses of instruction for drilled soldiers, attendance for men under 30 years of age being compulsory; and there are frequent voluntary courses which are open to all ranks of all branches of the army; (See Queen's Regulations, Section X., and the Official "Gymnastic Exercises," price 2s). (ix) The School of Signalling is at Aldershot and is under an inspector of signalling, who is a colonel, with an assistant inspector, who is a captain. Three classes are formed during the year, each of which consists of about 30 officers and 30 non-commissioned officers. The Queen's Regulations, Section VII.,§§ 290-301, lay down the rules as to signalling in the army. Each unit of cavalry and infantry and each garrison artillery station with two or more companies has one officer as instructor, and two noncommissioned officers as assistant instructors; these hold certificates of proficiency from the school of signalling at Aldershot or from one of the three presidency schools in India. There is an annual inspection of the signallers of each unit at home by the inspector of signalling who decides the award of prizes. Abroad these inspections are conducted by selected qualified officers. (x) The School for Yeomanry and Volunteer Cavalry is at Aldershot under a captain of cavalry as commandant. It is for the purpose of giving instruction to officers and the permanent staff of the yeomanry and volunteer cavalry. Ten officers form a class, which lasts a month or two months. Certificates of proficiency are issued, and on these certificates promotion to higher rank depends. Horses are found by the cavalry at Aldershot. (See Yeomanry Regulations, and Chapter XXIII. of this book.) (xi) The Army Medical School is at Netley and is governed by its own senate, consisting of the director-general, army medical department, as president, the physician to the Council of India, the professors of the school, and the principal medical officer of the Royal Victoria Hospital (Netley) ex officio. The rules governing the school are to be found in the "Regulations for the Army Medical School, Netley," a government publication. The object of the school is for the training of gentlemen appointed as surgeons on probation to the army medical staff. Courses of lectures and practical instruction on hygiene, and on all specialities of military medical service, are held. There is a staff of four professors and four assistant professors all of whom are officers on full or retired pay of the army medical staff, or Indian medical service. (xii) The Army Veterinary School is at Aldershot and is under a committee of which the general officer commanding at Aldershot is president and the inspector-general of cavalry, the general officer commanding cavalry brigade at Aldershot, the general officer commanding the artillery, the assistant adjutant-generals and district veterinary officer at Aldershot are the members. Classes are held at the school (1) for 40 officers of the mounted branches of the army at home (including 6 of the Indian army); (2) for veterinary surgeons and veterinary surgeons on probation; (3) for farriers and shoeing smiths and others. The staff consists of one professor and one assistant professor, both officers of the army veterinary department. The army vaccine institute is attached to the school and is under the management of the professor. It is for the purpose of cultivating calf lymph for the army, and issues annually sufficient lymph to vaccinate 40,000 persons. (See regulations, to be obtained from the school at Aldershot). (xiii) The Royal Military School of Music is at Kneller Hall near Hounslow, and is under a colonel as commandant, with an officer as adjutant, and a quartermaster. There is also a director of music and two acting chaplains, two army schoolmasters, and ten professional gentlemen as instructors in the several instruments. Those under instruction are divided into "students" and "pupils." The former are band-sergeants and other non-commissioned officers who have been sent to qualify for the position of band-masters; the latter are men and boys sent to be trained as musicians for their respective bands. There is a course of instruction for each of these classes. Twice annually independent examiners conduct examinations of the students, who study for two or three years, and certificates are issued. The course for pupils lasts 12 to 18 months. Further information can be obtained from the school. (xiv) Army Schools are established for educating non-commissioned officers, soldiers, and their children. They are under the director-general of military education, there being a colonel as director of army schools who has the general supervision and direction of the department. There are 23 inspectors of army schools who are stationed at various stations in the United Kingdom and the Colonies. On promotion they rank as lieutenants, and after 10 years commissioned service, as captains. They are under the general officers commanding districts, and in India under the commanders-inchief of presidencies. (See Army School Regulations.) (xv) The Duke of York's Royal Military School was originally called the Royal Military Asylum. It is at Chelsea and is managed by a body of commissioners under the presidency of the Secretary of State for War and the vice-presidency of the Commander-in-Chief. There are 12 other ex-officio presidents and 7 specially appointed. The school is under a commandant, with an adjutant and quartermaster, medical officer, chaplain, a head master who is an inspector of army schools, and 4 army schoolmasters. The school, which was established by H.R.H. the late Duke of York, then commander-in-chief, is for the education, free of charge, of sons of warrant officers, non-commissioned officers, and soldiers of the army, preference being given to orphans, and those whose fathers have been killed or died in service abroad. The school accommodates 550 boys, who are clothed, fed, and educated at state expense. These boys are, if fit and willing to serve, placed in the army after attaining 14 years of age; those who are unfit are either apprenticed, placed in service, or handed over to their friends. (xvi) The Royal Hibernian Military School is situated in the Phoenix Park, Dublin, and is an institution very similar to the Duke of York's school the conditions of entrance are the same, and it has a similar staff. 1 Boys' names can be registered between the ages of 8 and 11 but cannot be considered until they reach the age of 9. A certain educational test is necessary before a boy can be admitted. |