Topic: AIF - Lighthorse
Australian Light Horse
Roles within the Regiment
Officers in general
The following entries dealing with the roles and duties within the hierarchy of a light horse regiment are extracted from a very informative handbook called The Bushman’s Military Guide, 1898. While written in 1898, the information contained in the entries held true for the next twenty years with only minor modifications with the principles remaining as current then as now.
Officers Generally
(1.) During continuous training all officers are to afford every assistance to the Commanding Officer, and use every effort to maintain the credit of the regiment, whether in the field at drill or in the performance of Camp duties on the lines at the highest possible standard.
(2.) They are to make themselves well acquainted with the Camp General Order, a copy of which they must always have in their possession, together with any Regimental Camp Order issued in connection therewith.
(3.) They are to consider the exactness of time at all parades and posts of assembly as one of the first principles of military duty.
(4.) They always make it a point to see the General and Regimental Orders published from day to day in Camp.
(5.) Whenever an officer has occasion to speak to another, his senior, on duty - viz., on parade, or during stable hours on the horse-lines - he will invariably salute on approaching him.
Staff officers, field officers, and other officers temporarily in command of a regiment are at all times to be saluted as such by officers.
(6.) Officers must consider it as a material part of their duty to pay the strictest attention:
(a) To the appearance and conduct of the non-commissioned officers and men, as well off as on duty.
(b) To the comfort of the horses, in seeing that all are regularly groomed, fed, and watered at the appointed hours.
(c) To the distribution of horse feed in a regular manner.
(d.) To the manner in which their own non-commissioned officers carry out their duties.
(7.) Before leaving Camp every officer will see that all Government property issued to them is returned, or accounted for, to the Regimental Quartermaster.
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Citation: Australian Light Horse, Roles within the Regiment, Officers in general
