Western Australian Militia

Naval Artillery Volunteers

The following is an extract from the book written in 1962 by George F. Wieck called The Volunteer Movement in Western Australia 1861-1903, pp. 46 - 47:

Naval Artillery Volunteers

The necessity for some form of Artillery defence in the vicinity of the Port of Fremantle was recognised at an early (late but as provision of fixed defences is always a costly business successive schemes were studied and then pigeon-holed. Eventually Mr. G. A. Forsyth proposed to raise a corps at Fremantle to be designated the "Naval Artillery Volunteers." Approval to raise the corps, and for Lieut. G. A. Forsyth to Command, appeared in the Government Gazette and was dated 10 February 1879.

Enrolment in the corps was restricted to ex-R.N. personnel and persons with seafaring associations. The technical description of the corps was a "half-battery". Naval type uniforms were worn, naval ranks used, and naval drill practised. It was in effect a naval corps under army control. The original enrolment was 25 all ranks, the highest strength of 38 being reached in 1884.

The corps was armed with two extremely obsolete muzzle-loading guns of unknown origin; these were mounted on wooden carriages but were without limbers or wagon. The corps attended the Camp held in 1884 and so far as can be ascertained this was the only occasion the guns were moved from Fremantle. When taking part in combined parades members normally carried carbines, the guns remaining at Fremantle.

On 16 December 1884 Lieutenant Forsyth was suspended from duty and ordered to hand over Command to F. Wemyss who was appointed Lieutenant (Army rank) on 23 May 1885.

About 1885 seafaring types were scarce so recruits were sought among landsmen. Soon there was a preponderance of the latter in the corps which in 1888 prompted Lieut. Wemyss to recommend that the corps designation be changed to "Fremantle Artillery Volunteers" and that uniforms and training of Royal Artillery pattern be adopted. Approval for the change was granted on 17 December 1888. Very soon all traces of naval characteristics disappeared. The new uniform was worn with the letters F.A.V. on the shoulder-straps.

The history of the corps will be continued in Fremantle Artillery Volunteers.


Officers of Naval Artillery Volunteers

Lieutenant GA Forsyth, 10 February 1879

Lieutenant F Wemyss, 23 May 1885

 

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Further Reading:

Western Australian Militia, Light Horse

Western Australian Militia, Infantry

Posted by Project Leader at 12:01 AM EADT

Updated: Friday, 4 September 2009 10:22 PM EADT

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Australian Light Horse

Roles within the Regiment

Duties of Half-Squadron or Troop Orderly Sergeant

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.

Duties of Half-Squadron or Troop Orderly Sergeant

 

(1.) He receives and delivers all orders.

(2.) Calls the roll at all parades.

(3.) When the trumpet sounds "For orders" he waits on the regimental sergeant-major with the order-book and after entering (or receiving a cylostyle copy), of the orders, he shows them to the troop officers, the staff sergeant and reads them to the troop (or half-squadron) at the appointed time.

(4.) He makes out, parade, morning and duty states etc., for the correctness of which he is responsible to the staff-sergeant, to whom they are to be shown previous to being taken to an officer for signature.

(5.) He draws the ammunition for field days etc., and he collects unexpended ammunition after a parade, and returns it to the regimental orderly sergeant for conveyance to store.

(6.) He is not to quit the Camp at any time that may interfere with his duty.

(7.) He is to ascertain if all men are in their tents, or accounted for at watch-setting, and furnish the regimental orderly sergeant with a report at the quarter-guard tent.

(8.) He will detail all men required for guards, fatigue duty, mounted orderlies, etc. etc., from his troop (or half-squadron), the numbers of which will be received from the regimental sergeant-major.

(9.) He will take care that his own troop (or half-squadron) horse-lines are kept clear.

(10.) He will take it in turn to act as troop orderly sergeant, by seniority on roll, and will in Camps for instruction be relieved daily.

 

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Next: Duties of Troop (or Half-Squadron) Orderly Corporal 

Further Reading:

Australian Light Horse

Militia 1899 - 1920

Posted by Project Leader at 12:01 AM EADT

Updated: Wednesday, 2 September 2009 10:06 AM EADT

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Australian Light Horse

Roles within the Regiment

Duties of Troop (or Half-Squadron) Orderly Corporal

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.

Duties of Troop (or Half-Squadron) Orderly Corporal

 

38. Duties of Troop (or Half-Squadron) Orderly Corporal.

(1.) He parades all men for mounted orderlies, guards, fatigues, or any other duties whatever, and must, on an emergency, be capable of taking up the duties of orderly sergeant.

(2.) Any man sick to report to the troop orderly corporal before 8 a.m. daily, except in special cases.

(3.) He will see that tent orderlies are detailed in each tent of his troop, etc., daily.

(4.) He will parade tent orderlies fifteen minutes before the time ordered for meals and march them to and from the place appointed for distribution of meals, and will see that due regularity is observed.

(5.) He will parade the tent orderlies that have men of their particular tents on guard, and will see that men on guard are supplied with meals before any one else.

(6.) He will issue the forage in a regular manner, taking care that nose-bags are equally apportioned and distributed.

 

Previous: Duties of Half-Squadron or Troop Orderly Sergeant 

Next: Duties of Tent Orderly 

Further Reading:

Australian Light Horse

Militia 1899 - 1920

Posted by Project Leader at 12:01 AM EADT

Updated: Wednesday, 2 September 2009 10:04 AM EADT

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Western Australian Militia

Perth Volunteer Artillery

The following is an extract from the book written in 1962 by George F. Wieck called The Volunteer Movement in Western Australia 1861-1903, pp. 47 - 48:

Perth Volunteer Artillery

This corps was created by a simple change of designation from "W.A. Troop of Volunteer Horse Artillery" on 21 August 1882. It is understood that at about this time the type of uniform was changed to the normal Royal Artillery pattern.

Strength of the corps in 1882 stood at 30 all ranks, later variations are suggestive of spasmodic efforts to clear away accumulations of inefficients, e.g. the strength in 1882 was 30, 42 in 1884, 32 in 1886, 44 in 1887, 50 in 1893, and 32 in 1895.

The guns were drawn by 4-horse teams hired for the occasion. The first change of armament took place in August 1894, when the Armstrong-Whitworth guns were replaced by two 9 pr rifled M.L. guns [9 pounder rifled muzzle loading guns], complete with limbers, etc.

The corps was kept very busy. There were ceremonial parades, numerous artillery salutes, and camps (including that held in 1884). Permission was given to form a Cavalry Escort for the Governor when he was returning from an official visit to the Victoria district.

In 1887 the corps designation was changed again this time to "No. 1 Battery, Field Artillery", although to the average citizen it was still the Perth Volunteer Artillery. For further details refer to No. 1 Battery, Field Artillery.


Officers of the Perth Volunteer Artillery

Captain GB Phillips, 21 March 1882

Major EW Haynes, 21 March 1882

Lieutenant WA Stone, 25 April 1882

 

Previous:  Naval Artillery Volunteers

Next: Northampton Rifle Volunteers

Further Reading:

Western Australian Militia, Light Horse

Western Australian Militia, Infantry

Posted by Project Leader at 12:01 AM EADT

Updated: Friday, 4 September 2009 10:20 PM EADT

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Australian Light Horse

Roles within the Regiment

Duties of Tent Orderly

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.

Duties of Tent Orderly

 

(1.) A tent orderly will be detailed daily by the non-commissioned officer or section leader in charge of the tent.

(2.) His duties are, generally, to keep the tent clean, to see that the arms and accoutrements are neatly arranged round the tent-pole, blankets and men's clothing neatly folded; although each man in the tent will keep his own part clean, his own blankets, etc., folded, and generally assist the tent orderly.

(3.) He will parade under the Troop Orderly Corporal fifteen minutes before the time appointed for meal-hours with the dishes allotted to his tent, convey the provisions from the cooking-place, and arrange its being equally apportioned amongst the men.

(4.) He will convey the meals of men on guard to the guard tent before he has his own.

(5.) He will "rash up" and keep clean the mess tins, knives, and forks, etc., of all the men of his tent, keep the bread, etc., required for next meal clean and safely put aside.

(6.) Every man in the tent except non-commissioned officers or the section leader in charge of the tent, will be required to take his turn of Tent Orderly.

 

Previous: Duties of Troop (or Half-Squadron) Orderly Corporal 

Next: Troop Cooks

Further Reading:

Australian Light Horse

Militia 1899 - 1920

Posted by Project Leader at 12:01 AM EADT

Updated: Wednesday, 2 September 2009 10:02 AM EADT

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