The soldier's pocket-book for field service / by General Viscount Wolseley.

  • Garnet Wolseley, 1st Viscount Wolseley
Date:
1886
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: The soldier's pocket-book for field service / by General Viscount Wolseley. Source: Wellcome Collection.

    56/590 (page 38)
    38] small proportion might be carried on light carts. This force can be raised . at any moment by calling for volunteers from the infy. The proportion between Mtd. infy. and cavly. might be, I think, three or even four to one. Whenever we take the field, it is to be hoped that our cavly., the finest in 1 the world, may be supplemented largely by Mtd. infy. In our recent wars 5 the hardest work and hardest fighting has devolved on the Mtd. infy. and I Camel Corps, and they have rendered the most invaluable service. Ass yet we are'the only European nation that has officially recognised the * enormous advantages to be obtained from the intelligent use of this arm. Our cavy is most properly taught to fight dismounted; but we have.’ too little of it, and it is too valuable to be expended on purely infy. duties. . The Mtd. infy. should be selected from volunteers, so many men from each Infy. Battn. for their intelligence and good shooting. Even the soldier who has never been on horseback, can easily be taught in a week or two to keep his seat over rough ground, and to sit so as to avoid giving his horse, a sore back. The danger in the instruction of Mtd. infy. is, lest offrs.. and men should think it is intended to convert them into cavy. With the, exception of the most elementary instruction in riding and in stable duties,; all they have to learn that is not in every way essentially the infy. soldier s work, are those outpost, and scouting, and reconnoitring duties that can only be efficiently carried out by mounted men. For wars in wild countries, and with semi-civilized races, in which we are so often engaged,. Mtd. infy. are invaluable ; and I believe that if properly handled in con- junction with cavy., with H. A., and machine guns, they will play a most- important part in all European wars of the future. The companies shoulc be commanded by carefully selected captains, and all the offrs. be dash-, ing, daring young men, eager for distinction. ,It should be the crack corps with every army in the field, always in the front, and inconstant touch! with the enemy. I think there should be at least 3 battns. of Mtd. infy with each Army Corps, each battn. to be about 500 or 600 strong : n< company to be less than 100 men. Acting in concert with the cavy. of thi Army Corps, with a Batty. R. H. A. and, say, 4 good machine guns, unde a leader who knew his work, in whom the men had complete cortfidence and1 would follow anywhere, this Mtd. infy. could render the most in valuable services : important positions in advance could be seized and hel« until the arrival of the Divnl. infy., and the Army Corps would not only b