Battalion Orders

Sadly there are very few Battalion Order Sheets that seem to have survive for the H.C.B., and those that do are in poor condition and seem to record the events of certain men from whose families the copies have come.  I think that they may have been selected as a record of those soldiers service.

One exception to this is the recent coming to light of the Battalion Orders of the 2/1st Reserve Battalion of the H.C.B which are in the process of being transcribed and entered into the main database and against individual soldiers on this site.  Battalion orders make it possible to understand daily life in the Battalion and provide critical information on individual soldiers service in the unit.  They cover the daily routines of the unit [as shown below] with individual solders details of leave, dental treatment, movements, courses undertaken, Company transfers, punishments and a whole host of other information.

From these records, which always contain the soldiers full name and more importantly, his Army and or H.C.B. number, that is so crucial in tracing his service life.

Below are some typical extracts from the Battalion Orders of the H.C.B.

 

Battalion Orders - By Lieut. Col. M. D. Barkley, commanding, 2/1st Huntingdonshire Cyclist battalion.
Beechlands, Skegness. 30th June, 1918

High Tide: 10-56 a.m. and 11-20 p.m. S.S.T. Dawn 3-9 a.m. B.S.T.

Routine: 7-00 a.m. Reveille. 9-00 a.m. Staff Parade. 11-00 a.m. Inspection of Quarters by the Commanding Officer.

Divine Service:
The Battalion will assemble for Divine Service on the Sea Front at 9-15 a.m.
Church of England, Skegness Church, Scarborough Avenue at 9-40 a.m.
Nonconformists will fall in on the left of the Battalion.
United Board Army Service at P.M. Church, Roman Bank at 10-15 a.m.
Roman Catholic Services at Skegness Church:- 8-00 a.m. Holy Communion ; 9-30 a.m. Mass and Communion ; 11-00 a.m. Mass : 6-30 p.m. Evensong.
 

If you can help with any data on the Huntingdonshire Cyclist please contact me at huntscycles@btinternet.com

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12/07/2017

. .  Martyn Smith ©