"Victorian era British officers in combat" Topic

I was thinking about skills for a colonial skirmish and wondered – outside of "Zulu" and the various sorts of military fiction – how proficient were officers at bayonet drill or whether they stuck with the revolver and then the sword when the revolver ran dry. Some officers might have been good shots wth the rifle from game shooting so some – many would have at least some skill with the "long" but equally they may have carried a private hunting type longarm which would probably not had a bayonet fitting. Any thoughts?

Based on my reading and period depictions, I'd say that officers never practiced bayonet drill. In fact they rarely practiced anything. Being professional was simply " not done, old sport". They would definitely stick with sword and revolver, as those were considered gentelmen's weapons.

Thanks Rich – that's where I was going but need a sanity test. Cheers!

As someone stated on another thread the traditional role of the officer at least as far as the horse and musket era was to lead by example, motivate his men, and direct the action depending on the level of command. For most of us we are dealing with the sharp end of things so at most we are talking command at the sergeant, lieutenant, and maybe captain level. Therefore, less likely to be taking shots with a rifle or musket and more likely to be directing the action as stated until things go completely to hell and you are now up close and personal with that Zulu who wants to discuss things with you. At that point (pun intended)having a pistol and/or saber is perhaps quiet handy.

Of course some game system will pull back further and you are in the role of a major, colonel, or general. Therefore, the skills needed to be one of those persons was even less about direct combat.

Reading Churchill's History of the Malakand Field Force (and Barthorp's The Frontier Ablaze), it seems that things have gone horribly wrong when the officers need to use their revolvers.

Thanks Gents – and I think that in my games I can count on things going horribly wrong rather often……

Having said all that, public schools were pretty tough places. you would learn to take care of yourself

Form what it's IIRC I read that Colonel Babbington(?) used a "pig gun" in the Sudan.

If you play skirmish – officers would often bring a hunting rifle for small expeditions, if only for big game hunting when they could (it was considered honourable to kill a lion in these times)… Books written by French officers in "Western Sudan" (today Mali) in the 1880s mention winchesters etc. As mentioned before, they were not supposed to use it in battle, but.

All good points – thank you, I think I'll preclude bayonet skill (apart from former rankers and the very professional) and stick with varying degrees of revolver, sword and the occasional hunting rifle/shotgun. Cheers!