"Late 19thC British infantry companies" Topic

Not my period but I have bunch of figures to paint so looking for some help. I'm trying to find out the internal organisation of a British infantry company, not guards and colonial service if that makes any odds, in the last quarter of the 19thC. The best I've been able to cull from the web is the establishment and a suggestion that a company was split into two 50-man sub-units. A web reference would be helpful if anyone can suggest that? Not really wanting to buy a book for a period I'm probably not going to touch again.
Thx

The size of a British Army battalion in the late 19th century varied depending on the type of battalion (infantry, cavalry, etc.) and its specific role within the army. During this period, a typical British Army infantry battalion consisted of around 800 to 1,000 men.

Here's a breakdown of the approximate size of a late 19th-century British Army infantry battalion:

Battalion Headquarters: This included the commanding officer, staff officers, and support personnel. It was a relatively small part of the battalion.

Companies: An infantry battalion was typically composed of several companies. The number of companies could vary, but it was often around 8 to 10 companies. Each company would consist of approximately 100 to 120 men, including officers, non-commissioned officers, and enlisted soldiers.

So, if we take an average of 9 companies per battalion, each with around 110 men, the total strength of the infantry battalion would be approximately 990 soldiers. However, these numbers could vary slightly depending on the specific battalion, its role, and any changes in organization due to reforms or wartime exigencies.

It's important to note that cavalry and artillery battalions would have different organizational structures and sizes, as they had different roles and requirements compared to infantry battalions.

Another useful link here, thr Victorian Military Society "Die Hards" pages:

link

Old Contemptible (wish I'd thought of that name for myself!) is broadly correct about the internal structure of a British Infantry Battalion, but I confess that I'm concerned about his use of language.

While I appreciate that his intention is to help by referring to other arms, in British practice ONLY Infantry can be referred to in terms of Battalions.

For Cavalry, the equivalent command level is the Regiment, and the subunits are Squadrons. Artillery was organised by Batteries (Horse Artillery by Troops) and these were grouped into Brigades in the context of major mobilisation of full-scale war. I don't believe any RA command level above Bty is found in any colonial campaigns.

The Infantry Battalion's standard division into 10 Companies lasted from the start of the 19th century until after the Crimean War, when the Grenadier and Light Companies were abolished, leaving eight Coys denoted A-H.

Old Contemptible is of course correct in suggesting that in practice the number of Coys could fall short of establishment, particularly on campaign. It was ever thus.

While Continental armies standardised on larger four-Coy Battalions of some 250 bayonets each, the British exception was considered appropriate for a volunteer force largely committed to colonial duties like outpost work. However soon after 1900 it appears that the Double-Coy was increasingly the norm for field training, and on the eve of WWI the Infantry reorganised on the four Rifle Coy structure it would keep until the 1980s.

Oh, and by the way, since the OP asked for advice on the INTERNAL structure of Coys, I recall that at the start of the 20c each Coy was divided into two Sections, each under a Lt or 2Lt. Each Section continued to form (as before) in two ranks, and the Coy could form in Line or Column.

(Note that the terminology then seems to have followed French practice – in modern French 'Section' = Br Platoon not Br Section – which equals US Squad, Fr Groupe).

When the number of Coys was halved, Coy officers would consist of one Capt, two Lts and two 2Lts. The term Platoon was brought in just prior to WW1, and the four-Pl structure remained in force until (I think) the 1930s.

Thanks for the information. I think that helps and gives me something to work with. Don't have enough figures for anything other than a very under establishment company but can probably put together a half-company 'section'.

When the infantry flank companies were abolished, were they not simply converted to battalion companies, retaining the same strength overall?

The creation of two-battalion regiments by the Childers reforms for most of the infantry allowed for one battalion at home and one abroad on foreign service. With the home battalions providing drafts for the battalion, they tended to be fewer in numbers.