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Diomedes · Posted: Wed Nov 21, 2007 1:05 pm Post subject: WW1 British platoon organisation

Anybody knows about the composition of a WW1 early war british infatry platoon? How big were the sections, how many did it have, etc?

Wodge · Posted: Wed Nov 21, 2007 1:07 pm Post subject:

I have it in a book at home, but no doubt someone will give you the answer before I get home
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Diomedes · Posted: Wed Nov 21, 2007 1:11 pm Post subject:

Any help is welcome:-)

David H · Master Supporting Member Joined: 18 Sep 2007 Posts: 126

Try this for basic information:

http://www.1914-1918.net/whatbatt.htm

Diomedes · Posted: Wed Nov 21, 2007 1:57 pm Post subject:

Great website, very useful! Thanks!

Strongbow · Posted: Wed Nov 21, 2007 2:00 pm Post subject:

I think they were all dead.

Diomedes · Posted: Wed Nov 21, 2007 2:05 pm Post subject:

domgoh · Posted: Wed Nov 21, 2007 4:31 pm Post subject:

Interesting website.
So based on that information, a British section would have been led by a Sgt or Corporal.
The men would all be armed with a rifle.

Just wondering how the Lewis guns were allocated within a battalion? Were they distributed to the platoons, or kept as a separate MG platoon?
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Lupus · Master Joined: 05 Nov 2007 Posts: 183 Location: UK

From a Group i'm part of..

27 September 1916: Company strength fixed at 194 men, including 4
older NCOs and 22 runners, signals and pioneers. Combat (fighting)
strength was 168 men. Grenadiers (rifle and hand) were called
grenadiers; autoriflemen were fusiliers and all others voltiguers.
Fighting Company: 4 platoons of 2 half platoons each. The first
half platoon of any platoon had grenadiers and fusiliers and the
second all voltiguers plus 4 rifle grenadiers and 2 cartridge
carriers (pourvoyers). Fighting strength of the company included 32
hand grenadiers, 16 rifle grenadiers and from 8, 12 or 16 ARs, with
8 seeming to be normal.
September 1917: Reorganized again with 1 Sergeant, 1 AR Team of 4
men and the remaining 10 to 14 men assigned with no difference
between hand grenadiers and voltiguers there were 2 to 3 rifle
grenade firing cups in a half platoon. This took up 8 ARs the
remaining 8 were in reserve 4 with the company and 4 with the
battalion.

England each tactically independent platoon had 28 to 44 men divided
into 4 squads, riflemen, hand grenadiers, rifle grenadiers and Lewis
gunners. Half the platoon was qualified to man the Lewis gun and
half to use rifle grenades, to insure that the loss of a gunner or
grenadier could be made up.
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