Would like more info on Battalion Runners

[Jayenn]

Can anyone tell me any more about a ‘Battalion Runner’?

I assume that he was an ordinary soldier, chosen because he was the fastest at running, but was anything else required of him?

Did he have to be available at all times (especially before, during, and after any operation), near to an officer ready, in order to be given the message to take to wherever it had to go or did he do whatever the other soldiers did?

I assume that there would have been more than one Battalion runner but, roughly, how many was a normal figure?

John

[brhillier]

My grandfather was a Company Runner in the 8th Royal West Kents. He said he only survived because he could run fast and was SHORT! Maybe this is an obvious attribute but probably very necessary.

[Piorun]

Usually demonstrated or was trained in good memory. Had guts. Had legs. Antony

[Jayenn]

Thanks both! But what I was really after was what I put in the paragraphs that followed - no disrespect intended!

The more I tought about it, the more involved it seemed to get. After all, runners, we'll say, have been selected to carry important messages so you wouldn't send these all off, together, on a very dangerous, very risky night patrol, knowng that their chances of survival were extremely low - surely?

So, again surely, they must have been kept, by some officers, close at hand for a lot of the time - so they were there to carry a message when required?

It all seemed so simple when I fiund that my father was a "runner" - he just went where and when all the rest of the troops went - or did he? Can I say that when I read that his company went into a battle, he, almost certainly, went with them?

Thanks again for your replies - I hope you see my problem!

John

[Ron Clifton]

Hello John

There would have been a small pool of company and battalion runners. Historically, the duty was often carried out by the drummers/buglers. They would normally be with the company or battalion commander when going into action, and urgent messages would often be sent using two runners, or even more, to ensure that the message got through.

As others have suggested, they had to be fairly bright and would probably be expected to answer questions from the person receiving the message, as well as actually being able to find them amid a maze of trenches and dugouts.

They were fully trained as ordinary soldiers and could take their turn in most trench duties, but would not be in the "first wave" when the battalion attacked.

There was no fixed number of runners on a battalion establishment but I would guess at least sixteen, i.e. one from each platoon. This is the same as the number of drummers. Battalion signallers may also have been used as runners.

It was certainly a dangerous job - on the other side of the front, a certain well-known Austrian corporal was a runner, and got the Iron Cross First Class for his work.

Ron

[brhillier]

Hi John - Just to add a little more detail about my grandfather's experience as a "runner". From what he told us he and his serjeant were sent back together to the artillery to get them to adjust their firing as the battalion was under attack. On route his serjeant was injured by a shell blast. My grandfather took him to a first aid post and managed to get the message through to the guns. I do not know the date of this. As it happened his serjeant lived not far from my grandfather in Kent and he once met up with him after the war and found out that he had lost his leg. The serjeant had also been awarded the DCM. My grandfather was more than a little peeved about this!

An interesting subject - thanks to Ron for his enlightenment.

Barry

[Jayenn]

Thanks Ron for that brilliant explanatuion! To some extent it's what I thought mmight be the case but I couldn't just assume anything - and you've told me more!

Thanks Barry for your story - all such stories are very welcome as each one adds detail and substance to the overall picture. In fact, I've since searched the Internet for any other stories of such runners - stories put there by the men themselves or by descendents and I'm very pleased with what I've found! Your story encouraged me to do that! Any more and I'm all ears!

Thanks again,

John

[WhiteStarLine]

Jayenn,

By coincidence Fourm Pal Ian posted a link to a pamphlet on the role of the Signallers, who were divided into Sappers and Runners. The runners had to deliver messages no matter what the battle conditions were and were renowned for skills such as running from one trench line to another across the open because no communications trenches were available / existed or the message was sufficiently urgent. Both sides used to shell each other's runners, typically with 77 mm or smaller and the survivors had this uncanny sense of predicting each round as the gunners tried to adjust onto them, jumping into a crater at the last moment. There are numerous examples of this, such as the accoumnt of Sapper Dadswell of the AIF. One of the most famous exponents later became Commander in Chief of the forces of a well known WW2 country and much as we despise his politics, he was a very brave and respected runner.

It was very dangerous work. How many official pamphlets talk about a supply of rum kept for them when the work is hard. See page 68 of Ian's reference which will give you the official outline of their duties at the brigade and battalion level, but is equally applicable to company level. Imagine a battalion attack when one company is bogged down and the other needs to be told to halt in place. The runner has to deliver that message, crossing open ground in view of the enemy. A company runner is doing the same kind of job, but running from platoon to platoon. His lack of height would have helped considerably and he would have been considered a very brave man.

[centurion]

They were also used to find out things. There is one account of a battalion commander (a gallant and much decorated man but unsuited to battalion command) who panicked, when phone contact was lost with a company holding one end of the battalion's line, fearing they had been overwhelmed by a German attack, and sent out ALL the battalion runners to investigate whereupon a barrage caused a general failure of the field telephone and without runners battalion HQ was completely cut off from the world in general and its front line in particular and the Colonel started to do what we might call today a 'Corporal Jones'.[when communications were fixed it turned out there had been no German attack and the runners under the guidance of a veteran sergeant had taken cover during the barrage - all returning safely. The Colonel was shortley after diagnosed with some general illness and sent home]

[kenf48]

The 'runner' is a ubiquitous character in WW1 fiction, for example the semi-autobiographical 'Somme Mud'.

The reason for this is, as Lt.Col Whitton writes in the History of the 40th Division, uniquely for an O.R. they gain a ' birds-eye view of the battlefield', unlike their comrades in the trench line. As a plot device it also affords them the rare opportunity to interact with senior officers. Therefore any account of a runner's duties must be treated with caution (the afore mentioned 'Adi' for example turning up in the comic strip 'Charley's War The Great Mutiny'!).

With that caveat, in the above history Col Whitton cites the unpublished memoir of a Private William Falconer of the 14th Bn Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders to convey some of the atmosphere and confusion of thE 22nd March 1918. There are three William Falconers in the medal cards, but so far I've been unable to positively identify him. I've condensed the 'day in the life' from about four pages

He was told to report to Battalion headquarters but claims he was not told why. On arrival he was told he was required as a runner, "which is not so cushy in open warfare as one would imagine". At 8a.m. his first job was to take a message to 'D' Company, making his way through the early morning mist he notes a number of dead soldiers including one who was wearing the distinctive armband of a runner. He delivers the message safely, is given a receipt and returns to Bn. HQ. without incident

As the mist clears the Colonel gains a wider perspective and despatches him down a sunken lane to gather any stragglers. He finds a few few men and an officer from another Regiment who reports to the Colonel and is given his orders.

The private then seems to have some time on his hands and decides to climb the ridge where the Colonel stood earlier, but coming under enemy fire, he returns to the relative safety of Battalion HQ where he and another soldier are detailed to take some ammunition up to 'D' Company. They soon realise that they are an easy target carrying the box, so abandon it and carry the ammunition. As they approach D Company's position they see Germans were occupying the trench, and make their way to 'B' Coy to warn of the attack. He notes, 'to be a good runner you have to take things as they come".

They then return to Battalion HQ only to find that too had been overrun. Eventually they find the Colonel who said 'the Argylls will stand firm'" or words to that effect and he is involved in a brief but vicious action around the Bn HQ before they too are forced to retire. Eventually the Battalion regroups and consolidates their position well East of the original line.

Here the account ends, how representative it is I don't know.

It certainly wasn't a typical day, and one imagines the daily duties of a runner were far less adventurous, if just as dangerous but hopefully it gives some insight.

Ken

[Jayenn]

Thanks WhiteStarLine, Centurion, and kenf48,

All that you've said, and that I've been told, on this forum, certainly gives a more rounded picture of a "runner"! The tendency is/was to think of a runner as just a soldier who was told to take a message and bring back an answer - nothing more than that!

Thanks to all - I'm very glad I asked the question! It's given me much to think about - and I'm very, very glad my dad was fast at running!

John