The Numbering of Platoons

[IanR]

In a war diary I have (7th Royal Irish Rifles), at one stage it refers to the platoons going into the line by numbers. i.e. 1st, 2nd, 5th, 6th etc.

This may sound obvious, but would I be right in assuming that platoons 1-4 belong to 1st Company, platoons 5-8 belong to 2nd Company etc.

Can any confirm this? Was this a common way to refer to platoons?

Thanks

Ian

[Broznitsky]

I have always operated that 1-4 Platoons were "A" or 1 Coy, 5-8 were "B" or 2 Coy; etc.

Not in the CEF, but in the BEF there were some W, X , Y, and Z Companies, just to confuse poor 21st Century researchers.

Peter in Vancouver

[Muerrisch]

The official doctrine was that platoons were numbered Roman I to XVI through the companies A: I to IV to D: XIII to XVI, but there were many exceptions both to the Roman numerals and the Company letters ...... eg PQRS, WXYZ.

[Marc Thompson]

but there were many exceptions both to the Roman numerals and the Company letters ...... eg PQRS, WXYZ.

For example, “A” and “D” Companies of the 1st Battalion Scots Guards and "E" and "H" Companies in the 2nd Battalion were known as Right- "RF" and Left- "LF" flank Companies.