Battery Sergeant-Major and Battery Quertermaster Sergeant

[susancammas]

Good afternoon

 

My research has been neglected for some time and I'm now trying to put together a lot of information kindly provided by Forum members.

 

I am not sure what the difference is between Battery Sergeant Major and Battery Quartermaster Sergeant. in the Royal Horse Artillery.

Can anybody give me a layman's description of their roles?

 

Many thanks

Susan

[charlie962]

Susan

Very simply my understanding is:

BSM is the boss of the gun and waggon lines. Responsible for the men. Normally he would be at one and CO at the other? BSM reports to CO ?

BQMS is responsible for supplies, materials and rations, arriving at lines on time. Question- who does BQMS report to? Is it to BSM?

I await more learned replies!

Charlie962

[susancammas]

Hello Charlie

 

2 minutes ago, charlie962 said:

Normally he would be at one and CO at the other? "

 

Thanks for you very quick response.

 

I read on internet (http://www.1914-1918.net/whatartbrig.htm) that a BAC was divided into two sections.   (By the way, what were these two sections?)

 

Do you mean that:

* the BSM (responsible for the men - boss of the gun and waggon lines) would be in charge of one section, and the CO in charge of the other one?   I suppose this means "getting things done"?

* the BQMS is responsible for supplies to both sections???   I supposes this means "planning"??

 

Have I got this right??

 

Thanks

Susan

[charlie962]

Susan, I was talking about a Battery rather than a Brigade Ammunition Column. The idea generally of splitting BSM and CO was if one was incapacitated the other continued. Charlie962

[Ron Clifton]

Hello Susan and Charlie

 

Use of CO in this context is slightly misleading as it normally refers to the lieutenant-colonel commanding a brigade of two or three batteries. Both the BSM and the BQMS would report to the Battery Commander, a major, the BSM being mainly responsible for the guns and ammunition and the BQMS for stores, food and forage. In practice the latter would usually be supervised by the Battery Captain, the second-in-command.

 

The Battery Commander and Battery Captain were officers, the BSM was a Warrant Officer Class II (from 1915) and the BQMS was a staff-sergeant.

 

Ron

Edited 19 September , 2016 by Ron Clifton

[charlie962]

Ron, written with authority. Was I really that far off the mark? Charlie962

[susancammas]

Thank you both for your erudite and very useful help!

Susan

[rflory]

Not quite as simple as stated during the Great War period. It is correct that when the BC was at the guns the Battery Captain was usually at the wagon lines, but the BC was often away from his Battery reconnoitering for new positions, at the OP, carrying out liaison with infantry battalion or brigade commanders, at rest/leave, or attending meetings at brigade headquarters.  In that case the battery captain or a senior subaltern was with the guns while another senior subaltern (or the Battery Captain when not at the guns) would be at the wagon lines ready to come forward if something happened to the officer at the guns.  If the BC was the senior BC in the brigade he would also become the temporary brigade commander while the officer commanding the brigade was on leave, wounded, sick or otherwise away from his headquarters for a period of time.

 

BSMs did spend time at the wagon lines but were often at the gun position, especially when the battery was in the same time for an extended period of time.

 

[susancammas]

Thank you again for all these so very interesting explanations.  I'm afraid I get rather confused with the abbreviations - ex:  does BC mean Battery Captain or Brigade Commander and is  OP an Observation Post?

 

I have just finished reading the second book of a trilogy (fiction) concerning the Great War in France (“Les Enfants de la Patrie” by Pierre Miquel).   I have discovered that in 1915 the French artillery began using a new piece of equipment in the trenches, the “crapouillot”. It was a sort of mortar requiring soldiers, not horses, for moves from one position to another.  

 

I have been wondering whether the British artillery used a similar type of gun, and if so, which batteries were involved.

 

Susan

[Ron Clifton]

Hello Susan

 

OP is observation post. From context, what Dick Flory refers to as the BC is the Battery Commander, a major.

 

Ron

[rflory]

Yes, BC is Battery Commander.  Generally the Battery Captain is abbreviated BK.  The  crapouillot would appear to be similar to the British trench mortars.  The British mortars were formed into Trench Mortar Batteries, initially with three batteries in a division (two medium TMBs (X and Y)) and one heavy TMB (Z) (if I remember correctly).

[Ron Clifton]

Dick

 

Originally three medium (X, Y and Z) and one heavy (V). The Zs were broken up in 1918 to make X and Y up to six mortars each, and the Vs were withdrawn to Corps and similarly consolidated.

 

There were also three light TMBs (Stokes mortars), one attached to each infantry brigade and manned predominantly by infantrymen.

 

Ron

Edited 8 October , 2016 by Ron Clifton

[susancammas]

Thanks to you all.

Susan