Officer Training Corps.

[stephen binks]

How did the O.T.C differ from the Battalion Officer Training Corps. And how did this impact on recruitment from the public schools and universities?

[Old Tom]

The following may be helpful. In the years before 1914 there were two ‘officer training’ organisations, the University Officers Training Corps and its younger brother the Junior Training Corps which had contingents in most public schools From August 1914 ex cadets from the UOTC were asked to report to their contingent commanders and very many were commissioned. As far as I know the UOTC and perhaps the JTC under the name of Combined Cadet Force (the change was in about 1948/49 when I was a member) are still in existence.

Officer Cadet Battalions were introduced in Feb 1916 presumably as a measure to standardise officer training which to a great extent had been handled by regiments at their depots.

Regards

Old Tom

[tintin1689]

OTC at Universities still exist as does the CCF

At the time of the Great War they were kown as Senior Division and Junior Division OTC

They were set up from the Universities and Schools companies of the volunteers when the TA was created in 1908 they were detached from the parent units and given a specific officer training role

They trained for two certificates which designed to produce officers for TA and Special reserve

I am trying to find time to write an article on the OTC for the site

16.000 officers were commissioned from the ranks of the OTC in the Great War, enough lieutenants for a thousand battalions. The war time expansion of the Army would have been much more difficult without the work of the OTC from 1908 to 1914.

OTC facilities were also used to help train the New Armies - so valuable were cadet instructors judged that they were forbidden to volunteer

[JustinL]

I have just been wondering whether there were any experts on the OTC in the forum.

From the MIC database and the London Gazette, I know that my great-uncle enlisted in the Royal Fusiliers. However, he then became a cadet (officer cadet?) in the Duke of Cornwall's LI.

He was granted a temporary commission as 2nd Lt. in September 1916 and transferred to a service battalion.

Lionel, my great-uncle, left the Merchants Taylors' School on 1908, possibly before the establishment of an OTC there. Do any of you know what other training route would have made him a cadet?

Many thanks,

Justin

[tintin1689]

In about early 1916 the OTC contingents were surveyed and asked to make three returns:-

1) Numerical return showing number of ex-members gazetted as officers from formation of the contingent to outbreak of war, number gazetted as officers since the outbreak of war, number enlisted as ORs and the name of the contingent commander

2) Nominal return of all gazetted since outbreak of war

3) Nominal return of those died on active service

Only nine contingents did not reply out of 189 due to pressure of work. Unfortunately Merchat Taylors was one of them. They did, however, return the names of their two dead ex-members (neither of whom was DCLI) and their detachment commander

16,000 odd ex OTC had been gazetted but the list gives around 20,000 as the Senior Division men are recorded in the Junior Division as well.

[Mark Hone]

Do you by any chance have the return for Bury Grammar School? I'd be interested to see it, although we have a record of all Cadet Force memebers who served in the Great War. Our CCF is one of the oldest in the country, founded in 1892. One of our first Cadets went on to teach at Christ's Hospital School and helped found and later commanded their Cadet Force. He was Lt Col Thomas Boardman, CO of 8th Royal Inniskilling Fusiliers who was killed in August 1917. Sadly I have not been able to interest Christ's Hospital in some sort of joint commemoration of him. He is buried in Brandhoek New, very close to Chavasse.

[Muerrisch]

I am trying to find time to write an article on the OTC for the site

If you are a WFA member see my 'Bounden Duty and Service' article of a year or so ago.

Please feel free to ask questions: I have a fair bit of material including official publications.

[tintin1689]

Mark,

I will try to get the Bury GS details up here tomorrow

Langley,

I will try to type up what Ive got over the holidays and e-mail it to you if you can send me your e-mail

I have the history of the Rugby School Cadet Corps and the Cambridge UOTC and though I would not part with them you are welcome to any info.

Iwould be very interested in your article

[Muerrisch]

Mark,

I will try to get the Bury GS details up here tomorrow

Langley,

I will try to type up what Ive got over the holidays and e-mail it to you if you can send me your e-mail

I have the history of the Rugby School Cadet Corps and the Cambridge UOTC and though I would not part with them you are welcome to any info.

Iwould be very interested in your article

tintin you can use the 'e-mail' facility on this page.

[tintin1689]

Bury Grammar School

OTC members gazetted as officers from 1908 to outbreak of war - 2

OTC members gazetted as officers from outbreak of war to 31st March 1915 - 20

OTC members serving as ORs from outbreak of war to 31st March 1914 - 86

No deaths were recorded from this period

Langley I don't think the e-mail facility off these pages does attachments, but I will e-mail you with it when they are ready