2IC and Adjutant in an artillery regiment/battery

Discussion in 'Royal Artillery' started by Chris C, Jan 22, 2020.

  1. Chris C

    Chris C Canadian

    Hi,

    Simple question I think: would a battery have had its own second in command and adjutant? From what I can clean from Philip Jobson's glossary of artillery terms, I think these would have been regimental positions only. Is that correct?
     
  2. Sheldrake

    Sheldrake All over the place....

    That is correct, up to a point.

    The Second in Command of a Regiment was usually a senior major, usually senior to the battery commanders. He might have to take over in the event of the CO becoming a casualty. He is the right hand man of the CO and tends to act as the operations and training staff officer. (G3 Ops and trg). In the field the 2IC of a field regiment acted as the Regimental recce officer identifying gun positions and co-ordinating if not commanding the recce parties of the gun batteries. The best account of the work of a 2IC is in "The Quiet Gunner at War: El Alamein to the Rhine with the Scottish Divisions" by Richmond Gorle - though he was 2IC first before commanding a battery. Someone wanting to speak to the Regimental 2IC in person on the radio would ask for "sunray minor "

    The Second in command of a battery is the Battery Captain or BK. He is usually the senior Captain in the Battery and took over if the BC became a casualty. His main job in the battery is the battery logistics officer and deals with all matters Q - with the BQMS as his sidekick. The BK is/was in command of the gun position and organises local defence.He usually lurked somewhere near the wagon lines when not out chasing vehicles spare parts etc. Someone wanting to speak to the BK in person on the radio would ask for "sunray minor " from the battery call sign.

    The adjutant of a field regiment is the CO's principle staff officer responsible for G1 personnel matters, with particular relation to officers. The adjutant was/is a captain usually picked fas one of the best in the Regiment. In the field the Adjutant ran the Regimental HQ from which the fire of the regiment was controlled - call sign "Zero" on the regimental net. Someone wanting to speak to the Adjutant in person on the radio would ask for "seagull." (possibly named by someone with a sense of humour with regard to the screaming and excrement dumped on junior officers) If the adjutant had an assistant they would be "seagull,minor"

    There is no adjutant within a gun battery. Each field artillery troop in WW2 had a Gun Position Officer responsible for all technical gunnery matters for the troop, acting on behalf of the BC. This was usually a lieutenant. Someone wanting to speak to the GPO of a call sign on the radio would ask for "seagull." The second officer of the troop might be "seagull minor "

    I hope this helps
     
    Last edited: Jan 23, 2020
    Aixman, Charley Fortnum and Chris C like this.
  3. Chris C

    Chris C Canadian

    Thanks Sheldrake, that does help! (Now that you mention it, I have read The Quiet Gunner, but I wasn't entirely sure how the 2nd in command of a battery would be designated)

    I was looking at a report by an anti-tank regiment (in the entry for 67 Battery within 3 A/Tk Reg't) about a shoot which was attended by the "2IC and adjutant" - I wanted to be able to clarify for the reader that these were regimental officers.
     

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