Kitchener Reforms
Encyclopedia
The Kitchener Reforms of the Indian Army
began in 1903 when Lord Kitchener
of Khartoum
, newly appointed Commander-in-Chief, India
, completed the unification of the three armies
of the former Presidencies (Bengal
, Bombay
, Madras
), and also the Punjab Frontier Force, the Hyderabad Contingent and other local forces, into one Indian Army.
The principles underlying the reforms were that:-
passed to the British crown. They remained separate forces, each with its own Commander-in-Chief
. Overall operational control was exercised by the C-in-C of the Bengal Army
, who was formally the Commander-in-Chief of the East Indies.
From 1861, most of the officer manpower was pooled in the three Presidential Staff Corps.
After the Second Afghan War a commission of enquiry recommended the abolition of the presidency armies. The Ordnance
, Supply and Transport, and Pay branches were by then unified.
The Punjab Frontier Force was under the direct control of the Lieutenant-Governor of the Punjab
during peacetime until 1886, when it came under the C-in-C, India.
The Hyderabad Contingent and other local corps remained under direct governmental control.
Standing higher formations - divisions
and brigades - were abandoned in 1889. No divisional staffs were maintained in peacetime, and troops were dispersed throughout the sub-continent, with internal security as their main function.
In 1891 the three Staff Corps were merged into one Indian Staff Corps
.
Two years later the Madras
and Bombay Armies
lost their posts of Commander-in-Chief.
In 1895 the Presidency Armies were abolished and the Indian Army created thereby was re-grouped into four commands
:
Each was under the command of a Lt.-General, who answered directly to the C-in-C, India.
at brigade
or regiment
al strength, and in effect, providing garrisons
for most of the major cities.
The reformed Indian Army was to be stationed in operational formations and concentrated in the north of the sub-continent
. The C-in-C's plan called for nine fighting divisions
grouped in two corps
commands on the main axes through the North-West Frontier:-
However, the cost of abandoning some thirty-four stations and building new ones in the proposed corps areas was considered prohibitive, and that aspect of the plan had to be modified.
The numbered divisions were organised so that on mobilisation they could deploy a complete infantry division, a cavalry
brigade, and a number of troops for internal security or local frontier defence.
Permanent divisional commands were formed with an establishment of staff officers under a Major-General.
, infantry of the Line, and Gúrkha Rifles.
Regimental designations were altered to remove all references to the former Presidential Armies. Where appropriate subsidiary titles recalling other identifying details were adopted. Thus the 2nd Bengal Lancers became the 2nd Lancers (Gardner's Horse)
.
The new order began with the Bengal regiments, followed by the Punjab Frontier Force, then the regiments of Madras, the Hyderabad Contingent, and Bombay. Wherever possible a significant digit was retained in the new number. Thus the 1st Sikh Infantry became the 51st Sikhs, the 1st Madras Pioneers became the 61st Pioneers
, and the 1st Bombay Grenadiers became the 101st Grenadiers
.
The Gúrkha Regiments had developed into their own Line of rifle regiments since 1861. They were five in number when they were joined by the former 42nd, 43rd, & 44th Gúrkha Regiments of the Bengal Army, who became the 6th, 7th, & 8th Gúrkha Rifles. The numbers 42, 43, & 44 were allocated respectively to the Deoli and Erinpura
Irregular Forces and the Mhairwara
Battalion from Rajputana
.
The mountain
batteries
had already lost their numbers two years earlier. Under the 1903 reforms they were renumbered with twenty added to their original numbers. The Queen's Own Corps of Guides, Punjab Frontier Force, composed of cavalry squadrons and infantry companies
, was renamed the Queen's Own Corps of Guides (Lumsden's) but stayed numberless.
The new regimental numbering and namings were notified in India Army Order 181, dated 2 October 1903.
was abolished, and thereafter officers were simply appointed to the Indian Army.
A General Staff
was then created to deal with
Functions were divided along British lines into two branches; those of the
In 1906 a General Branch was established to deal with
The Chiefs of the staff branches answered to the Chief of the General Staff
(India), whose post was held by a Lieutenant-General.
To provide training for the staff officers, the Indian Staff College
was established in 1905, and permanently based at Quetta
from 1907. (Today Pakistan
's Command and Staff College
).
, Army Headquarters was weighed down with minor administrative details. Divisional commanders were responsible not only for their active formations, but also for internal security and volunteer troops within their respective areas. On mobilisation, divisional staffs took the field, leaving no-one to maintain the local administration. Supporting services
were insufficient, and many troops intended for the field army
were not moved from their old stations into the areas of their new divisional command. These defects became clear during the First World War, and lead to further reorganisation.
British Indian Army
The British Indian Army, officially simply the Indian Army, was the principal army of the British Raj in India before the partition of India in 1947...
began in 1903 when Lord Kitchener
Herbert Kitchener, 1st Earl Kitchener
Field Marshal Horatio Herbert Kitchener, 1st Earl Kitchener KG, KP, GCB, OM, GCSI, GCMG, GCIE, ADC, PC , was an Irish-born British Field Marshal and proconsul who won fame for his imperial campaigns and later played a central role in the early part of the First World War, although he died halfway...
of Khartoum
Khartoum
Khartoum is the capital and largest city of Sudan and of Khartoum State. It is located at the confluence of the White Nile flowing north from Lake Victoria, and the Blue Nile flowing west from Ethiopia. The location where the two Niles meet is known as "al-Mogran"...
, newly appointed Commander-in-Chief, India
Commander-in-Chief, India
During the period of the British Raj, the Commander-in-Chief, India was the supreme commander of the Indian Army. The Commander-in-Chief and most of his staff were based at General Headquarters, India, and liaised with the civilian Governor-General of India...
, completed the unification of the three armies
Army
An army An army An army (from Latin arma "arms, weapons" via Old French armée, "armed" (feminine), in the broadest sense, is the land-based military of a nation or state. It may also include other branches of the military such as the air force via means of aviation corps...
of the former Presidencies (Bengal
Bengal Army
The Bengal Army was the army of the Presidency of Bengal, one of the three Presidencies of British India, in South Asia. Although based in Bengal in eastern India, the presidency stretched across northern India and the Himalayas all the way to the North West Frontier Province...
, Bombay
Bombay Army
The Bombay Army was the army of the Bombay Presidency, one of the three Presidencies of British India, in South Asia.The Presidency armies, like the presidencies themselves, belonged to the East India Company until the Government of India Act 1858 transferred all three presidencies to the direct...
, Madras
Madras Army
The Madras Army was the army of the Presidency of Madras, one of the three presidencies of the British India within the British Empire.The presidency armies, like the presidencies themselves, belonged to the East India Company until the Government of India Act 1858 transferred all three...
), and also the Punjab Frontier Force, the Hyderabad Contingent and other local forces, into one Indian Army.
The principles underlying the reforms were that:-
- defence of the North-West FrontierNorth-West Frontier (military history)The North-West Frontier was the most difficult area, from a military point of view, of the former British India in the Indian sub-continent. It remains the frontier of present-day Pakistan, extending from the Pamir Knot in the north to the Koh-i-Malik Siah in the west, and separating the...
against foreign aggression was the army's primary role - all units were to have training and experience in that role on that frontier
- the army's organisation should be the same in peace as in war
- maintaining internal securityInternal securityInternal security, or IS, is the act of keeping peace within the borders of a sovereign state or other self-governing territories. generally by upholding the national law and defending against internal security threats...
was for the army a secondary role, in support of the policePoliceThe police is a personification of the state designated to put in practice the enforced law, protect property and reduce civil disorder in civilian matters. Their powers include the legitimized use of force...
Background
In the aftermath of the Indian mutiny, the three armies of the former Presidencies of the East India CompanyEast India Company
The East India Company was an early English joint-stock company that was formed initially for pursuing trade with the East Indies, but that ended up trading mainly with the Indian subcontinent and China...
passed to the British crown. They remained separate forces, each with its own Commander-in-Chief
Commander-in-Chief
A commander-in-chief is the commander of a nation's military forces or significant element of those forces. In the latter case, the force element may be defined as those forces within a particular region or those forces which are associated by function. As a practical term it refers to the military...
. Overall operational control was exercised by the C-in-C of the Bengal Army
Bengal Army
The Bengal Army was the army of the Presidency of Bengal, one of the three Presidencies of British India, in South Asia. Although based in Bengal in eastern India, the presidency stretched across northern India and the Himalayas all the way to the North West Frontier Province...
, who was formally the Commander-in-Chief of the East Indies.
From 1861, most of the officer manpower was pooled in the three Presidential Staff Corps.
After the Second Afghan War a commission of enquiry recommended the abolition of the presidency armies. The Ordnance
Military logistics
Military logistics is the discipline of planning and carrying out the movement and maintenance of military forces. In its most comprehensive sense, it is those aspects or military operations that deal with:...
, Supply and Transport, and Pay branches were by then unified.
The Punjab Frontier Force was under the direct control of the Lieutenant-Governor of the Punjab
Punjab (British India)
Punjab was a province of British India, it was one of the last areas of the Indian subcontinent to fall under British rule. With the end of British rule in 1947 the province was split between West Punjab, which went to Pakistan, and East Punjab, which went to India...
during peacetime until 1886, when it came under the C-in-C, India.
The Hyderabad Contingent and other local corps remained under direct governmental control.
Standing higher formations - divisions
Division (military)
A division is a large military unit or formation usually consisting of between 10,000 and 20,000 soldiers. In most armies, a division is composed of several regiments or brigades, and in turn several divisions typically make up a corps...
and brigades - were abandoned in 1889. No divisional staffs were maintained in peacetime, and troops were dispersed throughout the sub-continent, with internal security as their main function.
In 1891 the three Staff Corps were merged into one Indian Staff Corps
Indian Staff Corps
The Indian Staff Corps was a branch of the Indian Army during the British Raj.Separate Staff Corps were formed in 1861 for the Bengal, Madras and Bombay Armies, which were later combined into the Indian Army. They were meant to provide officers for the native regiments and for the staff and army...
.
Two years later the Madras
Madras Army
The Madras Army was the army of the Presidency of Madras, one of the three presidencies of the British India within the British Empire.The presidency armies, like the presidencies themselves, belonged to the East India Company until the Government of India Act 1858 transferred all three...
and Bombay Armies
Bombay Army
The Bombay Army was the army of the Bombay Presidency, one of the three Presidencies of British India, in South Asia.The Presidency armies, like the presidencies themselves, belonged to the East India Company until the Government of India Act 1858 transferred all three presidencies to the direct...
lost their posts of Commander-in-Chief.
In 1895 the Presidency Armies were abolished and the Indian Army created thereby was re-grouped into four commands
Command (military formation)
A command in military terminology is an organisational unit that the individual in Military command has responsibility for. A Commander will normally be specifically appointed into the role in order to provide a legal framework for the authority bestowed...
:
- Bengal
- Madras (including Burma)
- Bombay (including SindSind DivisionThe Sind Division was the name of Sindh after being annexed by the Bombay Presidency province of British India in 1843 , following a British Indian conquest led by then Major-General Charles Napier. The region separated from the Bombay Presidency to become the Sind Province on 1936-04-01....
, QuettaQuettais the largest city and the provincial capital of the Balochistan Province of Pakistan. Known as the "Fruit Garden of Pakistan" due to the diversity of its plant and animal wildlife, Quetta is home to the Hazarganji Chiltan National Park, which contains some of the rarest species of wildlife in the...
, and AdenAdenAden is a seaport city in Yemen, located by the eastern approach to the Red Sea , some 170 kilometres east of Bab-el-Mandeb. Its population is approximately 800,000. Aden's ancient, natural harbour lies in the crater of an extinct volcano which now forms a peninsula, joined to the mainland by a...
) - Punjab (including the North-West Frontier and the Punjab Frontier Force)
Each was under the command of a Lt.-General, who answered directly to the C-in-C, India.
Concentrating troops
Lord Kitchener found the army scattered across the country in stationsMilitary base
A military base is a facility directly owned and operated by or for the military or one of its branches that shelters military equipment and personnel, and facilitates training and operations. In general, a military base provides accommodations for one or more units, but it may also be used as a...
at brigade
Brigade
A brigade is a major tactical military formation that is typically composed of two to five battalions, plus supporting elements depending on the era and nationality of a given army and could be perceived as an enlarged/reinforced regiment...
or regiment
Regiment
A regiment is a major tactical military unit, composed of variable numbers of batteries, squadrons or battalions, commanded by a colonel or lieutenant colonel...
al strength, and in effect, providing garrisons
Garrison
Garrison is the collective term for a body of troops stationed in a particular location, originally to guard it, but now often simply using it as a home base....
for most of the major cities.
The reformed Indian Army was to be stationed in operational formations and concentrated in the north of the sub-continent
Indian subcontinent
The Indian subcontinent, also Indian Subcontinent, Indo-Pak Subcontinent or South Asian Subcontinent is a region of the Asian continent on the Indian tectonic plate from the Hindu Kush or Hindu Koh, Himalayas and including the Kuen Lun and Karakoram ranges, forming a land mass which extends...
. The C-in-C's plan called for nine fighting divisions
Division (military)
A division is a large military unit or formation usually consisting of between 10,000 and 20,000 soldiers. In most armies, a division is composed of several regiments or brigades, and in turn several divisions typically make up a corps...
grouped in two corps
Corps
A corps is either a large formation, or an administrative grouping of troops within an armed force with a common function such as Artillery or Signals representing an arm of service...
commands on the main axes through the North-West Frontier:-
- five divisions on the axis LucknowLucknowLucknow is the capital city of Uttar Pradesh in India. Lucknow is the administrative headquarters of Lucknow District and Lucknow Division....
– PeshawarPeshawarPeshawar is the capital of Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa and the administrative center and central economic hub for the Federally Administered Tribal Areas of Pakistan....
– KhyberKhyber PassThe Khyber Pass, is a mountain pass linking Pakistan and Afghanistan.The Pass was an integral part of the ancient Silk Road. It is mentioned in the Bible as the "Pesh Habor," and it is one of the oldest known passes in the world.... - four divisions on the axis Bombay – Mhow – QuettaQuettais the largest city and the provincial capital of the Balochistan Province of Pakistan. Known as the "Fruit Garden of Pakistan" due to the diversity of its plant and animal wildlife, Quetta is home to the Hazarganji Chiltan National Park, which contains some of the rarest species of wildlife in the...
However, the cost of abandoning some thirty-four stations and building new ones in the proposed corps areas was considered prohibitive, and that aspect of the plan had to be modified.
Permanent higher formations
Under the compromise adopted in 1905, the four existing commands were reduced to three, and together with Army Headquarters, arranged in ten standing divisions and four independent brigades:- Northern Command
-
- 1st (Peshawar) Division1st (Peshawar) DivisionThe 1st Division was a Regular Division of the British Indian Army it was formed after the Kitchener reforms of the Indian Army in 1903. During World War I it remained in India for local defence but it was mobilised for action on the North West Frontier on several occasions during the period.The...
- 2nd (Rawalpindi) Division2nd (Rawalpindi) DivisionThe 2nd Division was a regular army division of the British Indian Army. It was formed in 1903 after the Kitchener reforms of the Indian Army. During World War I it remained in India for local defence but it was mobilised for action on the North West Frontier on several occasions during the period...
- 3rd (Lahore) Division3rd (Lahore) DivisionThe 3rd Division was an infantry division of the British Indian Army, first organised in 1852. It saw service during World War I as part of the Indian Corps in France before being moved to the Middle East where it fought against troops of the Ottoman Empire.-Pre-Mutiny:The Lahore Division first...
- Kohat BrigadeKohat BrigadeThe Kohat Brigade was formed after the 1903 reforms of the British Indian Army by Herbert Kitchener when he was Commander-in-Chief, India. The brigade was part of the Northern Army and deployed along the North West Frontier...
- Bannu BrigadeBannu BrigadeThe Bannu Brigade was formed after the 1903 reforms of the British Indian Army by Herbert Kitchener when he was Commander-in-Chief, India. The brigade was part of the Northern Army and deployed along the North West Frontier...
- Derajat BrigadeDerajat BrigadeThe Derajat Brigade was formed after the 1903 reforms of the British Indian Army by Herbert Kitchener when he was Commander-in-Chief, India. The brigade was part of the Northern Army and deployed along the North West Frontier...
- 1st (Peshawar) Division
- Western Command
-
- 4th (Quetta) Division4th (Quetta) DivisionThe 4th Division was an infantry division of the British Indian Army. It was formed by General Kitchener while he was Commander-in-chief of India. During World War I the division remained in India...
- 5th (Mhow) Division5th (Mhow) DivisionThe 5th Division was a regular division of the British Indian Army and part of the Southern Army which was formed in 1903 after Lord Kitchener was appointed Commander-in-Chief, India between 1902 and 1909...
- 6th (Poona) Division6th (Poona) DivisionFor the World War II formation see 6th Infantry Division The 6th Division was a division of the British Indian Army. It was formed in 1903, following the Kitchener reforms of the Indian Army.-World War I:...
- Aden BrigadeAden BrigadeThe Aden Brigade was a formation of the British Indian Army formed for service in Aden during World War I. It was commanded by Major General Bell and consisted of the:*Aden Cavalry Troop*1st Battalion Royal Irish Rifles*109th Infantry...
- 4th (Quetta) Division
- Eastern Command
-
- 7th (Meerut) Division7th (Meerut) DivisionThe 7th Division was an infantry division of the British Indian Army that saw active service during World War I.-Pre-Mutiny:The Meerut Division first appeared in the Indian Army List in 1829, under the command of Sir Jasper Nicolls, KCB...
- 8th (Lucknow) Division
- 7th (Meerut) Division
- Army Headquarters
-
- 9th (Secunderabad) Division9th (Secunderabad) DivisionThe 9th Division was a formation of the British Indian Army. It was part of the Southern Army and was formed in 1904 after Lord Kitchener was appointed Commander-in-Chief, India between 1902 and 1909...
- Burma DivisionBurma DivisionThe Burma Division was a static formation of the British Indian Army. It was created as part of the 1903 reforms of the Indian Army by Herbert Kitchener, 1st Earl Kitchener then Commander-in-Chief, India. The task of such formations was to oversee area brigades commanding Internal Security troops...
- 9th (Secunderabad) Division
The numbered divisions were organised so that on mobilisation they could deploy a complete infantry division, a cavalry
Cavalry
Cavalry or horsemen were soldiers or warriors who fought mounted on horseback. Cavalry were historically the third oldest and the most mobile of the combat arms...
brigade, and a number of troops for internal security or local frontier defence.
Permanent divisional commands were formed with an establishment of staff officers under a Major-General.
Rotating regiments through postings
Regimental battalions were not permanently allocated to particular divisions or brigades, but instead spent some years in one formation, and were then posted to another elsewhere. This rotating arrangement was intended both to provide all units with experience of active service on the Frontier, and to prevent them becoming 'localised' in static regimental stations. In contrast, the divisional locations remained constant, as indicated by their respective titles.Renumbering and renaming the regiments
To emphasize that there was now only one Indian Army, and that all units were to be trained and deployed without regard for their regional origins, the regiments were renumbered into single sequences of cavalry, artilleryArtillery
Originally applied to any group of infantry primarily armed with projectile weapons, artillery has over time become limited in meaning to refer only to those engines of war that operate by projection of munitions far beyond the range of effect of personal weapons...
, infantry of the Line, and Gúrkha Rifles.
Regimental designations were altered to remove all references to the former Presidential Armies. Where appropriate subsidiary titles recalling other identifying details were adopted. Thus the 2nd Bengal Lancers became the 2nd Lancers (Gardner's Horse)
2nd Lancers (Gardner's Horse)
The 2nd Lancers was a cavalry regiment of the British Indian Army raised in 1809. It served in the Nepal and First World Wars. During the reconstruction of the British Indian Army in 1922 it was amalgamated with the 4th Cavalry....
.
The new order began with the Bengal regiments, followed by the Punjab Frontier Force, then the regiments of Madras, the Hyderabad Contingent, and Bombay. Wherever possible a significant digit was retained in the new number. Thus the 1st Sikh Infantry became the 51st Sikhs, the 1st Madras Pioneers became the 61st Pioneers
61st Pioneers
The 61st Pioneers were an infantry regiment of the British Indian Army. They could trace their origins to 1758, when they were raised as the 1st Battalion Coast Sepoys....
, and the 1st Bombay Grenadiers became the 101st Grenadiers
101st Grenadiers
-The beginning:The Regiment was first formed in 1778 after 6 grenadier companies were combined to form a composite battalion. The Regiment took part in the First Mahratta War against the Mahratta Empire and fought in a number of engagements against them, including the Battle of Talegoan where they...
.
The Gúrkha Regiments had developed into their own Line of rifle regiments since 1861. They were five in number when they were joined by the former 42nd, 43rd, & 44th Gúrkha Regiments of the Bengal Army, who became the 6th, 7th, & 8th Gúrkha Rifles. The numbers 42, 43, & 44 were allocated respectively to the Deoli and Erinpura
43rd Erinpura Regiment
The 43rd Erinpura Regiment was a regiment of the British Indian Army. They were raised in 1860, as the Erinpoorah Irregular Force by a Lt-Col J F W Hall and at that time consisted of both cavalry and infantry units. After the Kitchener reforms of the Indian Army in 1903, they became an infantry...
Irregular Forces and the Mhairwara
44th Merwara Infantry
The 44th Merwara Infantry was an infantry regiment of the British Indian Army. They could trace their origins to 1824, when the Sylhet Light Infantry was raised. This first 44th eventually became the 44th Gurkhas and later 8th Gurkha Rifles....
Battalion from Rajputana
Rajputana
Rājputāna was the pre-1949 name of the present-day Indian state of Rājasthān, the largest state of the Republic of India in terms of area. George Thomas was the first in 1800 A.D., to term this region as Rajputana...
.
The mountain
Mountain gun
Mountain guns are artillery pieces designed for use in mountain warfare and areas where usual wheeled transport is not possible. They are similar to infantry support guns, and are generally capable of being broken down into smaller loads .Due to their ability to be broken down into smaller...
batteries
Artillery battery
In military organizations, an artillery battery is a unit of guns, mortars, rockets or missiles so grouped in order to facilitate better battlefield communication and command and control, as well as to provide dispersion for its constituent gunnery crews and their systems...
had already lost their numbers two years earlier. Under the 1903 reforms they were renumbered with twenty added to their original numbers. The Queen's Own Corps of Guides, Punjab Frontier Force, composed of cavalry squadrons and infantry companies
Company (military unit)
A company is a military unit, typically consisting of 80–225 soldiers and usually commanded by a Captain, Major or Commandant. Most companies are formed of three to five platoons although the exact number may vary by country, unit type, and structure...
, was renamed the Queen's Own Corps of Guides (Lumsden's) but stayed numberless.
The new regimental numbering and namings were notified in India Army Order 181, dated 2 October 1903.
-
- See List of regiments of the Indian Army (1903)
General Staff
In 1903 the title of the Indian Staff CorpsIndian Staff Corps
The Indian Staff Corps was a branch of the Indian Army during the British Raj.Separate Staff Corps were formed in 1861 for the Bengal, Madras and Bombay Armies, which were later combined into the Indian Army. They were meant to provide officers for the native regiments and for the staff and army...
was abolished, and thereafter officers were simply appointed to the Indian Army.
A General Staff
General Staff
A military staff, often referred to as General Staff, Army Staff, Navy Staff or Air Staff within the individual services, is a group of officers and enlisted personnel that provides a bi-directional flow of information between a commanding officer and subordinate military units...
was then created to deal with
- overall military policy
- supervision of training in peacetime
- conduct of operationsMilitary operationMilitary operation is the coordinated military actions of a state in response to a developing situation. These actions are designed as a military plan to resolve the situation in the state's favor. Operations may be of combat or non-combat types, and are referred to by a code name for the purpose...
in war - distribution of forces for internal security or external deploymentMilitary deploymentMilitary deployment is the movement of armed forces and their logistical support infrastructure around the world.-United States:The United States Military defines the term as follows:...
- plans for future operations
- collecting intelligenceIntelligence (information gathering)Intelligence assessment is the development of forecasts of behaviour or recommended courses of action to the leadership of an organization, based on a wide range of available information sources both overt and covert. Assessments are developed in response to requirements declared by the leadership...
Functions were divided along British lines into two branches; those of the
- Adjutant-General, dealing with training, discipline, and personnel, and the
- Quartermaster-General, dealing with supplies, accommodation, an communications.
In 1906 a General Branch was established to deal with
- military policy
- organisation and deployment
- mobilisation and war plans
- intelligence and the conduct of operations
The Chiefs of the staff branches answered to the Chief of the General Staff
Chief of the General Staff
The Chief of the General Staff is a post in many armed forces , the head of the military staff.See also:*Chief of the General Staff *Chief of General Staff of Azerbaijani Armed Forces...
(India), whose post was held by a Lieutenant-General.
To provide training for the staff officers, the Indian Staff College
Staff college
Staff colleges train military officers in the administrative, staff and policy aspects of their profession. It is usual for such training to occur at several levels in a career...
was established in 1905, and permanently based at Quetta
Quetta
is the largest city and the provincial capital of the Balochistan Province of Pakistan. Known as the "Fruit Garden of Pakistan" due to the diversity of its plant and animal wildlife, Quetta is home to the Hazarganji Chiltan National Park, which contains some of the rarest species of wildlife in the...
from 1907. (Today Pakistan
Pakistan
Pakistan , officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan is a sovereign state in South Asia. It has a coastline along the Arabian Sea and the Gulf of Oman in the south and is bordered by Afghanistan and Iran in the west, India in the east and China in the far northeast. In the north, Tajikistan...
's Command and Staff College
Command and Staff College
The Command and Staff College was established in 1907 at Quetta, Balochistan, British Raj, now in Pakistan, and is the oldest and the most prestigious institution of the Pakistan Army. It was established in 1905 in Deolali and moved to its present location at Quetta in 1907 under the name of Quetta...
).
Shortcomings
With no intermediate chain of commandChain of Command
Chain of Command may refer to:* Chain of command, in a military context, the line of authority and responsibility along which orders are passed* "Chain of Command" , the fifth episode of the first season of Beast Wars...
, Army Headquarters was weighed down with minor administrative details. Divisional commanders were responsible not only for their active formations, but also for internal security and volunteer troops within their respective areas. On mobilisation, divisional staffs took the field, leaving no-one to maintain the local administration. Supporting services
Military logistics
Military logistics is the discipline of planning and carrying out the movement and maintenance of military forces. In its most comprehensive sense, it is those aspects or military operations that deal with:...
were insufficient, and many troops intended for the field army
Field Force
A Field Force in British and Indian Army military parlance is a combined arms land force operating under actual or assumed combat circumstances usually for the length of a specific military campaign....
were not moved from their old stations into the areas of their new divisional command. These defects became clear during the First World War, and lead to further reorganisation.