Rider's Training Manual

112. Outline procedure.

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1. The inspection or review ground will be marked as laid down in Sec. 113.

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2. The formation or unit to be inspected will be drawn up in line, close column or mass formation on the inspection line.

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3. Before the inspecting officer arrives on the ground, ranks will be opened and, when the units are formed up in close column or mass, officers and standards, guidons or colours brought to the front.

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4. The inspecting or reviewing officer will be received in accordance with the instructions laid down in Sec. 115 .

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5. When units receive an inspecting or reviewing officer in close column or mass formation, that formation will be resumed by officers, standards, guidons or colours before the actual inspection begins.

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6. The inspecting or reviewing officer will carry out his inspection as laid down in Sec. 117 on the completion of which he will give orders for the march past.

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7. Units and formations will then march past in accordance with the instructions laid down in subsequent sections of this manual.

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8. After completing the march past, units and formations will return to their original position on the inspection line and await orders. If ordered to advance in review order, the procedure will be as laid down in Sec. 116.

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113. The inspection or review parade ground.

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<____60 yds_____><_______60 yds____>

I

I________________I____________I___I___I______________I_____________I

F E D C B A

<__________Saluting Base____________>

<————————————-Passing Line———————————->

I————————————-Inspection Line——————————->

G H

 

                                                                                          LEGEND

A. Before regiments, etc., march past after the inspection they will move in column of route from the right and will be formed up at point A facing left in close column of companies, the front rank of the leading company being in alignment with Point A. When the order to march past is given, companies will step off at column interval by the right, the word of command being given in succession by the company commanders in such time as to step off their companies at the correct distances.

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B. On reaching Point B, if in slow time, the command “Open Order” will be given Sec. 111.

C. “Eyes – Right”

D. “Eyes – Front”

E. “Close Order” (if applicable).

F. “Halt”

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1. The length of the inspection line G. – H. depands on the frontage of the troops being inspected. Its distance from the passing line will depend on the greatest frontage occupied by any unit when marching past, plus the depth occupied by the band or massed massed bands while playing the troops past.

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2. The length of the saluting base (B – E) will not be less than 120 yards nor greater than 260 yards, the distance being dependent on local conditions. The march past begins at Point B and ends at Point E. The reviewing officer will be behind the centre of the saluting base. Ten yards on either side of him, along the saluting base, are two points, C and D, at which the salute will begin and finish respectively.

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If a march past is to take place without opening and closing order, ie. in quick time, Points B and E can be dispensed with ; Points A and F should however remain at their original distances.

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3. The portion of the passing line A – B should be of sufficient length to enable units to obtain their direction before reaching the saluting base. Units will move up to Point B in close formation ; from that point, they will adopt the formation laid down for them in the orders for the review or inspection.

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4. As a general rule the passing line will be the same length as the inspection line.

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5. All the points will be marked by flags or markers. Flags or posts may be set up to mark the line on which the troops are to form, or the line may be picked out or marked with whitewash.

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114. Special instructions for officers.

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1. The Parade Commander.

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(a) If wearing a sword, he will not draw it unless a senior officer is on parade.

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(b) After he has marched past and saluted, he will move out and place himself on the right of the inspecting officer and will remain there until the parade has passed. During this period the second-in -command will assume command.

 

NOTE: (a) If wearing a sword, the parade commander will remain at the Carry while on the saluting base or in company with the inspecting or reviewing officer.

 

(b) The commander of any parade which involves a gallop past mounted will not leave the parade.

 

2. Saluting when Marching Past.

 

(a) With Swords Drawn: – The salute will begin on the command “Eyes-right” and finish on the order “Eyes-front”. In the case of individual officers it will begin in sufficient time to enable the fourth motion of the sword to be completed on arrival at Point C and the Carry to be resumed at Point D, the time being taken from the officer on the inner flank.

 

(b) With Swords Not Drawn: – Officers will salute with the hand. The salute will begin at Point C and finish at Point D, officers in front of leading sub-units taking their time from the commanding officer, remaining officers taking the time from their squadron, battery or company commander.

 

(c) Marching Past in the Reverse Order : – The parade commander alone will salute.

 

(d) Marching Past in Column of Route: – When swords are drawn the parade commander alone will salute. When swords are not drawn, all officers will salute with the hand as in sub-paragraph (b) above.

 

NOTE : – Normally officers will not salute with the sword when marching past in quick time, but will turn off the head and eyes.

 

3. Method of Returning Swords.

 

Unless specially ordered to do so earlier, officers will return swords when dismissing in accordance with para 4 below.

 

4. Dismissing at the conclusion of the parade.

 

On the command “Fall out the Officers”, officers will march up to the officer commanding the parade (those with swords drawn at the Carry), halt five paces from him, salute, return swords, and form up in rear of the commander until the parade is dismissed.

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115. Receiving an inspecting or reviewing officer.

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1. General Instructions. – The unit or formation will be drawn up on the inspection line with its centre opposite the point at which the inspecting or reviewing officer will post himself.

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(a) Swords will be at the Slope in mounted units, at the Carry in dismounted units.

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(b) In units armed with rifles, bayonets will be fixed and arms sloped.

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2. Special instructions. – When the inspecting or reviewing officer presents himself before the centre, he will be received with the general salute in accordance with the following procedure :-

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(a) Mounted Units

“General salute. Carry-Swords”. Officers will take the time from the parade commander, if wearing the sword, or from their own commanding officer. NCO’s will not salute. The officers will then Recover and Carry swords taking the time as above.

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(b) Band.

The band will play the first part of a slow march with drums beating ; if there is no band on parade, the trumpeters will sound the general salute.

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(c) Standard. Guidon and Colours, if carried, will salute only such persons as are entitled to the honour. See Queens Regulations, 1940, para.942.

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116. The Inspection.

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1. Inspection of a single unit.

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(a) When a unit has received a reviewing or inspecting officer in close column or mass formation, that formation will be resumed before the actual inspection begins, ie, officers and colours will again take post in front of their respective companies.

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(b) The commanding officer will then give the order “Stand fast No…..Company” (ie, the right hand sub-unit) – “Remainder Stand at-ease”.

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(c) The reviewing or inspecting officer, accompanied by the commanding officer and such other officers, orderlies, etc., as may be in attendance will then pass down the front rank of the sub-unit from right to left, the centre rank fom left to right, and the rear rank from right to left.

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NOTE.- (i) He will pass along the serefile or supernumerary rank at his own discretion.

 

(ii) All persons accompanying the reviewing or inspecting officer during the inspection will position themselves to his rear or on the side furtherest from the rank being inspected at the time.

 

(d) Sub-unit commanders will thereafter call their sub-units to “Attention” as the reviewing or inspecting officer moves towards the left of the rear rank of the sub-unit on the right.

 

(e) Once the reviewing or inspecting officer has moved to begin his inspection of the next sub-unit, the sub-unit just inspected will be ordered by its commander to “Stand at ease”.

 

(f) The band will play or the trumpets sound until the reviewing or inspecting officer has completed his inspection.

 

(g) The reviewing or inspecting officer will then give orders for the march past.

 

117. Advancing in Review Order.

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1. If a unit or formation is to advance in review order at the conclusion of the parade, it will normally form up on the inspection line in the same formation in which it received the reviewing officer, the band being in the rear of the centre.

The detailed procedure will be as follows :-

 

2. Mounted Units.

 

(a) The ssrefile officers ( and standard or guidon) will move to the front and take posy as at Open Order.

(b) “Carry Swords – Walk – March”. The unit will advance by the centre, and the band will begin to play. The ranks will not be opened..

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(c) “Halt”. This command will be given when within 40 or 50 yards of the reviewing officer. The band will cease playing.

 

(d) “General salute – Eyes centre “. The officers will salute taking the time from the commanding officer, and the band will play.

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After the officers have Recovered and Carried swords in time with the commanding officer, the unit will remain at Attention and await orders for dispersal.

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118. Marching Past – Mounted Units – Procedure outline.

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1. The march past will usually be executed in the following five stages :-

(a) March past at the walk

(b) Ranking past by single file, usually at the walk.

(c) Ranking past by sections, usually at the trot.

(d) Trot past.

(e) Gallop past, usually performed in the reverse direction on an all mounted parade.

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After completing stages (b) and (c) mounted units will, on arrival at point F, wheel left into column and move round the square back to Point A, when they will form up in readiness for the next stage.

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2. After completing the whole of the march past as ordered, troops will be drawn up and halted in their original positions on the inspecting line. If they are ordered to advance in review order, the procedure will be as laid down in Sec 116.