COMPOSITION OF A BRITISH EXPEDITIONARY FORCE.

Manawatu Herald, Volume XXXVI, Issue 1287, 22 August 1914, Page 4

COMPOSITION OF A BRITISH EXPEDITIONARY FORCE.

The units of the British Home Army which have always been regarded as the expeditionary force comprise six divisions, the cavalry division, and certain “ army troops” and “line communication troops,” having a total establishment of 165,000 officers and men. A British army division consists of three infantry brigades of four battalions each, four field artillery, brigades, one heavy battery, one ammunition column, two companies of engineers, one signal company, one squadron or cavalry, one aeroplane squadron, one divisional train, and three field ambulances in all, 298 officers, 18,075 other rank, 6161 horses, and 76 guns. A cavalry division consists ot four cavalry brigades, two horse artillery brigades, four engineer troops, one signal squadron, and four signal troops, one aeroplane squadron, one cavalry train, and four field ambulances—total establishment, 486 officers, 9410 other ranks, 10,195 horses, and 24 guns, “Army troops” include two mounted brigades, each consisting of either one cavalry regiment and two mounted infantry battalions, or of two cavalry regiments and one mounted infantry battalion, with one horse artillery battery, one amunition column, one signal troop, one train, and one ambulance.

According to the cabled report, the expeditionary force has been divided into three army corps, in conformity with the system ot army units prevailing on the Continent. Each army corps will probably consist of two divisions, numbering close upon 40,000 men. Much importance has been placed on the assistance of the British expeditionary force. Calais, where the main body of the British expeditionary force has been landed, is the principal port for the Continental passenger traffic with England, carried on by the South-eastern and Chatham and Northern of France railways. It is within 40 miles of the Belgian frontier, and is in direct railway communication with Brussels by of Lille.