'Military Lessons of the Arab Rebellion in Palestine 1936' [‎27v] (59/294)

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CIIAPT3R 5
gCx,.d^iO^RS ST-g-rS
THE SYSTSI'i OF COIv^^M)
The Higher Comman d
The system of command in Palestine was somewhat complicated. The
High Commissioner, who was also nominal Commander-in-Chief, bore the
ultimate responsibility for the maintenance of law and order, and there
fore directed the higher policy and was the supreme co-ordinating
authority. The Air Officer Commanding (Air Vice-Marshal R.E.C. Peirse,
D.S.O., A.F.C.) was His Excellency’s military adviser in all matters
connected with the land and air forces, and was responsible to the High
Commissioner for the employment of these forces. There was nothing
unusual in this system, which followed a normal colonial procedure;
but practical difficulties arose at the outset of the rebellion owing
to a different interpretation of the powers of the Commander-in-Chief
and the Air Officer Commanding respectively in relation to command of
the forces in the field. Paragraph 28 of ’ ’The King’s Regulations fo r
the Army ", which is quoted in full below, appeared to define these
powers precisely, and the Air Officer Commanding assumed that it was
directly applicable to Palestine* Paragraph 129 (l) of ’’ The King’s
Regulations for the Royal Air Force and Air Council Instructions ” is
worded in almost identical language:
" The governor of a colony, protectorate or mandated territory is
the single and supreme authority responsible to and representati ve
of His Majesty. He is, by virtue of his commission, and the
letters patent, entitled to the obedience and assistance of all
military and civil officers, but although bearing the title of
captain-general or commander-in-chief, and although he may be a
military officer, senior in rank to the officer commanding th e
forces; he^is not, except on special appointment from His Majesty,
invested with the command of His Majesty’s Forces in the colon y,
protectorate or mandated territory. He is not, therefore,
entitled to take the immediate direction of any military opera -
—or, ex cept in cases of urgent necessity, to communicat e,
with subordinate military officers wi thout the con-
currenc e of the officer commandin g the forces, to whom any such
exceptio nal communication must be immediately notified "^
Though these instructions may have been clear enough to the officer
comman mg the forces, the High Commissioner interpreted them however
m a very much wider sense.
^ t/y as t * le Arny was concerned the Air Officer Commanding
, . . e , e oyment of the troops, hut the responsibility for thei
. nlri 't lns Poc ion and general administration lav with the General
and t S e Briti:sh Tro °P s in Egypt. For the training
Offi^to a a 10n ° f R ° yal Air P ° r0e units ^3 command the Air
of ° ommandla 8 was responsible to A.O.C. Middle East. The result
in mnn 103 ® 3ys '!' em was that each commander had responsibilitie
the Cnlonit 1 oft' 11 ' 3l:don * High Commissioner dealt direct with
c—icatfwofwh a ^ 0ne > but Officer CcMnanding had to
Commissioner.' Th^senLfNavaf'offi ' 1 ' 116 ^ C °™ aJ ?^ 811(1 the Hi ^
fnmm-i v, , , ,. or WcAVa l Officer was responsible to the High
° ner n t0 the Commander-in-Chief, Mediterranean. The O.C.
British TrfSri T PS f dealt airCCt either the A *°- C - or the G ‘ 0J
British xroops in Egypt according to the subject. The arrival of