File 5257/1919 'Persia: the Military Commission' [‎37v] (79/534)

s
brigades termed the Ears and Kerman brigades^
Kerman respectively. These brigades are
.‘ndSrBSi^cfflS >-? * s **« " £ Bril,8h “ d
The force is divided into two
-with headquarters at Shiraz
comm
two Persian officers.
The Bars brigade «»*. - 5
-S brigade coik. 1 ^ SQU adron of four guns, an engineer
cavalry, one 4 -gun battery, a . hospital an ordnance depot, one mule corps,
company, a field ambulance, a Supply The Kerman brigade is similarly
hiSa"”'^ iSd 7 of three be.t.Uorrs, and four instead
ofthree^quadrons, and there is no thr ee or font companies.
The infantry is or S a '“®® . £ f ou|r sections. Battalion headquarters
each company into four P a v p’ - fficerg an( j t hree British n.c.os. Companies
consists of three British and five , P ®.™ °“ cers or Asp i ran . Battalions have
are commanded by a Su an an P « pooled at brigade headquarters and
no battalion transport; all the transport is panea utu g arraneement^
flllnttpri as reauired The same system is m force as regards medical arrangement..
Battalions tvhkh are detached have Persian medical officers posted to them; the sick
of all other battalions are treated at station hospitals, sa n a drons each
The cavalry is organised into regiments of three or tour squadrons, each
squadron into four troops, each troop into three sections. Regimental headquarters
consists of two British and five Persian officers, with four British n.c.os. Squadrons
are commanded bv a Sultan, and troops by a Naib or Aspiran. The remarks under
infantry regarding medical and transport arrangements apply equally to cavalry
The batteries of artillery consist each of two sections, each of two 1 guns, the
Kerman battery has four British 10 -pounder guns, the Shiraz battery has two
British 10 -pounders and two Schneider mountain guns. Batteries aie commanded,
by a British officer assisted by a second British officer and three British n.c.qs.
Sections are commanded by a Sultan or a Naib. 137 rounds per gun are carried in
battery charge. There is no special ammunition, reserve requirements being met
from India.
Machine-gun squadrons consist of two sections, each of two guns. In the Kerman
brigade both sections are mounted, in the Ears brigade one is mounted and one
dismounted.
The engineer company is not trained as a field company, and is employed purely
as a works unit.
The medical organisation consists of a modified field ambulance in each brigade,
which besides providing for local hospitals can furnish a mobile unit for minor
operations.
There is one veterinary hospital in each brigade, and each mounted unit has
either a trained dresser or an Indian sedutri. In each brigade one salutri or British
farrier is available for movable columns.
In each brigade there is an ordnance depot under a British warrant officer.
These depots are dependent for their stores on British base depots.
There is a mule corps in each brigade. This does not provide sufficient first
line transport for the whole of the brigade, but would provide enough for first line
transport of any movable column likely to be required. Remaining transport
requirements would be provided by hire. The mule corps have a proportion of
donkeys attached to them, and there is in addition in each brigade a cart corps used
for convoy work.
Eachi brigade has a Brigade Supply Office and a depot unit of supply, including
a mobile section. rr j >
In addition to the above organisations tufangchis are maintained bv the South
Persia Rifles who police the roads. They are recruited from the local tribes.
11. luiurpment.—TYw, arms and equipment are British pattern as issued either
now or formerly to the Indian army, from whence they are obtained. The infantry
have the long Lee-Enfield rifle and the cavalry the -303 carbine. The artillery have
( -, e pqun er f 1 18 111(111 n aln gun, except two which are French Schneiders.
Banners in the artillery are armed with carbines, drivers with swords only
I he clothing is of Indian pattern, except the headdress which is Persian A
khaki service uniform is provided and a blue fatigue dress in addition All arms
wear the same uniform, except that mounted men have a “ kurta ’’ and breeches
instead of a blouse and knickers. Special enlistments such as cooks have a special
biennially. RelleWals are made on a scale wMch 18 ^id down, either annually or