Recruit Drill

Instruction of the recruit.— 1. The instructors must be clear, firm and concise in giving their directions. They must allow for the different capacity of the recruits, and be patient where endeavour and good-will are apparent.

2. Recruits should fully comprehend one part of their drill before they proceed to another. When first taught their positions, they should be properly placed by the instructor; when more advanced, they should not be touched, but taught to correct themselves when admonished. They should not be kept too long at any one part of their exercise. Marching without arms should be intermixed with the rifle instruction.

Duration of Drills, &c.—Short and frequent drills are preferable to long lessons, which exhaust the attention of both the instructor and recruit. The recruits should be moved on progressively from squad to squad according to their merit, so that the quick intelligent soldier may not be kept back by men of inferior capacity. To arrive at the first squad, should be made an object of ambition to the young soldier.

Mutual Instruction.—A system of mutual instruction will be practiced amongst the recruits; it gives the young soldier additional interest in his drill, and prepares him for the duties of a non-commissioned officer. Recruits should, in turn, be called out to put their squad through the exercises which have been practised, and encouraged to correct any error they may observe. Lists of those who show talent for imparting instruction should be kept, for reference, by the captains, and in the orderly room.

Words of Command.—1. Every command must be loud, and distinctly pronounced, so as to be heard by all concerned.

2. Every command that consist of one word must be preceded by a caution: the caution or cautionary part of a command, must be given slowly and distinctly; the last or executive part, which, in general, should consist only one word or syllable, must be given sharply and quickly; as Company—Halt: Half right—Turn. A pause of slow time will invariably be made between the caution, or cautionary part of a command, and the executive word.

3. The words given in the Extension Motions and Balance Step (Ss. 5, 11) must be given sharply, or slowly and smoothly, as the nature of the motion may require.

4. When the last word of a caution is the signal for any preparatory movement, it will be given as a n executive word, and separated from the rest of the command by a pause of slow time; thus Right—Form. Quick—March, as though there were two separate commands, each with its caution and executive word.

5. When the men are in motion, executive words must be completed as they are commencing the pace which will bring them to the spot on which the command has to be executed. The cautionary part of the word must, therefore, be commenced accordingly.

6. Officers and non-commissioned officers should frequently be practiced in giving words of command. It will be found a good plan to practise several officers or non-commissioned officers together in giving words of command, first in succession, then simultaneously; the time and pitch being first given by the instructor.

1. A few men will be placed in line (that is, side by side) at arm’s length apart; while so formed, they will be termed a “Squad with Intervals.”

2. If necessary, the squad may consist of two such lines of men, in which case the men in the second line will cover the intervals between the men in the first, so that in marching they may take their own points, as directed in S. 10.

3. Recruits should in the first instance be placed by the instructor without dressing; when they have learned to dress, as directed in S. 3, they should be taught to fall in, as above described, and then to dress and to correct their intervals: after they have been instructed as far as S. 22, they may fall in in single rank, and then, if required to drill with intervals, be moved as directed in S. 24.

4. Recruits formed into a squad should be directed to observe the relative places they hold with each other; while resting between exercises they should be permitted to fall out and move about; they should be instructed on the word “Assemble” to fall in as they stood at first. This should be constantly practiced.

The exact squareness of the shoulders and body to the front is the first and great principle of the position of a soldier. The heels must be in line and closed; the knees straight; the toes turned out so that the feet may form an angle of 45 degrees; the arms hanging easily from the shoulder, the hand open, thumb to the front and close to the forefinger, fingers lightly touching the thigh; the hips rather drawn back, and the breast advanced, but without constraint; the body straight and inclining forward, so that the weight of it may bear principally on the fore fart of the feet; the head erect, but not thrown back, the chin slightly drawn in, and the eyes looking straight to the front.

When the soldier falls in for instruction, he will be taught to place himself in the position above described.

N.B.– The words in the margin printed in italics are the commands to be given by the instructor.

Soldiers will first be taught the motions of standing at ease by Numbers, then judging the time.

On the word One, raise the arms from the elbows, left hand in front of the centre of the body, as high as the waist, palms upwards; the right hand as high as the right breast, palm to the left front; both thumbs separated from the fingers and the elbows close to the sides.

On the word Two, strike the palm of the right hand on that of the left, drop the arms to their full extent, keeping the hands together, and passing the right hand over the back of the left as they fall; at the same time draw back the right foot six inches, and slightly bend the left knee.

When the motions are completed, the arms must hang loosely and easily, the fingers pointing towards the ground, the right thumb lightly held between the thumb and palm of the left hand; the body must incline forward, the weight being on the right leg, and the whole attitude without constraint.

On the word Ease, go through the motions described in the standing at ease by Numbers, distinctly but smartly, and without any pause between them.

If the command Stand at—Ease is followed by the word Stand Easy, the men will be permitted to move their limbs, but without quitting their ground, so that on coming to Attention no one will have materially lost his dressing in line. If the men are required to keep their dressing accurately, they should be cautioned not to move their left feet.

On the word Squad being given to men standing easy, every soldier will at once assume the position of standing at ease.

On the words Eyes– Right, the eyes will be directed to the right, the head being slightly turned in that direction.

On the word Dress, each soldier, except the right-hand man, will extend his right arm, palm of the hand upwards, nails touching the shoulder of the man on his right; at the same time he will take up his dressing in line by moving, with short quick steps, till he is just able to distinguish the lower part of the face of the second man beyond him; care must be taken that he carries his body backward or forward with the feet, keeping his shoulders perfectly square in their original position.

On the word Eyes– Front, the head and eyes will be turned to the front, the arms dropped, and the position of the soldier as described in S. 1, resumed.

In going through the turnings, the left heel must never quit the ground; but the soldier must turn on it as on a pivot, the right foot being drawn back to turn the body to the right, and carried forward to turn it to the left: the body must incline forward, the knees being kept straight.

In the first of all the following motions, the foot is to be carried back, or brought forward, without a jerk, the movement being from the hip; so that the body may be kept perfectly steady until it commences to turn.

On the word Turn, place the hollow of the right foot smartly against the left heel, keeping the shoulders square to the front.

On the word Two, raise the toes, and turn a quarter circle to the right on both heels, which must be pressed together.

On the word Turn, place the right heel against the hollow of the left foot, keeping the shoulders square to the front.

On the word Two, raise the toes, and turn a quarter circle to the left on both heels, which must be pressed together.

On the word Turn, place the ball of the right toe against the left heel, keeping the shoulders square to the front.

On the word Turn, place the right heel against the ball of the left toe, keeping the shoulders square to the front.

Make a three-quarters turn in the given direction in the same manner as turning about.

When the soldier has previously turned about, he will always front by the right about. But if he has turned to the three-quarters right about, he will front by the three-quarters left about; and vice versa.

At squad drill with intervals, the turnings will always be done by Numbers, except when the word Front is given, in which case the soldier will judge the time, which must be a pause of slow time after each motion.

The Extension Motions are not reprinted in this version of the Field Exercise Book.

Soldiers will be practiced in saluting, first by Numbers, then judging the Time; being turned to the right for the right-hand salute, to the left for the left-hand salute.

On the word One, bring the right hand smartly, but with a circular motion, to the head, palm to the front, point of the forefinger one inch above the right eye, thumb close to the forefinger; elbow in line, and nearly square with the shoulder; at the same time slightly turn the head to the left.

On the word Two, let the arm fall to the side, and turn the head to the front.

A soldier, if standing still when an officer passes, will turn towards him, come to attention, and salute when the officer is four paces from him; he will lower the hand after a pause of six paces in quick time: if sitting, he will rise, stand at attention, and salute. When a soldier addresses an officer, he will salute making a pause of slow time between the first and second motions, and halt two paces from him. When walking, soldiers will salute an officer as they pass him, commencing their salute four paces before they come up to him. When a soldier passes an officer, he will salute on the forth pace before reaching him, and lower the hand on the forth pace after passing him. Soldiers should be practiced in marching two or three together, round the drill ground, saluting points placed on either side of them, care being taken that they always salute with the hand further from the point saluted: when several men are together, the man nearest the point will give the time.

In slow or quick time the length of pace is 30 inches, except in “stepping out,” when it is 33 inches, and in “stepping short,” when it is 21.

N.B.—When a soldier takes a single pace to clear or cover another, as in forming four deep, which will be hereafter described, the pace will be 24 inches.

In slow time, 75 paces are taken in a minute. In quick time, 116 paces, making 96 yards 2 feet in a minute and 3 miles 520 yards in an hour. In double time, 165 paces, making 151 yards 9 inches in a minute, and 5 miles 275 yards an hour.

No recruit, or squad of recruits, must be taught to march without the constant use of drum and pace stick.

The drum will first beat the time in which the men are to march when the squad is halted: then, from time to time, when it is in motion. While the drum is beating at the halt, the men will give their whole attention to the cadence; when it ceases, the instructor will at once put the squads in motion.

In order to ascertain whether the time is beaten correctly, a pendulum or a “Plummet” must be used. A variety of pendulums have been constructed for this purpose. When no pendulum is at hand, a plummet can readily be made by suspending a spherical ball of metal by a string, the length of which, measured from the point of suspension to the centre of the ball, must be as follows for the different degrees of march.

Thus arranged, the plummet will swing the exact time required. String being liable to stretch, the correctness of the plummet should be frequently tested by reference to a watch.

The length of pace in marching will be corrected with the pace stick, the accuracy of which should occasionally be tested by measurement.

In marching, the soldier must maintain the position of the head and body, as directed in S. 1. He must be well balanced in his limbs. His arms and hands must be kept steady by his sides; care being taken that the hand does not partake of the movement of the leg. The movement of the leg must spring from the haunch, and be free and natural.

Both knees must be kept straight, except while the leg is being carried from the rear to the front, when the knee must necessarily be a little bent, to enable the foot to clear the ground. The foot must be carried straight to the front, and, without being drawn back placed softly on the ground, so as not to jerk or shake the body; the toes turned out at the same angle as when halted.

Although several men may be drilled together in a squad with intervals, they must act independently and precisely as if they were being instructed singly. Each soldier must be taught to march in a straight line, and to take a correct pace, both as regards length and cadence, without reference to the other men of the squad.

Before the squad is put in motion, the instructor will take care that the men are square individually and in correct line with each other. Each soldier must be taught to take up a straight line to his front, first by looking down the centre of his body between his feet, then fixing his eyes upon some object on the ground straight to his front at a distance of about 100 yards; he will then observe some nearer point in the same straight line, such as a stone, tuft of grass, or other casual object, about 50 yards distant.

The object of the balance step is to teach the soldier the free movement of his legs, preserving at the same time perfect squareness of the shoulders, and steadiness of body; no labour must be spared to attain this object, which forms the very foundation of correct marching. The instructor must be careful that the soldier keeps his body well forward, and his shoulders perfectly square during these motions.

On the word Front, the left foot will be raised from the ground by a slight bend of the knee, and carried gently to the front, without a jerk, the knee being gradually straightened as the foot is carried forward; the foot to be turned out at the same angle as when halted, the sole parallel to and clear of the ground, the heel just in advance of the line of the right toe.

On the word Rear, given when the body is steady, the left foot will be brought gently back without a jerk, till the toe is in line with the right heel, clear of the ground; the left knee to be a little bent.

When steady, the words Front and Rear will be repeated several times, and the motions performed as above described.

On the word Halt, which should always be given when the moving foot is in rear, that foot will be brought to the ground in line with the other.

The instructor will afterwards make the soldier balance upon the left foot, carrying the right foot forward and backward.

Standing on one leg and swinging the other backward and forward without constraint, is an excellent practice.

On the word Front, the left foot will be carried to the front, as described in No. 1.

As soon as the men are steady in the above position, the word Forward will be given, on which the left foot will be brought to the ground at 30 inches difference from heel to heel, toes turned out at the same angle as when halted; and the right foot will immediately be raised and held extended to the rear, toe in line with the left heel, the right knee to be slightly bent. Great care must be taken that the toes remain throughout at the proper angle; that the body accompanies the leg, and that the inside of the heel is placed on the imaginary straight line that passes through the points on which the soldier is marching; that the body remains straight, but inclining forward; that the head is erect, and turned neither to the right nor left.

Front.

On the word Front, the right foot will be brought forward; and so on, alternately.

Halt.

On the word Halt, which should always be given when the moving foot is to the front, that foot will complete its pace, and the rear foot will be brought up in line with it.

The three most important objects in this part of the drill are cadence, length of pace, and direction.

The time having been given on the drum, on the word March, the left foot will be carried 30 inches to the front, as directed in S. 10: the right foot will then be carried forward in like manner, and so on alternately.

The soldier must be thoroughly instructed in this step, as an essential preparation for arriving at accuracy in the paces of greater celerity.

On the word Halt, the moving foot will complete its pace, and the rear foot will be brought up in line with it.

It is a general rule that after the word Halt, the men, whatever their position, will stand perfectly steady, unless ordered to Dress.

When marching in slow time, on the words Step – Out, the soldier will lengthen his pace to 33 inches by leaning forward a little, but without altering the cadence.

This step is used when a slight increase of speed, without an alteration on cadence, is required; on the words Slow – Step, the pace of 30 inches will be resumed.

On the words Step – Short, the foot advancing will finish its pace, and afterwards each soldier will take paces of 21 inches until the word Forward is given, when the usual pace of 30 inches will be resumed.

On the words Mark – Time, the foot then advancing will complete its pace, after which the cadence will be continued, without advancing, by raising each foot alternately about three inches from the ground, keeping the body steady; on the word Forward, the usual pace of 30 inches will be resumed.

In stepping back, the pace will be 30 inches. Soldiers must be taught to move straight to the rear, preserving their shoulders square to the front and their bodies erect. On the word Halt, the foot in front will be brought back square with the other.

To change feet in marching, the advancing foot will complete its pace and the ball of the rear foot will be brought up quickly to the heel of the advanced one, which will instantly make another step forward, so that the cadence will not be lost; in fact, two successive steps will be taken with the same foot.

This may be required when any part of a battalion, or a single soldier, is stepping with a different foot from the rest.

The cadence of the slow march having become perfectly familiar to the soldier, he will be taught to march in quick time.

Quick – March

The time having been given on the drum, on the word March the squad will step off together, with the left foot, observing the rules given in S.10.

When a soldier is perfectly grounded in marching in quick time, all the alterations of step, and the marking time, and changing feet, laid down for the slow march, will be practiced in quick time.

The time having been given on the drum, on the word March, the men will step off together with the left foot; at the same time raising their hands as high as the waist, carrying back the elbows and clenching the fists, the flat part of the arm to the side; the head to be kept erect, and the shoulders square to the front; the knees being more bent, and the body more advanced, than in the other marches. The instructor will be careful to habituate the soldier to the pace of 33 inches.

The soldier will be taught to mark time in the double cadence in the same manner as in slow and quick.

On the word One, the right foot will be carried 12 inches to the right, the shoulders and face being kept perfectly square to the front, and the knees straight.

On the word Two, the left foot will be closed smartly to the right foot, heels touching.

The word One being repeated, the right foot will be carried on 12 inches as before described, and so on.

When the word Halt is given, the left foot will be closed to the right, as on the word Two.

On the word March, each man will carry his right foot 12 inches to the right, and instantly close his left foot to it, thus completing the pace; he will proceed to take the next pace in the same manner: shoulders to be kept square, knees not bent, unless on rough or broken ground; the cadence is that of quick time. The direction must be kept in a straight line to the flank, neither inclining to the front or rear.

On the word Halt, the men will complete the pace they are taking, and remain steady.

Soldiers will be practiced in closing to the left by Numbers, and judging the Time, in like manner.

Soldiers will also be practiced in taking any given number of paces to either flank, and then halting without word of command; the command to be given thus, Three paces Right Close, Quick – March.

Soldiers will be practiced in turning to the right or left, in making a half turn to the right or left, and in turning to the right about, on the march.

1. Turning to the Right, and then to the Front. - On the word Turn, which should be given as the left foot is coming to the ground, each soldier will turn in the named direction, and move on at once, without checking his pace.

On the word Turn, which should be given as the right foot is coming to the ground, each soldier will turn again to the front, and move on without checking his pace.

2. Turning to the left, and then to the Front. – Soldiers will turn to the left in like manner, the word Turn being given as the right foot is coming to the ground; after which they will turn to the front, the word Turn being given as the left foot is coming to the ground.

A soldier will always turn to the right on the left foot; and to the left on the right foot. If the word Turn is not given as the proper foot is coming to the ground, the soldier will move on one pace more and then turn.

3. Making a half Turn to the Right, or Left. – Soldiers will also be practiced in making a half turn to the right or left, and then moving on (without checking their pace) in a diagonal direction, taking up fresh points, at once, to march on.

4. Turning to the Right, or left, about. – Soldiers will also be taught to turn about on the march, which must be done by each man on his own ground, in three paces, without losing the cadence. Having completed the turn about, the soldier will at once move forward, the forth pace being a full pace as before.

At this stage of the drill, a few soldiers will be formed in single rank without intervals, that is, nearly touching each other. Each man is allowed a space of 24 inches.

The right-hand or left-hand man being first placed, the remainder will fall in, in line one after the other, closing lightly towards him, turning the elbow slightly outwards soldiers must be carefully instructed in “The Touch,” as in this formation it is the principle guide when marching. Each man when properly in line should be able to feel his right or left-hand man at the elbow. The body must be preserved in the position described in S.1.

When a squad in single rank is required to drill with intervals, the instructor will instruct the odd numbers to take one place forward, even numbers to step back one pace.

In dressing, each soldier will glance towards the flank to which he is ordered to dress, with a slight turn of the head, as directed in S.3: he must carry his body backward or forward with the feet, moving to his dressing with short quick steps: bending backward or forward must be avoided; his shoulders must be kept perfectly square, and the position of the soldier, as described in the preceding Section, retained throughout.

Two Men on the right and one on the left, a pace and a half to the Front. Slow - March.

1. Dressing Man by Man. – Preparatory to teaching a squad to dress by the right, the instructor will order the two men on the right, and one on the left, to take a pace and a half to the front; having completed his pace and a half, the right-hand man will take four side paces to his right; and the points thus placed will raise their right arms from the elbow, at right angles to their bodies.

Man by Man, by the Right – Dress up.

The instructor, having ascertained that the points are in line, will order his squad to dress up man by man. The third man from the right will take up one pace to his front with the left foot, and shuffle up into line in the manner already described: as soon as he is steady, the next man will proceed in like manner, and so on to the left. The faces of the men, not their breasts or feet, are the line of dressing. Each man is to be able just to distinguish the lower part of the face of the second man beyond him.

When the instructor is satisfied that the line is correct, he will give the words Eyes Front, on which the men will turn their heads and eyes to the front, the three points will drop their hands, and the right-hand man will close on the squad.

In like manner the squad will be taught to dress up, man by man, by the left; also to dress back, man by man, by the right and left.

1. Dressing together. – The men must next be taught to dress forward and backward, taking the pace together, but shuffling up or back in succession, the same points being given as in dressing man by man. The words of command will be Squad, By the Right (or Left) – Dress up, or By the Right (or Left) – Dress Back.

2. Dressing without Points. – When soldiers are on the alignment they have to occupy, and their dressing is simply to be corrected, the words Right (or left) Dress, or after the word Halt, the word Dress only, will be given, on which they will shuffle up or back to their places successively, commencing with the man on the flank from which they are dressed.

When no man is placed for that purpose, the instructor should invariably fix upon some casual object on which to dress his line.

It will be found most useful to accustom men to dress on an alignment not parallel or perpendicular, but oblique, to any well-defined adjacent line, such as the side of a square parade ground.

The soldier will next practice in single rank, judging the Time, the turnings he has been taught by numbers.

The soldier will next practice in single rank the different marches and varieties of step which he has learnt singly. Or in squad; the same general rules being observed.

Before a squad is ordered to march, the directing flank must be indicated by the caution, By the Right, or By the Left.

During the march, care must be taken that neither the head nor eyes are never turned towards either flank; that the dressing is kept by the touch; and that the shoulders are kept perfectly square, and the body steady.

The squad will first be taught to march straight to the front, both by the right and left, in slow and quick time; it will then be practiced in all the varieties of step, and in marking time, in both cadences; after which it will be exercised in the double time.

The soldier will be practiced in changing the pace, without halting, from slow to quick, and from quick to slow time; also from quick to double, and from double to quick. Before the executive word Slow, Quick, or Double, the caution Break into Slow (Quick or Double) – Time should be given. In breaking into quick, on the word Quick, the arms will be dropped and the fingers extended.

The instructor should occasionally remain halted in rear of the man on the directing flank; and, by fixing his eyes on some distant object, ascertain if the squad is marching straight to its front.

When a soldier finds himself a little behind, or before the other men of his squad, he must be taught to recover his place in the rank gradually, and not jump or rush to it, which would make him unsteady and spoil the marching of the rest of the squad.

1. By Wheeling. – On the word March, the right-hand man, called the pivot man, will mark time, turning gradually with the squad, to the new front; the remainder will step off, the whole turning their eyes to the left (the wheeling flank), except the left-hand man, who will look inwards, and step the usual pace of 30 inches, the other men regulating their length of pace according to their distance from the pivot flank. During the wheel, each man must touch lightly, as explained in S. 27, towards the pivot flank, keeping his shoulders square in line; crowding must be carefully avoided; each man must yield to any pressure that may come from the pivot flank, and resist all pressure coming from the other flank.

On the word Halt, which may be given at any period of the wheel, the men will halt and turn their eyes to the front; on the word Dress, they will take up their dressing by the right, as described in S. 25, No. 3.

Nothing will sooner tend to enable the recruit to acquire the length of pace proportioned to his distance from the pivot, than continuing the wheel without halting for several revolutions of the circle.

When men are required to wheel to the rear of the alignment the occupy, they will be turned about, and then wheeled as above directed, receiving the words Halt, Front, - Dress, followed by Eyes – Front, when in position.

After wheeling has been taught in slow time, it will be practiced in quick and double time.

2, By File formation. – On the word Form, the right-hand man will turn to the right; the remainder will make a half turn to the right. On the word March, all, except the right-hand man, will step off; each man, glancing to the right, will move, at the usual length of pace, by the shortest line, to his place in the new front, and take up his dressing by the right.

On the word Wheel, the men will wheel to the right as explained in S. 28, No.1; the pivot man turning gradually with the squad.

On the word Forward, the whole will turn their eyes to the front and step off at a full pace.

The instructor will give his word Forward when he sees that the men are commencing the pace that will bring the squad perpendicular to the direction in which he intends it to move; this may be done at any degree of the circle.

S. 30. The Diagonal March. – Plate III, Fig 1.

This march will first be taught commencing from the halt, after which the soldiers when marching in line will be practiced in moving diagonally to either flank, by making a half turn in the direction desired.

1. From the Halt. – On the word Turn, the men will make a half turn to the right, and on the word March, each man will step off and move correctly in the diagonal direction, no longer keeping the touch. The right-hand man will direct, and must therefore pay particular attention to his direction and pace. Each of the other men will glance towards the right, and will retain his relative position, keeping his right shoulder behind the left shoulder of the next man on that side.

On the word Halt, the squad will halt; and on the word Front, it will turn to its original front.

If the diagonal march has been properly performed, the squad when halted and fronted will be found to be in a line parallel to its original position.

2. On the March. - When the squad is marching to the front, and is required to move in a diagonal direction to the right, the word Half Right – Turn will be given, upon which the men will turn half right and move diagonally in that direction, as described from the halt; when it is intended to resume the original direction, the word Front – Turn will be given, on which every man will turn to his front and move forward without checking his pace.

In like manner the diagonal march will be practiced to the left, from the halt and on the march.

Soldiers will first be taught to commence marching as in file, from the halt; after which they must be taught, when marching in line, to turn to either flank as in line.

1. From the Halt. – Soldiers, when standing as in file, must be instructed how to cover each other exactly. The head of the man immediately before each soldier, when he is correctly covered, will conceal the heads of all the others in his front. The strictest observance of all the rules for marching is particularly necessary when marching as in file.

On the word March, the whole will step off together, at a full pace, and will so continue to step without increasing or diminishing the distance between each other. No looking down, nor leaning back is to be allowed. The leader is to be directed to march straight forward on some distant objects, the remainder of the men covering correctly during the march.

On the words Halt – Front, the soldiers will halt and turn to their original front, and if the marching has been properly performed, their dressing will be found correct.

2. On the March, - On the word Turn, the soldier will turn to the right, and move on as in file.

The original direction is resumed by giving the word Front – Turn, on which the soldier will turn to the front, and move on steadily in line.

In like manner soldiers will be taught to turn to the left from line and march as in file, and, when marching as in file, to turn again to the front.

The rules laid down in S. 22. No. 2, regarding the foot on which the soldier is to turn, must be strictly observed in a squad in a single rank.

Marching as in file will also be practiced in quick time, but never in double time.

The squad, when marching as in file, will be taught to change its direction, by wheeling to the right, or to the left, or to the right (or left) about. The leading man will move round a quarter, or half, of the circumference of a circle having a radius of four feet; the other men following on his footsteps in succession, without increasing or diminishing their distances from each other or altering the cadence, but shortening the pace a little with the inner foot, as they wheel.

1. Forming to the Front, at the Halt, - When the squad, marching as in file to the right, is ordered to form to the front at the halt, the leading man will at once halt; the remainder will make a half turn to the left, and form upon him as directed in S. 28, No. 2.

2. Forming to the Front, in Quick Time. When a squad, marching as in file to the right, is ordered to form to the front, the leading man will mark time; the remainder will make a half turn to the left, and form upon him, marking time, and taking up the dressing, as they arrive at their places.

3. Forming to the Front, in Double Time. – When a squad, marching as in file to the right, is ordered to form to the front on the march, the leading man will continue moving on; the remainder will make a half turn to the left, double up to their places, and take up the quick time as they successively arrive in line with the leading man.

4. Forming to the Rear, in Quick, or Double, Time. – The movement will proceed as described in No. 2. or No. 3.; except that the men will make a half turn to the right, and form to the right of the leading man.

5. Forming to the Right. – When marching as in file to the right, and ordered to form to the right, the leading man will wheel to the right, take two paces to his front, and halt; the remainder will form in succession on his left, and be dressed as they get into their places. The word Eyes – Front will be given when the squad is formed.

6. Forming to the Right – about. – When a squad, marching as in file to the right, is ordered to form to the right-about, the leading man will wheel to the right-about, take two paces to his front, and halt; the remainder will march on as in file, wheeling to the right on the spot where the leading man has wheeled, and forming successively on his left, looking to the flank of formation for their dressing. The words Eyes – Front will be given when the squad is formed.

When marching as in file to the left, a squad will be formed to the front, or rear, or to the left, or left about, on the same principle as it is formed to the front, or rear, or to the right, or right about, when the right is leading.

A squad marching as in file will resume its original front by the words Halt – Front, or Front – Turn.

The side or closing step will now be practiced, the men judging the time, as laid down in S. 21. No. 2. Care must be taken that the shoulders are kept square, and the paces made in a direct line to the flank.

Recruits having been thoroughly instructed in the preliminary drills explained in the foregoing Sections, will next be taught the rifle drill as detailed in the Rifle Exercises. A part of each drill with arms will be devoted to the practice of marching as directed in the following Section.

Squads with arms will be practiced in the different marches, and variations of step, described in the foregoing Sections; when marching in double time at “The Trail,” the arm that does not carry the rifle will not be raised as directed in S.20. During these practices, great attention must be paid to the position of the recruit.

All the instructions relating to the position and movement of the rifle when marching will be found in the Rifle Exercises.

The squad will now be formed for drill in two ranks, sized as explained in Part II, Gen. Rule II. The men will take their places in succession, commencing from the flank on which they are ordered to form; each rear-rank man will be placed one pace of 30 inches from his front-rank man, measuring from heel to heel, and will cover him correctly, the two men thus placed forming “a File.” When the squad consists of an uneven number of men, the third man from the left of the front rank will be a “Blank” (or incomplete) “File.” The file on the left of the right half squad will always be the centre of the squad.

The front rank will dress as described in S> 25. The rear-rank men will continue looking to their front, and will cover and correct their distances as the front-rank men take up their dressing.

A squad in two ranks will be practiced in the marches, and variations of step, which have been taught in single rank.

2. Covering and Distance. – While marching in line, the men of the rear rank must accurately preserve their covering an distance.

3. Blank File while retiring. – When the squad turns to the rear, a blank file, after turning about, will step up and occupy the vacant space in the rear rank. On turning to the front, he will resume his original place.

On the word Order, the flank men of the rear rank will step bank two paces in slow time, and turn to the right.

On the word March, the flank men will front and raise the disengaged arm horizontally from the elbow, and the rear rank will step back two paces.

On the word Dress, the rear rank will dress by the right. Care must be taken not to move the flank men when dressing the rear rank.

On the word Front, the rear-rank men will turn their eyes to the front, and the flank men will drop their arms.

On the word March, the rear rank will take two paces to the front in slow time.

The squad, if drilling with arms, will always be ordered to shoulder before taking open order.

The front rank of the squad will wheel, or form (forward), from the halt, or wheel on the march, according to the instructions laid down in S. 28 or S. 29. The rear-rank men, in wheeling, will follow their front-rank men, keeping their proper distances, and covering; in forming, they will preserve their diagonal position.

The diagonal march will be practiced in two ranks, in the manner described in S.30. In addition to the instructions there given, the rear-rank men must be cautioned to preserve their relative positions with their front-rank men, in order that they may be found to cover correctly when they are halted and fronted.

1. File Marching.- File Marching will be practiced as laid down in S. 31, care being taken that the rear-rank men dress correctly by their respective front-rank men.

2. Wheeling in Files.- Wheeling in files will be performed as laid down in S. 32; the inner rank must step rather shorter during the wheel, especially with the inner foot.

If a squad is halted, or ordered to mark time, when only some of the files have wheeled into the new direction, the remainder should be taught to cover off, if required; by the diagonal march on the words Rear files, Cover; if the word Front is to follow the word Halt, the rear files need not be ordered to cover, but will move to their places on the word Dress.

3. Files forming to the Front, or Rear.- The front-rank men of a squad marching in files will form to the front, as laid down in S. 33; the rear-rank man of the leading file will move into his place as soon as there is room for him; the other rear-rank men will preserve their relative position with their front-rank men. In forming to the rear, the rear-rank men will act as laid down above for the front rank, and vice versa.

4. Files forming to the Right, or Left, or to the Right or Left about.- In these formations, the rear rank will form as described in S. 33; the front-rank men will move round their respective rear-rank men, and form successively in front of them.

A squad marching in files will resume its original front by the word Halt- Front, or Front- Turn.