Kings Regulations & Admiralty Instructions - 1913
Chapter XXXV
His Majesty's Land Forces and Transports. |
SECTION I. WHEN EMBARKED FOR PASSAGE.
1212. Discipline generally.- Whenever any of His Majesty's land forces shall be embarked as passengers in any of His Majesty's ships, the officers and soldiers from the time of embarkation shall strictly observe the laws and regulations established for the government and discipline of His Majesty's Navy, and for these purposes shall be under the command of the Captain of the ship as well as of the senior naval officer present ; all military officers or other persons under the equivalent rank of Captain R.N. taking passage, and all military officers in actual command for the time being of any of the troops embarked through whom orders given by the Officer of the Watch to the troops are required to pass, shall be under the command of the Officer of the Watch.
1213. Breaches of Discipline of Ship.- Any act. against the good order and discipline of the ship shall be deemed an act to the prejudice of good order and military discipline under the provisions of the Army Act in force, unless the breach of discipline constitute some other military offence for which provision is otherwise made in the said Act.
2. Power of Captain of Ship.-Whenever an officer or soldier commits any act against the good order and discipline of the ship, the Captain of the ship, by his own authority, and without reference to any other person, may cause him to be put under arrest or confined as a close prisoner; and should he think the case requires it, may order the prisoner to be disembarked at the first convenient opportunity, transmitting a report in writing, through the senior naval officer present, to the senior military officer in command of the land forces, in order that the offender may be brought before a military court-martial.
3. The Captain of the ship shall have full power, on his own authority, to order an offender, whether officer or soldier, to be placed in either naval or military custody, as he shall consider most desirable, observing that in all cases where an offender is to be disembarked for trial by military authority, he must be placed in military custody on board the ship.
4. Courts-Martial.- If any officer or soldier should commit any act which, in the opinion of the Commanding Officer of the troops, can only be adequately dealt with by a general or district court-martial, the offender, with the concurrence of the Captain of the ship, shall be disembarked on the first opportunity for the purpose of being proceeded against according to military law.
5. Summary Punishment by Warrant.- If any private soldier shall commit any act against the good order and discipline of the ship, which in the opinion of the Captain of the ship requires the infliction of any summary punishment for which a warrant is required by the summary punishment table for troops embarked on board His Majesty's ships (Appendix XX.) and which he is hereby authorised to award, the Captain shall confer with the Commanding Officer
423
of the troops as to the nature and amount of the punishment, if any, to be inflicted, and on their concurrence, the Captain by warrant under his hand, which should also bear the signature of the Commanding Officer of the troops as concurring, shall sentence the offender to suffer such punishment accordingly. In the event of the Commanding Officer of the troops not concurring with the Captain of the ship, the latter is to cause the offender to be placed under arrest or confined as a close prisoner, until the case can be referred to superior military authority.
6. Embarked without Military Commissioned Officer.- When any soldiers of His Majesty's land forces are embarked as passengers in any of His Majesty's ships, and there is no Commissioned Officer of the land forces on board, the Captain of the ship shall possess and may exercise in regard to any such soldiers, all the powers conferred upon him by clause 5 in the case of private soldiers without conferring with or obtaining the concurrence or signature of any officer of His Majesty's land forces.
On the disembarkation of such men, the Captain is to furnish the military authority at the place of disembarkation with a return of the punishments awarded by him.
7. Regimental Court-Martial.- If any non-commissioned officer shall commit an offence which, in the opinion of the Captain of the ship and the Commanding Officer of the troops, does not require trial by general or district court-martial, the Captain, by an order in writing, may authorise the Commanding Officer of the troops to convene a regimental court-martial for the trial of such non-commissioned officer, and thereupon the trial may proceed, and the finding and sentence may be confirmed in all respects as if the court had been convened and the sentence had been passed in the United Kingdom.
Concurrence of Captain of Ship.- Provided that no sentence of any such regimental court-martial shall be carried into execution on board any of His Majesty's ships until the Captain of the ship, by an order in writing, has expressed his concurrence in the said sentence, and directed that it may be carried into effect.
If the Captain shall see fit to withhold the last-named order in writing, the confirmation of the sentence is to be suspended until the disembarkation of the prisoner.
Report to Admiralty.- Whenever such regimental court-martial is held on board, the Captain is to report the fact immediately to the Admiralty by special letter in each case, and a copy of such letter is to accompany the quarterly returns of punishment.
8. Authority to Commanding Officer of Troops.- The Commanding Officer of the troops, on his taking command of the troops embarked, will receive from the Captain of the ship authority under his hand, and in the form prescribed in the notes to Appendix XX., to award such summary punishments as are specified in the summary punishment table for the military (Appendix XX.), but such authority will not deprive the Captain of his right to withdraw the original authority given ; in the latter case, however, he should report to the Admiralty the circumstances which induced him to deviate from the general rule.
9. Management of Troops.- All orders to the troops, so far as may be practicable, are to be given through their own officers and non-commissioned officers, and the Captain of the ship is to bear in mind that although the discipline of all on board is under his entire control, he is nevertheless to leave the troops to the management of their own officers so far as may be consistent with the order and discipline of the ship.
424
10. Special Exceptions.- In special and exceptional cases where the Captain of the ship may deem it necessary for the good order or discipline of the ship to give such orders as may interfere with existing regulations, or may affect the internal economy and discipline of the troops embarked, he is to make a special report of the circumstances to the Admiralty.
11. Summary Punishments generally.- All summary punishments for soldiers embarked on board His Majesty's ships are to be in strict accordance with the summary punishment table for troops embarked (Appendix XX.).
The following are to be awarded by the Captain :
Number of Troop Punishment |
Authorised Summary Punishments Private Soldiers. |
1 |
Imprisonment with or without hard labour (not to exceed 42 days) - The offender loses a badge for |
la |
Detention (not to exceed 42 days) - any imprisonment or detention. |
2 |
Confinement in a cell (not to exceed 14 days) |
3 |
Remarks for stoppages in accordance with the Army Loss of a badge. Act, 1881, s. 138 (3) and (4), i.e., the sum required to make good any expense, loss, damage, or destruction to arms, clothing, equipment, &c. |
12. Offences punished on Disembarkation.- The following schedule of offences, though not exhaustive, is intended to serve as a guide to the Captain in respect of offences which it is advisable to leave to the military authorities to deal with after disembarkation, and for committing which he would therefore place the offender under arrest or in close confinement :
- Desertion.
- Maliciously making false charges of a nature which would render the accused liable to a felonious charge.
- Wilful disobedience of orders.
- Selling or making away with medals or clasps.
- Indecent assaults, or indecent acts of a grossly immoral character.
- Mutiny or violence to a superior officer when the circumstances in the opinion of the Captain do not require the offender to be dealt with summarily.
- Theft.
- Unlawful possession of, or receiving stolen goods or money.
- Fraud or cheating.
- Misappropriating public stores or money.
- Wilful destruction of Government property.
- (L) Seditious language.
- Wilfully producing, concealing, aggravating, or feigning any disease or infirmity to the prejudice of the Service.
- Wilful concealment of offences of a serious character against the Naval Discipline Act.
- Any military offence which the Officer Commanding the troops considers requires trial by court-martial.
13. Military Convicts and Military Prisoners when embarked on board His. Majesty's ships for passage shall be kept in military custody.
425
14. Military convicts and military prisoners, with the sanction of the senior naval officer present, may be received with or without military escort on board His Majesty's ships for passage, on an application to that effect being made by a military authority, and where so received they are to be deemed to be in " military custody," notwithstanding that it may be found necessary to keep them in naval custody.
1214. Arrangements for Conveyance of Troops.- If His Majesty's ships are required to convey troops otherwise than from ports in the United Kingdom, the senior naval officer at the port will decide what accommodation can be provided, and he will call upon the military authorities to furnish details of the numbers for whom conveyance is required, and of the quantity of baggage they are entitled to have conveyed at the public expense ; and should the baggage be in excess of the quantity that can be conveniently stowed, the Senior Officer will inform the military authorities of the quantity that can be taken in order that a selection may be made by them of the baggage to be shipped.
1215. Messing of Military Officers.- If officers of the land forces are embarked on service on board one of His Majesty's ships; they are to join such messes as are specified in Article 1541.
1216. Accommodation.- All troops, as a rule, are to be accommodated below.
1217. Bedding and Mess utensils.- When troops are about to be embarked the Accountant Officer is to demand, it obtainable, the necessary articles of bedding and mess utensils, according to the scale laid down in the Transport Regulations.
If they are the special articles supplied for the use of troops only, they are to be accounted for on form T. 222, which is to be rendered to the Director of Transports.
If naval stores are supplied from the victualling yard, they are to be taken on charge and accounted for on form S. 83. See 1739, clause 5 (Use of Ship's Bedding) ; 1760 (Clothing and Implement Account).
2. The articles required for the use of the troops on board are to be issued to the Quartermaster or other person acting on his behalf. Temporary receipts are to be obtained from him, and he will be responsible for returning the articles.
3. At the conclusion of the voyage a certificate is to be obtained from the Commanding Officer of the troops, showing how any of the articles not returned have been disposed of, and whether any portion is chargeable to the troops.
The Accountant Officer is to obtain from the Commanding Officer of the troops payment for any articles that are not returned, at the prices laid down in the victualling rate book, or the last official memorandum of charges to be made for clothing, debiting the same in his cash account.
1218. Medical Attendance.- When troops are embarked in small detachments in a ship for passage home, and it may be unadvisable to send an army medical officer with them, the Senior Naval Officer, on timely application from the Commanding Officer of the troops on the station, may direct the Medical Officer of the ship in which the troops are to proceed to take them under his charge.
2. Detachments not exceeding 100 men, with their families in the usual proportion, conveyed between ports of the United Kingdom, if in full health,
426
are to be attended by the Medical Officer of the ship when unaccompanied by an army medical officer.
3. Invalids, sick soldiers, or sick families of troops are not to be permitted to embark in ships without an army medical officer being in charge.
1219. Representations of Army Medical Officers.- In matters connected with the comfort and welfare of the troops embarked, the Captain will give due weight to representations from the army medical officer in charge, conveyed to him by or through the military officer in command.
1220. Report of Embarkation.- Whenever troops are embarked in one of His Majesty's ships the Captain is to report the circumstance to the Admiralty on form S. 211, giving the reasons, and enclosing the details as to numbers, &c.
1221. Breakfast to Troops.- Troops under orders to land before noon are to be provided with a breakfast meal on board prior to disembarkation.
1222. Provisions for Shore Consumption.- When any provisions are issued to troops on disembarkation for consumption on shore, the Accountant Officer is to transmit to the Director of Victualling, by the first opportunity, the military Commanding Officer's receipt for the quantities issued, approved by the Captain, in order that a claim for the value may be immediately preferred on the Secretary of State for War.
SECTION II. HIRED TRANSPORTS.
1223. Superintending Transport Officers.- The transport duties will be conducted by officers, under the direction of the Director of Transports, appointed as Superintending Transport Officers, or as Officers for Transport Service, and they will carry out the Admiralty Instructions for Superintending Transport Officers, and for Officers for Transport Service, and comply with the regulations for His Majesty's Transport Service.
The following officers are Superintending Transport Officers :
In United Kingdom. |
| His Majesty's dockyards |
The Superintendents. |
| River Thames (and undermentioned ports if on the spot). |
The Naval Assistant Director of Transports. |
| Cardiff |
The Superintending Transport Officer (for coal duties). |
| Dublin |
The Inspecting Commander of Coast Guard, Kingstown. |
| Liverpool |
The Admiralty Transport Officer. |
| Southampton |
The Admiralty Transport Officer. |
| Other ports |
The Senior Naval Officer. |
Abroad.
The officer, naval or civilian, in charge of naval establishments on shores under the control of the Senior Naval Officer, will be the Superintending Transport Officer, and in his absence the Senior Naval Officer will himself discharge these duties, and in respect thereto will communicate directly with, and receive instructions from, the Director of Transports.
When there is no naval establishment, and one of His Majesty's ships is. not present, the Military Officer deputed by the General Officer Commanding to conduct transport duties, will act as Superintending Transport Officer so
427
far as appertaining to army transport service, and his requisitions are to be complied with accordingly, though he will not necessarily be the channel for the transmission of all reports and documents to the Director of Transports.
2. Ships wholly engaged on time charter are not to be taken up abroad except in cases of extreme necessity ; but when the necessity arises care is to be taken that the conditions of engagement follow as closely as possible the form of charter party for a transport in the Regulations for His Majesty's Transport Service.
3. Officers for service in transports, or officers required for the management of a fleet of transports will be appointed as Officers for Transport Service, and will be assigned the several positions denoted in the Instructions for Officers for Transport Service.
4. Officer in Charge of Drafts in Transports, &c.- An Officer proceeding in charge of drafts of seamen or marines, whether in a transport or a freight ship, is not to be appointed as an Officer for Transport Service ; but he is to follow so far as applicable to the case, the rules as laid down in the Regulations for His Majesty's Transport Service.
Discipline.- The officers and men under his orders are subject to the Naval Discipline Act, and they are to wear uniform as in a man-of-war. They are to be organised into divisions, and to carry out so far as practicable the routine followed in one of His Majesty's ships for the maintenance of discipline, and for cleanliness, health, and comfort.
Misconduct.- In the event of misconduct on the part of anyone under his orders the officer in charge is to report the same to the Captain of the depot or other of His Majesty's ships, to which the offender may be transferred on arrival at his destination, with a view to the necessary steps being taken for his punishment. If, however, the offence is of a serious nature, he is to acquaint the Senior Naval Officer at the first port of call at which any of His Majesty's ships may be present, in order that the man may, if necessary, be transferred to a man-of-war for punishment or custody.
5. All naval officers taking passage in transports, whether the ship is on naval or military service, are to wear uniform while on board.
1224. Duties of Principal Transport Officer.- When circumstances require it the Admiralty will appoint a Transport Service Officer as Principal Transport Officer, who will be directly responsible for the conduct of the transport duties, and for the expenditure connected therewith ; the Transport Officers and the masters in command of the several transports will be under his immediate control. '
2. Special instructions will in each case be given by the Admiralty on the appointment of a Principal Transport Officer, but the general scope of his duties and the principles governing his relations with the army authorities are defined in the Instructions for Officers for Transport Service.
3. All orders respecting the movements of the transports or other hired vessels and their appropriation and discipline, are to be issued, when practicable, through the Principal Transport Officer, who is to be considered for the time being in the light of an Officer in Command of a separate squadron placed under the general orders of the Commander-in-Chief for special service.
4. It will be his duty, and that of the officers under his control, to carry out, to the best of their ability, the orders of the naval Commander-in-Chief, or Senior Officer ;resent, to furnish such returns as that officer may from time to time direct, and to decide, with his approval, upon the positions to be taken up by the transports in the various ports or anchorages ; the Principal Transport Officer, when necessary, will refer to that officer for aid in maintaining discipline, or in carrying out any important service, and will regulate,
428
under the authority of the Commander-in-Chief or Senior Naval Officer, and, in concert with the military authorities, the loading and unloading of ships, the embarkations and disembarkations of troops, inclusive of sick and wounded, the sea conveyance of supplies of provisions, water, forage, munitions, stores, and materials for the Army, reporting from time to time to the Commander-in-Chief when he may require material or assistance beyond that which can be afforded by the transports, to enable the service to be carried out efficiently.
5. The Instructions for Officers for Transport Service prescribe the course to be pursued on arrival in port, and the Senior Officer is to afford the Transport Officer every assistance in carrying out his instructions and the orders under which he may be acting.
1225. Necessary deviations from Charter Parties.- When ships engaged at home and chartered under the authority of the Admiralty for the conveyance of troops between certain specified places are necessarily diverted by local authorities abroad, either by not carrying out some portion of the contemplated services, making additions thereto, or substituting others in lieu, all such alterations in the original charter party, when practicable, are to be left for settlement by the Admiralty with the owners ; and no independent or additional agreement in reference thereto is to be entered into by any of His Majesty's officers.
2. No portion of the cargo of a transport is to be trans-shipped or otherwise removed prior to arrival at its original destination without a due receipt being given by the naval or military Store Officer, as the case may require, or without the consignee at the seat of operations being informed by the earliest opportunity of the arrangements made.
SECTION III. LANDING AND EMBARKING TROOPS AND ARMY STORES.
1226. The following regulations are to be observed in respect to landing and embarking troops and army stores:-
- During peace and during war except within the sphere of operations
- All troops, with their animals, guns, regimental stores, and baggage will be shipped and landed by the Navy, whether the shipping or landing takes place alongside wharves or piers, either government or mercantile, or by tugs and boats.
- (ii) All army stores (cargo) at the various ports at home or abroad will be brought to or taken from alongside the ship by the Army, which does all the work not performed by the crew or stevedores.
- During war within the sphere of operations :
- The entire operations of landing and shipping troops animals, guns, regimental stores and baggage, and stores (cargo), whether alongside wharves or piers, either government or mercantile, or to and from a beach, will be controlled by the Navy, who will provide the boats, lighters, and tugs, and any labour required in connection with the same. All other labour required will be found by the Army, except in cases where the circumstances render it desirable that the Navy should provide some or all of the labour: The ultimate decision on this point will rest with the naval authorities.
- The Navy will be responsible for the berthing of all ships, lighters, tugs, and boats; but the convenience of the Army must be considered as far as practicable in the positions allotted. For
429
landings and embarkations the Navy will have full control of the entire beach up to high-water mark, and of such further portions of the same. anti of piers and wharves, as they consider necessary to enable them to control the work of embarkation and disembarkation. 'Within these portions the military officers will carry out all instructions issued by the naval officer in charge, but beyond them the responsibility for the safety and transportation of men, animals, guns, vehicles, and stores on shore will rest with the Army.
While the foregoing are the general rules governing the division of duties between the Navy and Army, it is to be clearly understood that each Service is working for a common object, and mill render the other all the. assistance which lies in its power.
430
^ back to top ^ |