TftF (5): British Army fighting structure

TftF (5) outlines the British Army’s structure adopted in World War I to organise and command its forces during battle.

In the British army, a Battalion contained about 1000 men, subdivided into four companies (250 each). In turn, a company organised its men into eight platoons (30 each). Platoons consisted of sections (10 each). The exact numbers might vary.

An older categorisation ran across this structure: regiments. Many had a long history and a well-defined identity. In most cases, regiments had originated within a county. Many Bournemouth natives served with the Dorsetshire or Hampshire Regiments. At first, each regiment consisted of two battalions, but this number increased during the war.

In 1914, the British grouped four battalions into a brigade. Three of the latter comprised a division. In addition to infantry, a division would contain other units having different specialities. These would include artillery, signals, engineers, and so on.

Above this level, an Army Corps contained two divisions, while an Army Group consisted of two corps