The name
self-adopted by British troops belonging to the regular army in 1914, the term
was supposedly derived from a comment made by the German Kaiser, Wilhelm II.
The Kaiser, upon
hearing that German forces were being held up in France while en route to the
French capital, is said to have exclaimed his exasperation of "Sir John
French's contemptible little army"
The Kaiser's
comment may have stemmed from anxiety surrounding execution of the German
Schlieffen Plan designed to knock France out of the war within six weeks of its
inception, as well as reflecting his opinion of the size of Britain's pre-war
regular army (which was rather smaller than the major continental armies). Any delay to the German Army's progress was
therefore of concern.
Interestingly the
term is also said to origin from a mistranslation of a letter from the Kaiser
to the commander of the German First Army Alexander von Kluck, in which he
supposedly wrote: "It is my Royal and Imperial command that you
concentrate your energies for the immediate present upon one single purpose,
and that is that you address your skill and all the valour of my soldiers to
exterminate the treacherous English, and walk over French's contemptibly small
army."
Whatever the actual
origin the British regulars were delighted thereafter to be referred to as 'The
Old Contemptibles' and named their post-war veterans' association accordingly.
The regular army is
the name applied to the units and formations of men who joined the army for a
paid job - professional soldiers. Up to the declaration of war, most men
joining the regular army enlisted for a total of twelve years, made up of a
period of full time service with the colours followed by a period on reserve.
Although the make up of these twelve years was adjusted on a few occasions
between 1902 and 1914, in general the term was seven years colour service and
then five years on reserve.
Once mobilisation
was ordered on 5 August 1914 and Lord Kitchener had introduced A call to arms,
all men enlisting into the army - unless they went into the Territorial Force -
could now choose to join on "general service" terms, which meant full
time service for three years or the duration of the war, whichever longer.
These men were, strictly, of the regular army.
The introduction of
conscription by the Military Service Act in 1916 meant that all future
enlistments were for "general service", for the duration.
What made the regular army distinctive?
The Regiments and
Corps of the pre-war regular army protected their traditions with fierce pride,
which rubbed off on the part-time volunteer units of the Territorial Force and
even on the war time volunteers and conscripts. The regular units were
naturally the first to go to war and they formed the bedrock for the expansion
of the army. There was a degree of professional pride: the regulars smartness
of dress, drill and marching, and efficiency in the field tended them to regard
the newcomers as "Fred Karno's Army". Losses of men in the regular
units soon meant that the regular ranks were filled with 'amateurs' and the
regular distinction was inevitably blurred. But the men who joined the regular
units as amateurs made sure that the fighting traditions were carried on, and
regular units were able to retain an air of superiority to the end.
Not equipped for a major Continental-scale
war
Before the Great
War the British regular army was very small in comparison with those of its
European neighbours. The army's main role since the conclusion of the Second
Boer War in South Africa between 1899-1902 was policing of the British Empire,
'upon which the sun never set'. Britain's traditional armed strength lay in the
Royal Navy and there was no preconceived intention to commit a large army to a
Continental war.
Army planning in
the crisis years leading up to 1914 had provided for a small Expeditionary
Force (BEF) of six infantry divisions, equipped as a mobile force that could be
deployed anywhere needed. Following reforms carried out after the poor
performance in South Africa, this small army could be considered to be among
the best in terms of equipment and training, although in many respects of
armament - critically as it turned out, especially in heavy artillery - it fell
well short of the Germans. Informal discussions took place with the French army
following the establishment of the Entente in 1906. They concluded that the
most likely war scenario envisaged a German attack on France, in which case the
BEF would take up a position to the left of the French front - a small adjunct
to the mighty French army; indeed one no bigger (if perhaps with greater
promise) than that of the Belgian army. Great Britain declared war on Germany
on 4 August 1914, following the German invasion of Belgium.
On 4 August 1914,
almost half of the British Army was overseas, spread around the garrisons of
Empire.
The first British Expeditionary Force
In the last days of
peace, the British Government committed only four - not six - infantry
divisions to the Expeditionary Force going to France. There were genuine fears
of German invasion of the home country, and troops would be needed. Ireland was
also still a cause for concern. Mobilisation of the BEF and embarkation for
France proceeded faultlessly, and all men and equipment moved across the
Channel as planned. They moved swiftly into position and first encountered the
enemy at Mons on 23 August 1914.
The original BEF comprised of:
1st Division | 2nd
Division | 3rd Division | 5th Division |
1st Cavalry
Division | 2nd Cavalry Division. plus lines of communication, Corps and Army
troops and HQ.
Completing the "Old Contemptibles"
The 4th Division,
which was already mobilised in England in accordance with pre-war planning,
moved to France just in time to take part in the defensive stand made at Le
Cateau on 26 August 1914. The 6th Division, similarly ready, also moved out and
joined the BEF. They missed the great retreat but took part in the advance to
the Aisne. Meanwhile, many battalions of the regular army were ordered to move
from various stations around the Empire. Those among the earliest to arrive in
England had sailed from Malta, South Africa, and Gibraltar. They were formed up
into the 7th Division, arguably amongst the strongest formations assembled by
the British, consisting of trained soldiers, needing fewer reservists to be
made up to full strength. The 7th Division was initially ordered to the defence
of Antwerp and landed at Zeebrugge on 6 October 1914 - but it was soon moved to
the vicinity of Ypres where it played a central role in the first defensive
battle there. All of the Divisions named thus far were very heavily engaged in
these early days of the war; indeed by the close of the First Battle of Ypres,
they were all but destroyed. They took great pride in their achievements, and
were always known as The Old Contemptibles.
Old Contemptible
Attributes: Agility d6, Smarts d8, Spirit d8, Strength
d6, Vigor d6
Skills: Fighting d8, Intimidation d8, Knowledge (Battle)
d6, Notice d6, Persuasion d6, Shooting d8, Stealth d6, Throwing d8
Charisma: 0; Pace: 6; Parry: 5; Sanity:
5;
Toughness: 6
Hindrances: Code of Honor, Shell shocked (Minor), Stubborn
Edges: Brave, Common
bond, Dig in!, Grizzled, Incoming!, Luck, National Identity
(British Pluck)
Gear: Uniform, canteen, steel helmet (+1), Lee- Enfield
rifle (Range 24/48/96, Damage 2d8) with 150 rounds, Webley revolver (Range
12/24/48, Damage
2d6+1) with 18
rounds, 4× Mills
Bombs (Range 5/10/20, Damage
3d6), trench knife (Str+d4), gas mask.
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