THE "SPECTATOR" EXPERIMENTAL COMPANY. [To THE EDITOR OF THE "
SPECTATOR."] SIR,—Your readers will, I am sure, be interested to know that the physical development of our men has progressed most satisfactorily, as the following figures will show.
The averages, from measurements taken on March 20th, were originally as follows :—Height, 5 ft. 71 in. ; chest, 35; weight, 9 et. 8 lb. The increases ascertained by measurements taken on the 15th inst., on the expiration of three months' training, are very considerable. The present averages are:—Height, 5 ft. 8 in.; chest, 301 in. ; weight, 10 st. 21 lb. The averages of eight men who joined the Company after the original return had been furnished to the Spectator are as under :—First measurements, 6 ft. 8 in., 36 in., 10 st.; second measurements, 5 ft. 84 in., 371 in., 10 st. 44 lb.
With regard to the increase of height, it should be explained
that, although some of the younger lads have indeed grown an inch. or more, the higher average results not so much from actual growth as from the men having become better "set up." To some people it may perhaps appear that the increase in weight is hardly proportionate to the increase in chest measurement, but the explanation of this is that the gain of muscle has to have set against it, in a great many cases, the loss of fat. There are many lads who could not when they joined run half-a-mile at a decent pace, carrying nothing, who can now run two miles in drill order (properly dressed, and with rifles and bayonets) at the rate of nearly eight miles an hour. The men have unanimously declared that they expected the training to improve their physical power:, sous to better fit them for earning their living, and it appears that they are unlikely to be disappointed. Herein I think lies a national lesson of no little importance.
We finished yesterday the "qualifying practices" of the
course of musketry, "'Table B, for Trained Soldiers." The Company average is 98.11 out of a possible 160 points, the regulation qualifying standard being 95 points. It may seem to many of your readers that we have done only moderately, and that a considerable number must have failed to "qualify." This is so ; but it must be remembered that our men have not fired a "recruit's course," and that these forty rounds they have just completed represent their first attempts on a real rifle range. I have, some say too sanguinely, entered upon a trained soldier's course, relying upon the inexpensive use of the Wilkinson Sub- Target machine as an efficient substitute for the very costly " recruit's course," thereby effecting a saving of not less than £150, including range expenses. Should our funds allow of my completing the " Trained Soldier's Course," I shall be much surprised if our average turns out to-be lower than that of some Regular battalions. At the same time. I know, of course, that our place in order of merit, compared with the infantry as a whole, must necessarily be a very low one,—because our men are all inexperienced recruits.
To-day we had many visitors, including Lord Wemyss, who has
gone away with an erroneous impression that so long a period of training as six months is unnecessary. He ignores the fact that we shall require six weeks to finish musketry, and a month after- wards to recover lost ground in other branches of training. A soldier is not fully made when he has merely learned the essentials ; he requires also reasonable experience in applying the knowledge gained in order to fix it in his mind, and thus acquire the habit of soldiering. The Spectator Company has, moreover, much yet to learn ; for example, to practise the devolution of tommaud as casualties occur during tactical drills and exercises. Until at least ninety per cent. of the men have become capable of commanding sections in action I shall not be satisfied.
—I am, Sir, &c., A. W. A. PoLLocx, Lieut.-Colonel.
Hounslow, .Tune 20th. P.S.—I may mention that to-day all the staff except myself had "Ascot leave" from 10 a.m., and that our visitors. saw the Company work under recruit non-commissioned officers only. The programme carried out included rifle exercises and company drill by Lance-Corporals Dickerson and White, physical drill by section commanders, and a drill attack practice which I started, but left the recruit non-commissioned officers to carry out thence- forward as they pleased. The results were, in my opinion, very gratifying.
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