Dandelion Posted March 12, 2003 Author Share Posted March 12, 2003 Odd function that, of the Guide. I am searching my mind but can't think of any real German equivalent. As I recall, the quartermaster(s men) finds and marks the spot for bivouac (no, I cant spell it in English, I mean the camp sortof). As for combat positions, higher echelons would send...well, guides I guess we can call them, to lead units in to their respective Gefechtsstreifen (lane of attack or area of defence). So they knew they'd end up where they were wanted. During movement, in combat conditions, the Germans used a system with an Anschluss unit, dont know how to translate, but this unit was earmarked as the unit which all others must adapt to. So if it moved right, all moved right and so on. Formation was thus relative to it. This unit would be accompanied by personnel from higher echelon also, who had scouted terrain and were intimate with the plans. The term "Ldr", it comes as a second function though, apart from the plaoon ldr (the 2nd Lt). Says the Ldr was a S/Sgt. Dandelion 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JonS Posted March 12, 2003 Share Posted March 12, 2003 Originally posted by Michael Dorosh: </font><blockquote>quote:</font><hr />Originally posted by JonS: lists the main ones. The "S" is used to refer to those positions at battalion and brigade(?), Regiment you Commonwealth heathen! </font> 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dandelion Posted March 12, 2003 Author Share Posted March 12, 2003 ...no point in forcing a Kiwi to say Regiment. he will only mean battalion by saying so anyway Dandelion 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JonS Posted March 12, 2003 Share Posted March 12, 2003 Originally posted by Dandelion: The term "Ldr", it comes as a second function though, apart from the plaoon ldr (the 2nd Lt). Says the Ldr was a S/Sgt. I take it you are referring to the In each Platoon ... box, then, "Three Rifle Squads, each with ..." and "Squad Leader [sSG] " ? LOL - that one is easy That refers to the leader, or commander, of the squad. In the British army this would be a corporal. Regards JonS 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Michael Dorosh Posted March 12, 2003 Share Posted March 12, 2003 hard drive still broke... Note the "junior EM" listing in the squad. In the US Army this would be corporal, PFC or private. In the German it would be Schutze (no umlauts on my laptop, sorry), Oberschutze, Gefreiter or Obergefreiter. It didn't matter which. In the Commonwealth, these would only be Privates, with a single Lance Corporal as second in command (which in the US Army was a job for a Sergeant (!)) 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JonS Posted March 12, 2003 Share Posted March 12, 2003 Originally posted by Michael Dorosh: In the Commonwealth, these would only be Privates, with a single Lance Corporal as second in command ... And often (usually?) that L/Cpl would be in the position of the "Asst Auto Rifleman", from where he would command the Bren while the Cpl razzle-dazzled with the rest of the section. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lcm1947 Posted March 12, 2003 Share Posted March 12, 2003 Well I reckon I'm a Texan and I wouldn't be too insulted or call you too many names if you used the term. We accept the fact that most people probably think that we have a drawl although we really don't it's just that everybody else talks funny. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dandelion Posted March 12, 2003 Author Share Posted March 12, 2003 Unbelievable as it first appeared, every last initial question is now actually answered. Busy copy-pasting. I can even see now why my first listing had no guide for 4th platoon. There wasn't any. Just can't believe how many people there were in US squads. How the hoobaloo did the squad leader keep check on that crowd in a fight? They are well nigh twice as many as in the German squad. No wonder they had personnel shortage problems 1F The 1st SGT in the HQ platoon - this would be the same company 1st sgt as we discussed before right? 2F Of course, I gather nobody would know what the "bugler" did? I mean, he didn't really blow a horn, did he? Thought only the Japanese still did that. 3F And the armorer (hm, is armourer UK spelling?), was he actually an equipped and trained weaponsmechanic, or was he some kind of supply/storage function? 4F "Commo" would refer to communications? A signalist then? Or merely a storage function? Or a mechanic? 5F I take it the "Messenger" function was used for signal duties if signal equipment was available? Yours Dandelion 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Splinty Posted March 12, 2003 Share Posted March 12, 2003 Hi again, In answer to 1F: Exactly. As far as 2F goes, maybe he did play the bugle in garrison. That's only a guess. As far as the armorer goes in the modern Army the answer would be both. The armorer is a supply specialist who has additional training in weapons repair and maintainance. 4F: Commo IS short for communications. The signal section usually consists of the signal Sergeant and a couple of those additional EMs attached to the H.Q. Platoon. 5F, The messengers were both radiomen and runners for the Platoon Leader. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Michael Dorosh Posted March 12, 2003 Share Posted March 12, 2003 Highland regiments in the Canadian Army had a "piper" listed with each company headquarters. They didn't actually play the pipes in battle though, it was a bit of a holdover. They probably acted as batman to the company commander. I'd suggest the US Army bugler may have had a bugle in garrison, but in the field he was probably a driver, runner ("messenger") or other similar gopher. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dandelion Posted March 13, 2003 Author Share Posted March 13, 2003 Thanks again all. I am working up steam (i.e. # obscure questions) for a new thread, on UK org, so keep an eye out One last thing Mr Dorosh. I am sorry but my contemporary English fails me. What is the meaning of holdover? As in remnant from the past? What is the meaning of being a batman, in the sense that You use it? (I picture somebody with blue tights, a cape and a mask you know...). What is a gopher? Sincerely a much pleased Dandelion 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Michael Dorosh Posted March 13, 2003 Share Posted March 13, 2003 Originally posted by Dandelion: Thanks again all. I am working up steam (i.e. # obscure questions) for a new thread, on UK org, so keep an eye out One last thing Mr Dorosh. I am sorry but my contemporary English fails me. What is the meaning of holdover? As in remnant from the past? What is the meaning of being a batman, in the sense that You use it? (I picture somebody with blue tights, a cape and a mask you know...). What is a gopher? Sincerely a much pleased Dandelion Holdover is correct - a remnant of the past. A batman is a personal servant. In the Canadian Army in WW II (as well as the British), each commissioned officer had a batman, or servant, to shine his boots and brass, lay out his bedding, etc., and in action usually acted as his radioman or runner, or driver, etc. Another "holdover" I suppose. A gopher is someone you tell to "go for" stuff - "go fer some sandwiches!" - it is a modern slang term for an errand boy. It's use goes back a ways, not sure if it was to the 40s but it is not a military term as far as I know. "Gopher" is actually a term for the Richardson Ground Squirrel - a prolific rodent that lives on the prairies in Canada and the US. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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