1. Officer / NCO School of Instruction
Basic Drill Procedures
Formation of companies in battalion
Taking the open order – Single company and in battalion
Moving off in open column - wheeling
Positions and duties of officer & covering sgt. on the march
The oblique step
Stepping upon make ready and present
Charging Bayonets

2. The figures and who they are
The officer
The covering sergeant
The marker
The troop

3. Formation of companies in battalion
We will look at forming the battalion showing one company
1st sergeant’s call
All NCO’s call
The troop
Officers are brought on parade
The battalion is dressed and then handed over to the adjutant
QUESTIONS? Discussion
The 1st sergeants come out and are organized by the RSM
The officers approach the covering sergeant, who salutes, reports and moves back
The adjutant makes any last minute adjustments needed and then hands off the battalion to the commanding officer.
The battalion is now formed.

4. Taking the open order As a Single Company
First, a look at the movements when formed as a single company
The order is given
“Company, will take the open order”
The left AND right rear marker step back and turn to their right
“Quick, march”
The remainder of the rear rank step back and the 2 markers turn back to their left
The officer is now free to inspect the troops
QUESTIONS? Discussion

5. Taking the open order Single Company
“Company, will take the open order”
“Quick, march”
QUESTIONS? Discussion

6. Taking the open order Single Company
From the Drill Manual S.26. Open Order.
“Rear Ranks take open Order”
The flank men on the right and left of the centre and rear ranks, step briskly back one and two paces respectively, face to their right, and stand covered, to mark the ground on which each rank is to halt, and dress at open order; every other individual remains ready to move.
“March”
The dressers front, and the centre and rear ranks fall back one and two paces, each dressing by the right the instant it arrives on the ground.

7. Taking the open order While in Battalion
When in battalion there are some differences.
The order is given
“Battalion, will take the open order”
The right rear marker steps back and turns to the right
“Quick, march”
- The officer steps forward and to the left
- The covering sergeant steps up to take the place left by the officer
- The remainder of the rear rank step back and the marker turns back to their left
One company shown with officer on the right, covering sergeant behind him
ONLY the right rear marker of each company steps back. They turn to the right and dress to each other.
The officer is now free to inspect the troops
QUESTIONS? Discussion

8. Taking the open order While in Battalion
“Battalion, will take the open order”
“Quick, march”
QUESTIONS? Discussion

9. Taking the open order While in Battalion
From the Drill Manual S.72. When the Battalion takes Open Order.
“Rear Ranks take Open Order.”
At this command--the flank men on the right of the rear ranks of each company step briskly back to mark the ground on which each rank respectively is to halt. They face to the right, and cover as pivots, being regulated and dressed by the adjutant or serjeant-major on the right.--Every other individual remains ready to move.
“March.”
At this command--the flank dressers face to the front, and the whole move as follows:
The rear ranks fall back one and two paces, each dressing by the right the instant it arrives on the ground.
The officers in the front rank, as also the colours, move out three paces--those in the rear, together with the music, move through the intervals left open by the front rank officers, and divide themselves, viz. the captains covering the second file from the right, the lieutenants the second file from the left; and the ensigns opposite the centre of their respective companies.

10. Taking the open order Comparing Battalion to Company
“Take the open order”
“Quick, march”
Battalion Company
QUESTIONS? Discussion

11. Moving off in open column
Companies have been formed into a battalion and must move off
At this point nothing happens
“Battalion will move off to the right in open column of sections, right leading.”
“By sections on your left, backwards wheel…”
“quick, march.”
The left marker turns to his right
The officer steps out, turns to his left and walks to the centre of his company and stops, facing left
The covering sergeant turns to his left and faces to the rear left
The Captain moves to the end of the company, turning toward them
The sergeant runs around the wheeling company to the left
The company wheels backward

12. Moving off in open column
“Battalion will move off to the right in open column of sections, right leading.”
“By sections on your left, backwards wheel…”
“quick, march.”

13. Moving off in open column
From the drill manual
Attentions in Platoon Officers.
Wheeling into column. In wheeling from line to column, each moves out, and places himself one pace before the centre of his platoon; each turns towards his men during the wheel, and inclines to his pivot flank; each give his word Halt, Dress, when his wheeling man has just completed his degree of wheel; each squares his platoon, but without moving what was the standing flank.--After wheel into column is completed, no one is to cause his platoon to shift, by way of covering on the pivot flank, unless so ordered by the commanding officer, or that in the course of marching a straight line is gradually taken up.

14. Positions and duties of officer & covering sgt. on the march
The battalion will march off, the dressing is to the left
The whole move off together
The sergeant will move to the rear and take position behind the 2nd file from the left
The officer is responsible for the direction and pace of the march
The sergeant moves out of the way so the next officer can see the one ahead
It is his job to ensure company dress is followed during march, NOT the officers

15. Positions and duties of officer & covering sgt. on the march

16. Positions and duties of officer & covering sgt. on the march
From the drill manual
Leading Officer. On the leading platoon officer of the column, much of the precision of march depends; he must lead at an equal, steady pace; he must lead on two objects either given to him, or which he himself takes up on every alteration of position; this demands his utmost attention; nor must he allow it to be diverted by looking at his platoon, the care of whose regularity depends on the other officers and non-commissioned officers belonging to it. The second platoon officer must also have a knowledge of the points on which the first leads: he is always to keep that first officer and those points in a line, and those two officers, together with the placed mounted officers, thus become a direction for the other pivot officers to cover.--In marching in open column, the covering serjeants are placed behind the second file from the pivot officers, that the officers may the more correctly see and cover each other in column.
When the column marches, if the officer is in front of the platoon, the serjeant is on the pivot of the front rank, and is answerable for the platoon distance; if the officer remains on the pivot flank, the serjeant then falls behind the rear rank, and covers the second file from the pivot.
The great attention during movement is, that files are correct, ranks kept up, and that perfect order is preserved among the soldiers, circumstances in which they (the covering sergeant) greatly assist the platoon officer, who having the important objects of distance and covering of pivots to observe, cannot in such situation be giving minute directions to his platoon, without losing sight of his more material duties.
QUESTIONS? Discussion

17. The Oblique step
To the Left, oblique, March, step with left foot, point and carry it forward 19 inches in the diagonal line, to the left, which gives about 13 inches to the side, and about 13 inches to the front. On the 2nd movement, bring right foot 30 inches forward, so that the right heel be placed 13 inches directly before the left one…. …From the combination of these two movements, the general obliquity gained will amount to an angle of about 25 degrees.
With one exception whenever stepping off in march, the left foot always steps first
The foot not of the angle steps in front of the other, ie. Left oblique the right foot steps infront of the left.
13 inches
30 inches
When stepping off to the right oblique the left foot steps off first, THEN the right foot does the oblique. The right foot does NOT step first and to the right.
19 inches
13 inches
Squareness of the body to the front MUST be strictly maintained.
QUESTIONS? Discussion

18. The Oblique step
Keeping the squareness of the body to the front is extremely important and one of the hardest things for anyone to master.
Here will be an example of 2 groups marching to the right oblique. The left will do it correctly, the right will falter.
At the end of the march the right hand group has bent its line, twisted the body and not stayed true to the front.
QUESTIONS? Discussion

19. Stepping upon make ready and present
The front rank steps back and to the right with the right foot at the present.
The movement of the feet during the firings is different between the front rank and rear rank
The rear rank steps to the right at the make ready
“Make Ready”
“Present”
Front rank
“Fire”
“Load”
Rear rank
The process is then repeated. The front rank continues to step back at the present, the rear rank steps to the left on the present.
After the firing is done the front rank steps back with the right foot to the left while the rear rank closes to the right bringing the left foot to the right.

20. Stepping upon make ready and present
From the top
“Make Ready”
“Present”
Front rank
“Fire”
“Load”
Rear rank