Motor Volunteer Corps.
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of Army Council Instruction Concerning Their Formation as Part of County Corps.
Army Council Instruction. No. 90 of 1917.
WAR, OFFICE:,
14th January, 1917.
RO. Volunteer Force Order No. XXXIII. Formation of County Motor Volunteer Corps.
The Army Council have had under consideration the position of certain units of the old Volunteer Training Corps organized as motor transport which have not so far been incorporated into the Volunteer Force raised under the Volunteer Acts. Most of these units form part of an organization heretofore known as the "National Motor Volunteers."
It has now been decided that units of this character which are already actually in existence may be constituted as part of the Volunteer Force under the arrangements notified below. It will also be open to motorists generally who may be desirous of forming themselves into squadrons to represent their desire to the Lord Lieutenant of their County with a view to the inclusion of such squadrons as part of the County Corps (see para. 2).
(2) The Motor Volunteer units in a county will constitute a single Volunteer Corps, designated the (County) Motor Volunteer Corps—e.g., the County of Londen Motor Volunteer Corps. The Corps will be organized as one or more squadrons, light or heavy, according to the establishments shown in Appendix I to this A.C.I.
(3) The squadrons composing a County Motor Volunteer Corps will be numbered consecutively from 1 upwards. (4) When the County Motor Volunteer Corps consists of two or more squadrons, an officer may be appointed to command the Corps in the rank of major. It is possible that other appointments may prove to be desirable as the formation of these Corps progresses.
(5) In order to facilitate movement end the execution of repairs, the motor transport belonging to each squadron will be compoSed as far as possible of vehicles of similar type, and, if practicable, of the same make. (6) In counties where the units referred to in para. 1 are actually in being, and are desirous of being incorporated into the statutory Volunteer Force, or where motorists havo definitely expressed themselves as desirous of forming squadrons, an offer of service of a County Motor Volunteer Corps may accordingly be submitted by the Lord Lieutenant of the County. In snbmitting the offer of service of the County Motor Volnuteer Corps, full particulars will be furnished of thecstreivgth-of the personnel willing to enrol, and of the cars which they will produce, showing the -proposed organization by squadrons under para. 2. (7) As soon as the offer of service has been accepted by Hie Majesty, gentlemen may beamminated for appointment to commissions and enrolments may proceed in the ordinary way on the lines prescribed by V.F. Order No. III (A.C.I. 1058 of 1916). As all.the equadrons in a county will together form one Volunteer Corps, the personnel will be.allotted regimental numbers from a single series running throughout the Corps.
(8) The arrangements notified by V.F. Order No. XXXI (A.C.I. 84 of 1i1..7) in regard Tim theissue of grants in respect of members of Volunteer Infantry Battalions e ho enter into agreements, framed under the provisions of the Volunteer Act, 1916, to perform a certain specified programme of drill and training, will not apply to the members of County Motor Volunteer Corps, and no financial or other assistance can be given to these units, except as provided in para. 9.
(9) If and when the F.M.C.-in-C. Home Forces, or such officer as he may depute, considers that it is necessary for the purposes of training that certain Motor Volunteers should be exercised in manning their emergency stations, the necessary supplies of petrol may be provided at the public expense. For this purpose the ordinary vouchers with which petrol is drawn locally will be supplied through G.0s.C.-in-C. of Commands to county Commandants for distribution toothe C.O.s of Motor Volunteer units concerned. 0.0s.C.-in-C. will be responsible for ensuring that only such numbers of Vouchers are supplied in each ease as are necessary for the provision of the particular service. No Other free issues of petrol will be mademidess and until any members of Motor Volunteer Corps are called out for actual military service. In thc event of any members of Motor Volunteer Corps being called out for actual military service, the system of vouchers referred to in para. 9 will be adopted to enable any motor vehicles definitely allocated for emergency duty to reach their war stations. On joining the formations to which they are allotted, such trarisimrt will be provided with petrol under the arrangements governing supplies to Army transport generally.
(11) The primary duty of the Motor Volunteers will be to provide the regimental. transport necessary for certain Volunteer Infantry Battalions under arrangements which will be completed as soon as the organization of the County Motor Volunteer Corps is silfficiently far advanced. The transport thus...to be provided for an infantry battalion is shown in Appendix II. It is hoped that these units will also be of definite value in certain other directions.
(12) In the event of any members of Motor Volunteer Corps being called out for actual military service, the provisions of V.F. Order No. VII (A.C.I. 1568 of 1916) will apply to them. Pay will be issuable at ordinary infantry rates.