§ MAJOR RASCH (Essex, S.E.)I beg to ask the Financial Secretary to the War Office whether the 65th Field Battery, now armed with 15-pounder gun equipment, is to draw 5-inch howitzer equipment instead; and whether he will consider the advisability of raising as a howitzer battery one of the five new field batteries, instead of rendering the 65 Field Battery inefficient by learning a new drill with howitzers, while the new batteries will be attempting to render themselves efficient with the 15-pounder gun equipment?
THE UNDER SECRETARY OF STATE FOR WAR (Mr. W. ST. JOHN BRODRICK)The 65th Field Battery is to draw 5-inch howitzer equipment. As it is not probable that any of the five new batteries will be completed before the end of the year, and as it is considered desirable for service reasons to complete with trained men as soon as possible the howitzer brigade division, the third service field battery at Hilsea (the other two being already howitzer batteries) has been detailed for this duty.