Mr. SHIRLEY BENNasked the Secretary for War what courses of instruction have been held and at what places during the present year for the Officers' Training Corps; what number of officers have attended the respective courses; and what number have been obtained for the Special Reserve and for the Territorials as the result of these courses of instruction?
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§ Colonel SEELYThe following is a statement showing what courses of instruction have been held specially for officers of the Officers' Training Corps during 1912, the places at which the courses were held, and the number of officers who attended:—
Nature of Course. Place. Date. Number of Officers who Attended. Remark. Preparatory for examinations A and B York January … 23 … — Preparatory examination A Warley January … 15 … — Preparatory examination B Shorncliffe January … 17 … — Regimental exercise Cambridge January … 22 … — Regimental exercise Exeter January … 23 … — Regimental exercise Dublin January … 7 … — Musketry Hythe April … 40 … — Observation of company training of Regular troops Aldershot April … 32 … — Preparatory for examination A and B Portsmouth April … 28 … — Regimental exercise Cupar April … 16 … — Regimental exercise Aylesbury April … 7 … — Regimental exercise Rugby April … 18 … — Regimental exercise York April … 18 … — In addition to the special courses mentioned above, officers of the Officers' Training Corps have attended the following courses during the year:—
Musketry Hythe Various … 5 … Open to officers from Regulars S.R. and T.F. Musketry (local courses) Various Various … 14 … Gunnery, transport, signalling and electric lighting Various Various … 4 … — Voluntary attachment to Regular units Various Various … 11 … — Obligatory initial course to qualify for retention of the outfit grant Various Various … 177 … —
Summary. Number attending. Courses, voluntary … … 234 Courses, obligatory … … 236 470 The answer to the second part of the question does not arise from the answer to the first part. The courses of instruction, of which a schedule is given, are either voluntary or obligatory, in the latter case to qualify officers for their outfit grant or for promotion, and in either case these courses are intended not to qualify officers for commissions they already hold, but to improve their military education to the end that they be enabled properly and efficiently to train the cadets under their command.