Small Arms School Corps
Encyclopedia
The Small Arms School Corps (SASC) is a small corps of the British Army
responsible for maintaining the proficiency of the army in the use of small arms, support weapons and range management.
Prior to 1851 the majority of British soldiers were issued with the "Brown Bess
" Land Pattern Musket, a smooth-bore, muzzle loading musket which had seen duty in one form or another since 1704. Lack of accuracy was compensated for by the practice of firing in volleys. Musketry, as shooting was known, was more like parade ground drill and as such was a matter for the Drill Sergeant
.
More accurate rifle
s did exist (indeed the principle of rifling
the barrel had been known about since 1515) but took so long to reload that it was deemed unwise to have them on general issue. At this point only a few regiments had been equipped with rifles, notably the 60th
and the 95th whose special rifle drill stems from this time.
In 1849 a Frenchman, Claude-Étienne Minié, produced a rifle named after himself
which, although still a muzzle loader had an expanding bullet that greatly reduced the time required for reloading a rifle. Re-equipment of the Army with this new weapon began in 1851.
The consequence of this was that the Army now had a weapon that was not only more accurate, but had a longer range. For the first time since the demise of the bow and arrow true marksmanship was possible. Shooting ceased to be a drill and became an art based on personal skill. Elevation, windage
and ballistics
now played a part.
In order to study these new problems and introduce a shooting doctrine for instruction in Rifle Shooting it was decided to form a special Corps of experts, who would also develop and improve the rifles. In March 1853 the Army Estimates included the princely sum of £1,000 (about £ today) for Lord Hardinge
to form an "Establishment for the instruction of the Army in rifle and target practice."
with a small staff of officers. On 1 August the first instructor, CSgt
MacKay of the 19th Foot, was appointed. By 15 September a further three instructors were on strength. They were Sgt. Ruston (3 Gren Gds
), Sgt. Lobes (2 Gren Gds) and Sgt. Morris (97th Regt
).
The first mention of the establishment of the School was in the Army List of 1854 when it was referred to as the School of Musketry, a name it bore until 1919 when its name was changed to the Small Arms School.
In September 1855 a Corps of Instructors was added to the establishment, consisting of 100 First Class and 100 Second Class Instructors who, as soon as they were sufficiently experienced (except for three who remained at Hythe), were distributed to Depot Battalions and Regiments as required. These men were the Corps of Instructors of Musketry, a misnomer as muskets were being withdrawn from service.
and by the BEF in Wisques
, France. This was followed on 14 October 1915 by the creation of the Machine Gun Corps
(MGC). Originally equipped with the Maxim gun
, these were replaced by the Vickers machine gun
shortly after formation of the Corps. In 1926 the School expanded to include the Machine Gun School at Netheravon
.
On the occasion of the centenary of the Corps in 1953, March of the Bowmen from the Robin Hood Suite was adopted as the Corps March.
In 1969 the School moved from Hythe to Warminster
where Headquarters SASC remains to this day.
The principal source of volunteers is successful students attending School of Infantry Phase 3 courses at Infantry Battle School at Brecon
, Infantry Training Centre
(ITC) Warminster, SASC Training Advisory Group (Germany) and the Armoured Fighting Vehicle (AFV) Gunnery School at Lulworth Military Range
who are identified as having the potential to be future members of the SASC. In addition, any eligible soldier holding an appropriate instructor qualification, such as All Arms Skill at Arms Instructor, may apply to transfer.
British Army
The British Army is the land warfare branch of Her Majesty's Armed Forces in the United Kingdom. It came into being with the unification of the Kingdom of England and Scotland into the Kingdom of Great Britain in 1707. The new British Army incorporated Regiments that had already existed in England...
responsible for maintaining the proficiency of the army in the use of small arms, support weapons and range management.
History
Brown Bess
Brown Bess is a nickname of uncertain origin for the British Army's Land Pattern Musket and its derivatives. This musket was used in the era of the expansion of the British Empire and acquired symbolic importance at least as significant as its physical importance. It was in use for over a hundred...
" Land Pattern Musket, a smooth-bore, muzzle loading musket which had seen duty in one form or another since 1704. Lack of accuracy was compensated for by the practice of firing in volleys. Musketry, as shooting was known, was more like parade ground drill and as such was a matter for the Drill Sergeant
Drill instructor
A drill instructor is a non-commissioned officer or Staff Non-Commissioned Officer in the armed forces or police forces with specific duties that vary by country. In the U.S. armed forces, they are assigned the duty of indoctrinating new recruits entering the military into the customs and...
.
More accurate rifle
Rifle
A rifle is a firearm designed to be fired from the shoulder, with a barrel that has a helical groove or pattern of grooves cut into the barrel walls. The raised areas of the rifling are called "lands," which make contact with the projectile , imparting spin around an axis corresponding to the...
s did exist (indeed the principle of rifling
Rifling
Rifling is the process of making helical grooves in the barrel of a gun or firearm, which imparts a spin to a projectile around its long axis...
the barrel had been known about since 1515) but took so long to reload that it was deemed unwise to have them on general issue. At this point only a few regiments had been equipped with rifles, notably the 60th
King's Royal Rifle Corps
The King's Royal Rifle Corps was a British Army infantry regiment, originally raised in colonial North America as the Royal Americans, and recruited from American colonists. Later ranked as the 60th Regiment of Foot, the regiment served for more than 200 years throughout the British Empire...
and the 95th whose special rifle drill stems from this time.
In 1849 a Frenchman, Claude-Étienne Minié, produced a rifle named after himself
Minié rifle
The Minié rifle was an important rifle in the 19th century, developed in 1849 following the invention of the Minié ball in 1847 by the French Army captains Claude-Étienne Minié of the Chasseurs d'Orléans and Henri-Gustave Delvigne. The rifle was designed to allow rapid muzzle loading of rifles, an...
which, although still a muzzle loader had an expanding bullet that greatly reduced the time required for reloading a rifle. Re-equipment of the Army with this new weapon began in 1851.
The consequence of this was that the Army now had a weapon that was not only more accurate, but had a longer range. For the first time since the demise of the bow and arrow true marksmanship was possible. Shooting ceased to be a drill and became an art based on personal skill. Elevation, windage
Windage
Windage is a force created on an object by friction when there is relative movement between air and the object.There are two causes of windage:# the object is moving and being slowed by resistance from the air...
and ballistics
Ballistics
Ballistics is the science of mechanics that deals with the flight, behavior, and effects of projectiles, especially bullets, gravity bombs, rockets, or the like; the science or art of designing and accelerating projectiles so as to achieve a desired performance.A ballistic body is a body which is...
now played a part.
In order to study these new problems and introduce a shooting doctrine for instruction in Rifle Shooting it was decided to form a special Corps of experts, who would also develop and improve the rifles. In March 1853 the Army Estimates included the princely sum of £1,000 (about £ today) for Lord Hardinge
Henry Hardinge, 1st Viscount Hardinge
Field Marshal Henry Hardinge, 1st Viscount Hardinge, GCB, PC was a British field marshal and Governor-general of India.-Army career:...
to form an "Establishment for the instruction of the Army in rifle and target practice."
Foundation
In June of that year Colonel Hay arrived at Hythe, KentHythe, Kent
Hythe , is a small coastal market town on the edge of Romney Marsh, in the District of Shepway on the south coast of Kent. The word Hythe or Hithe is an Old English word meaning Haven or Landing Place....
with a small staff of officers. On 1 August the first instructor, CSgt
Colour Sergeant
Colour sergeant or colour serjeant is a non-commissioned title in the Royal Marines and infantry regiments of the British Army, ranking above sergeant and below warrant officer class 2....
MacKay of the 19th Foot, was appointed. By 15 September a further three instructors were on strength. They were Sgt. Ruston (3 Gren Gds
Grenadier Guards
The Grenadier Guards is an infantry regiment of the British Army. It is the most senior regiment of the Guards Division and, as such, is the most senior regiment of infantry. It is not, however, the most senior regiment of the Army, this position being attributed to the Life Guards...
), Sgt. Lobes (2 Gren Gds) and Sgt. Morris (97th Regt
97th (The Earl of Ulster's) Regiment of Foot
The 97th Regiment of Foot was an infantry regiment of the British Army, formed in 1824 and amalgamated into The Queen's Own in 1881....
).
The first mention of the establishment of the School was in the Army List of 1854 when it was referred to as the School of Musketry, a name it bore until 1919 when its name was changed to the Small Arms School.
In September 1855 a Corps of Instructors was added to the establishment, consisting of 100 First Class and 100 Second Class Instructors who, as soon as they were sufficiently experienced (except for three who remained at Hythe), were distributed to Depot Battalions and Regiments as required. These men were the Corps of Instructors of Musketry, a misnomer as muskets were being withdrawn from service.
World War I
The Machine Gun Training Centres had been established in 1914 at GranthamGrantham
Grantham is a market town within the South Kesteven district of Lincolnshire, England. It bestrides the East Coast Main Line railway , the historic A1 main north-south road, and the River Witham. Grantham is located approximately south of the city of Lincoln, and approximately east of Nottingham...
and by the BEF in Wisques
Wisques
-Places of interest:* Two chapels, dating from the twentieth century.* A small 18th century château in Louis XV style.* The Grand Château : dating from the fourteenth century.* The Benedictine Abbey of St. Paul-References:* -External links:* *...
, France. This was followed on 14 October 1915 by the creation of the Machine Gun Corps
Machine Gun Corps
The Machine Gun Corps was a corps of the British Army, formed in October 1915 in response to the need for more effective use of machine guns on the Western Front in World War I. The Heavy Branch of the MGC was the first to use tanks in combat, and the branch was subsequently turned into the Tank...
(MGC). Originally equipped with the Maxim gun
Maxim gun
The Maxim gun was the first self-powered machine gun, invented by the American-born British inventor Sir Hiram Maxim in 1884. It has been called "the weapon most associated with [British] imperial conquest".-Functionality:...
, these were replaced by the Vickers machine gun
Vickers machine gun
Not to be confused with the Vickers light machine gunThe Vickers machine gun or Vickers gun is a name primarily used to refer to the water-cooled .303 inch machine gun produced by Vickers Limited, originally for the British Army...
shortly after formation of the Corps. In 1926 the School expanded to include the Machine Gun School at Netheravon
Netheravon
Netheravon is a village and civil parish on the River Avon, about north of the town of Amesbury in Wiltshire.-Notable people:The writer Frank Sawyer , although born in Bulford, spent most of his life in Netheravon as river keeper River Avon and died on the banks of the river near the parish church...
.
Badge
The original badge of the School was crossed rifles surmounted by a crown. In 1929 the present badge was introduced, consisting of crossed rifles and a Vickers machine gun, surmounted by a crown and surrounded by a laurel wreath. The title Small Arms School Corps came into being at this time.On the occasion of the centenary of the Corps in 1953, March of the Bowmen from the Robin Hood Suite was adopted as the Corps March.
In 1969 the School moved from Hythe to Warminster
Warminster
Warminster is a town in western Wiltshire, England, by-passed by the A36, and near Frome and Westbury. It has a population of about 17,000. The River Were runs through the town and can be seen running through the middle of the town park. The Minster Church of St Denys sits on the River Were...
where Headquarters SASC remains to this day.
Recruiting
The SASC does not recruit directly from civilian life, but only accepts applications from soldiers already serving in the British Army. All its members hold a minimum rank of Sergeant. Volunteers transfer to the SASC from All Arms and Services, although primarily from the Infantry.The principal source of volunteers is successful students attending School of Infantry Phase 3 courses at Infantry Battle School at Brecon
Brecon
Brecon is a long-established market town and community in southern Powys, Mid Wales, with a population of 7,901. It was the county town of the historic county of Brecknockshire; although its role as such was eclipsed with the formation of Powys, it remains an important local centre...
, Infantry Training Centre
Infantry Training Centre
The Infantry Training Centre is a unit of the British Army administered by HQ School of Infantry responsible for both basic and advanced training of Soldiers and Officers joining the infantry...
(ITC) Warminster, SASC Training Advisory Group (Germany) and the Armoured Fighting Vehicle (AFV) Gunnery School at Lulworth Military Range
Lulworth Military Range
Lulworth Military Range is a military firing range located between Wareham and Lulworth in Dorset, England. It is owned by the Ministry of Defence and is part of the Armoured Fighting Vehicles Gunnery School....
who are identified as having the potential to be future members of the SASC. In addition, any eligible soldier holding an appropriate instructor qualification, such as All Arms Skill at Arms Instructor, may apply to transfer.
Phase 1 - Selection and Training
Phase 1 takes place at Land Warfare Centre, Warminster and lasts for 11 weeks. Candidates are assessed to see if they have the ability and capacity to instruct Skill At Arms to the standard required by the SASC. The phase consists of how to train the trainer in the instruction of Small Arms, Defence Instructional Techniques (Trainer), Command, Leadership and Management training and Small Arms design principles. Candidates are also trained to assess instruction and conduct de-briefs. Their suitability to undertake the role of an SASC Instructor at a Phase 3 Training Centre is also assessed. The candidates conduct the The Live Firing Tactical Training (LFTT) course at the Infantry Battle School at Brecon which is an additional 5 weeks in duration. The LFTT course is conducted either at the end or about half way through Phase 1.Phase 2 - Probation
Phase 2 usually takes place at the Infantry Battle School at Brecon. Probationers will instruct, under the guidance and supervision of an SASC Staff Instructor, on the Section Commanders Battle Course or the All Arms NCO Skill at Arms Course. Probationers normally wear the SASC cap badge and rifle Green Beret, but no other regimental insignia. On completion of Phase 2, successful candidates will be transferred to the SASC and awarded their stable belts and regimental shoulder flash.External links
- Hythe School of Musketry
- School of Musketry Photo Francis Frith 1890
- Official site
- SASC Comrades association site
- SASC Weapons Collection