How the Battalion is Organized

Note: in Rabbi’s early years an Infantry Battalion consisted of the following:

1. Battalion headquarters (HQ);
2. Headquarters company;
3. Support company; and
4. Four rifle companies.

The role of the Battalion Headquarters is to provide the commanding officer (CO) with the facilities to command and administer his Battalion and any attached support. The command section is composed of the CO, his deputy commanding officer (DCO), drivers and batman/signallers. There is a command post section (CP) where the battle is fought at map tables, over radios and in tented or bunkered headquarters areas. Along with these combat oriented sections there was a medical section, and the military police section.

Headquarters Company handled the administration within the battalion and included supply, rations, transport, maintenance and personnel sections, platoons or detachments.

Support Company provided the rifle companies with organic combat support. It had its own headquarters and the following platoons:

1. reconnaissance platoon (Recce);
2. mortar;
3. anti-tank; and
4. pioneer.

The four rifle companies each had a company headquarters of;

i.     officer commanding (OC),

ii.     company second in command (2i/c),

iii.     company sergeant major (CSM),

iv.     company quartermaster (CQMS),

v.     transport NCO (SGT), and

vi.     company clerk

And three rifle platoons, each with a platoon commander, platoon 2i/c and three sections.

See the ‘Rifle Company Described’ for 10 Platoon and its sections.