'REPORT on the Working of the Line of Communication AND ON THE Withdrawal of the British Military Mission IN EAST PERSIA, 1919-20. GENERAL STAFF INDIA. [‎51v] (109/168)

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■with one or two exceptions there were no ordnance other ranks available for
the charge of ordnance stores. Ordnance storekeeping and ordnance accounts
being more intricate than the corresponding supply duties, it was the rule to
detail the more efficient of the Supply and Transport acting serjeants for
ordnance duties, hut even so it was impossible in many cases to provide the
right stamp of man. Making Supply Officers officiate as Ordnance Officers
in addition to their other duties and supply serjeants do the work of ordnance
serjeants was by no means an ideal arrangement, and was due entirely to the
shortage of personnel. The difficulties inherent in this system were got over
as far as possible by letting the Supply Officer- take his orders on ordnance
matters direct from Deputy Assistant Director of Ordnance Stores and his
orders on supply matters from the Assistant Director, Supply and Transport,
while all supply establishments remained under the Assistant Director, Supply
and Transport, for discipline, whether employed in ordnance or supply duties.
If an officer or other rank failed in his ordnance duties, the remedy lay
in his being reported to the Assistant Director, Supply and Transport, for
disciplinary action. This w r as not a good arrangement in theory, but it was
the best that could be devised, and in practice it resulted in any slackness
over ordnance duties being usually visited with rather more severity than a
similar slackness over supply duties would have been. It is hoped, however,
that in future expeditions the necessity will not arise of calling upon twq
directorates to share the same executive personnel.
Supply units.
The recent organization of supply establishments into small units resulted
in there being 28 small supply units in East Persia. Some of them belonged
to the new Supply Dep6t organization, and to “S” Supply Dep6t Company,
which was the designation assigned to the group of Supply Dep6t Sections
allotted to East Persia. There w T ere also among the 28 units 2 Brigade
Supply Sections, I Divisional Troop Supply Section, 3 Bakery Sections, and
3 VV orkshop Sections. These, though not part of the Supply Depot organization
were shown in returns as attached to “ S ” Supply Dep6t Company. The k
conditions in East Persia made it impracticable to keep the different units apart.
Personnel of Brigade Supply Sections had to be employed in Supply Dep6ts,
while the personnel of the Supply Dep6t Sections had to be detailed to
particular Supply Depots according to requirements, and not as complete
units. Among the 28 units w’ere also included the 33rd Divisional Supply
and Tiansport Headquarters and the 34th Supply and Transport Head^
quarters. ^ The Assistant Director, Supply and Transport, therefore, besides
berng Assistant Director, Supply and Transport, had to be shown in returns
tv • • CGr i S ” Supply Depot Company, Officer Commanding,
Divisional Supply and Transport Headquarters, and Officer Commanding, 54tb
Supp y and Transport Headquarters. Some simplification of the present
k upply and Transport organization might, it seems, bo introduced to prevent
anomalies of this kind. r
Stock-taking.
. I '’°, 0 . n ® questions the importance of taking stock accurately and at
thATl^nf^ 1 ' 3 ' 8 1U w ^ e < }’ both for P ur P oses °f accounting and also for
the sake of knowing what stocks are really available at a given place at a
given moment, In practice, however, it is exceedingly difficult to ensure this
a e J y f pel ' f0 - j med ' The rule on subject is contained in
' prefatory note for guidance on I. A. If F.-1010 and I. A. F. F.-1011,
a month 0 0n f ' vh '® h st °re-keepers render their accounts three times
transaction TT rW a 316 f 11 ®? U P on to takc stock after the last
Accounts Department for i perfod of te^da’vs 13 ?f "f
ordinnrv t 0 „ f en da y s and not of ten years as in
appear to* need mnrp G ^ .Rowing points frequently arise and
them. d deliberate consideration than has yet been given to
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