Page 85 - The Wish Stream Year of 2020 Crest

The 19th century
Although the 19th century saw major reform to and the final abandonment of the purchase sys- tem, there was one addition to it. After the poor performance during the Crimean War (1853 – 1854) of the Land Transport Corps (previously known as the Corps of Wagoners, and then the Royal Wagon Train), it was reformed as the new Military Train as a purchase unit. Interestingly, the reason given was that the inclusion of non- purchase offers would lower the character of the Military Train, and the Army wanted it to be as good as possible!
The Duke of York’s contribution in the early 19th century to the reform of the purchase system was to introduce clearly designed principles which subjected it to much closer scrutiny by the military authorities. Apart from the Guards, where colonels still held the patronage for first commissions, all other applications for first com- missions had to be made to the Commander in Chief through the Military Secretary. Appli- cants needed to state whether they were seek- ing a purchase or non-purchase commission (the number of non-purchase vacancies had been substantially increased) and were put on the appropriate list to await a vacancy. Priority for non-purchase was given to cadets who had passed out successfully from the Royal Military College (at Marlow from 1802, and then at Sand- hurst from 1812). Not all RMC cadets were guar- anteed a non-purchase commission, as demand often exceeded supply, especially during peace- time, but unsuccessful applicants were given priority in applying for a purchase commission if they (or their parents) had the necessary funds.
From 1849, applicants for commissions were required to pass a qualifying exam, although an indication of the standard of the exam was that few failed to pass it after sitting the two per- mitted attempts! However, applicants were still required to be members of the landed class, or to be recommended by them. This qualifica- tion would be relaxed during wartime, but only for sons of serving officers. This served to keep out of the officer corps the sons of the new mid- dle classes created by the industrial revolution, despite often being considerably wealthier than some of the aristocracy.
Promotion and retirement
Under the purchase system, generally an officer’s future prospects depended on sufficient means to buy his way up the ladder of promotion, rather
than by influence or merit, unless he was able to obtain a non-purchase promotion. Normally, promotion was available when an officer sold his commission or retired. Officers generally had a right to purchase their way to the next rank, selling their own lower rank at the same time. Hence, only the difference in price between the two ranks was actually paid. The Duke of York’s reforms brought in minimum lengths of service in each rank before promotion, and also reports on the suitability of officers for promotion. In 1850, examinations for promotion to Lieutenant and Captain were introduced, although somewhat ineffectually, especially in wartime.
Non-purchase vacancies for promotion were created by circumstances including death, pro- motion to Major General, retirement after 30 years’ service or by Royal patronage. Vacancies were also sometimes created by an increase in the officer corps, such as in wartime. Non-pur- chase officers were permitted to sell their com- missions after 20 years’ service by application to the Commander in Chief. It was not a recog- nised right, but was generally permitted provided there had been no misconduct. Non-purchase first commissions (e.g. Sandhurst cadets) could purchase promotions if non-purchase vacancies were not available.
Although purchase officers were permitted in theory to retire at any time, the Commander in Chief might withhold approval if necessary. For example, during the Indian Mutiny (1857 – 1858), a large number of officers applied unsuc- cessfully to leave the Army, blocked by the Duke of Cambridge (Commander in Chief at the time). Although more of a lottery in earlier times of pur- chase, by the mid 19th century, retiring officers had a right to receive back at least the aggre- gated amount of the official prices paid for their initial commissions and promotions (ie the differ- ence in values). This would act as their pension pot.
Illegal payments and abuses
Although there was an official rate for promotion to each rank up to colonel, there was always a dual value, being an over-regulation price or ‘regimental value’ This differed depending on the prestige of the regiment. Only for appointment to the first rank, was the regulation price never exceeded. The over-regulation addition in some Guards or Household Cavalry regiments could be enormous, for example as much as £3,700 (around £200K in today’s money) in the 1860s
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