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HOW ARMIES EVOLVED flags or colours by which they set great store,
especially among the German bands. If by
Colonel Ardant duPicq wrote, “Passions, chance any disgrace fell upon a German
instincts particularly the most powerful company, the Colours were furled, planted
instinct of self-preservation — these things upside down in the ground, and not flown
are expressed differently in accordance with again until the culprits responsible for the
the times, the circumstances, the character crime had been tried and punished by an
and temperament of races. But, beneath it all, assembly of the whole company. It is from
the same man is to be found.” these companies that fifes and drums and

many of our military terms are borrowed.
Singapore is in the process of developing its
own distinctive military system, its own The mercenary system reached its best-
brand of soldier, “in accordance with the developed form in Italy. Intense economic
times, the circumstances, the character and rivalry among the rich trading republics
temperament of our races.” (Venice, Milan, Florence, etc.) made it

necessary for each to have its own army. The
The future will tell how good the services of English and Swiss fighters were
Singaporean product is. But to visualize our particularly sought after. Most military terms
Military’s future we must know something of are therefore derived from the Italians.
its past.

HOW THE REGIMENT CAME INTO
HOW THE FIRST MILITARY BEING
COMPANY WAS A COMMERCIAL
COMPANY
An administrative organization was needed to
control the companies. So they began to be
In about the fourteenth century, when collected into groups under the rule or
firearms began to appear on the field of regiment of a single Officer who was called
battle, there grew up mercenary bands of the Colonel.
professional soldiers in Switzerland, Italy
and Germany, whose leaders would accept The regiment bore the name of the man who
contracts to fight for or against anyone. These raised it or who succeeded in its command.
bands were known as companies, and were This practice continued down till the
formed on a commercial basis, men of nineteenth century, although numbers began
substance investing money according to their to replace names in the eighteenth.
means in the buying and equipping of
recruits, and taking rank according to the The Colonel retained command of his original
amount of their investment. The profits company. His second in-command was the
consisted of plunder and of ransom for next highest ranking company commander,
wealthy prisoners; and, when weary of the who, likewise, retained command of his
profession, they sold their shares in the company. In his new capacity, the second-in-
company to anyone who would buy. The command was the staff officer of the regiment
companies varied in strength from tens to and had the title of Sergeant Major.
hundreds, and even thousands, and the Since the Colonel was often absent from the
symbol of their corporate existence was their regiment, a Lieutenant Colonel was needed to