Piling Arms

[5thBatt]

Done this for another forum & thought i would share it here as well.



Pile Arms-One
The squad being in two ranks at the order, the rear rank will take a pace forward and turn the barrels of their rifles towards the front rank. The front rank will turn about and place the butts of their rifles between their feet.

Two.
The odd numbers of the front rank will incline the muzzles towards those of the even numbers, barrels downwards slipping the right hand to the nose cap ; the odd numbers will then seize the rifles of the even numbers with the left hand in the same manner and hold up the piling swivels of both rifles with the forefingers and thumbs, crossing the muzzles to bring the swivels together. The even numbers will drop the right hand to the side.

Three
The even numbers of the rear rank, holding their rifles sling upwards at the band (Lee-Enfield Lee-Metford rifles at the lower band), will incline the muzzle forward and with the left hand will link swivels though the crossed muzzles of the front rank, raising their butts as high as necessary to do so. The odd numbers of the front rank will now turn the barrels of their rifles towards the even numbers of the rear rank, who will then place the heels of their butts 6 inches to the right of the toe of the right foot so as to make the pile secure.

Four
The odd numbers of the rear rank will lodge their rifles against the pile and will drop their hands to the side.


Appears there are 4 rifles to a pile.

I think this is what you should have after step Two "crossing the muzzles to bring the swivels together"
there is no mention of linking swivels till step Three.


Step Three

Information

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[breakeyp]

Certainly a lot easier than what we had to do to stack arms with the M14 rifle. Two opposed rifles were put through the sling of the thrid rifle and the sling tightened to hold everything in place. Additional rifles were set against the stack. Heavy winds would dump the lot.

[Peter Laidler]

What a palaver! Thank heavens we just lay ours down - or with the SA80, just use the sling as a yoke to keep it strapped across back or front

Making 'piling arms' a drill movement reminds me of some drill required for a high ranking visit by the Duke of Edinburgh when I was a young REME Craftsman, as part of the Quarter Guard. It involved three ranks (files) of the guard being formed smartly and 'by the book' into TWO ranks where the middle rank disappears as it forms into ............. Anyway, the drill moves were beyond me and most of the other assorted 'corps troops' who weren't used to all this pure horse shi......... horse manure marching stuff. After about an hour of this drill movements and shouting by one of the drill jockeys, it was still a shambles.

Even the afternoon before the big days rehearsals were a shambles of shuffling feet and crowded-out lines, battering of rifles against each other and bayonets catching in jackets. In desperation, it was easily solved. The drill jockey announced that instead of marching around from the rear of the Brigade HQ in THREE ranks THEN changing into TWO ranks where the Duke would inspect us (that turned out to be another shambles incidentally),we'd all just march from around the rear of the building in TWO ranks.

Have you ever seen someone who is already at the end of his tether finally blow a fuze............? It happened that day.............. Once the drill jockey had made his 'march around in two ranks' decision, one 'hairy' Hearson (another VERY bright, clever, eventually a uni graduate and well spoken REME fellow) politely suggested to the shouting and bawling drill jockey that '........maybe, instead of all that two ranks palaver, since we're starting off in three ranks, couldn't we could just STAY in three ranks, march round in three ranks and be inspected in three ranks........' It didn't go down well, but our laughing went down even worse! Happy days...........

[Homer]

I suppose it was a good way to keep sand out of the action in the desert.

[Peter Laidler]

Homer, believe me. If you can't keep the sand out of your ar........, er......... bottom, your ears, nose or even under your nails, then piling arms won't help

[jrhead75]

this pure horse shi.........

What do you know...it goes by the exact same name over here.

[HOOKED ON HISTORY]

Ah just wat I needed. An inspiration to obtain two additional SMLEs to have my own Enfield TeePee!
Nice Post.