The Defence of Duffers Drift

[Gordon Angus Mackinlay]

Ladies and Gentlemen,

The past has a tendency to catch up with you, I received a phone call from a chap. He currently at Tactics Wing, Combat Training Centre.

It re a presentation I made a number of years ago on the little text "The Defence of Duffers Drift‘ and how the Canadian‘s used it as a infantry minor tactics primer. Also how this had influenced them to get the author Kenneth Macksey to write a text in novle form on mechanised warfare in the NATO environment.

He wishes to know is ‘Duffers Drift" still used as a tactics primer. He has spoken to the Defence Advisor at the Canadian High Commission, but, he not a Army type person.

Would anyone possibily know this.

I personally, having just pulled it from the shelf and flicked through it, belive that although written nearly a hundred years ago it still has relevance.

Yours,
Jock in Sydney, on a stinking hot afternoon.

 

[towhey]

Hi Jock,

Duffer‘s Drift does remain a valid tactical primer for young officers and senior NCOs. Whether it is required reading at CTC, I don‘t know.

One of the best primer‘s on the tactical employment of machine guns was written by a former boss of mine, Col. Ken Nette (PPCLI, ret‘d), who based it on Duffer‘s Drift. His text: "The Rebirth of the Emma Gees" is a classic that most likely is still reading (or should be) for every infantry officer everywhere.

As for the Macksey book... I was at CTC Tactics Division when it was being developed. It was a great introduction to battle procedure for young officers. I still have a copy on my shelves somewhere. However, it never really took off.

It was also launched as a "real" book for sale in public bookstores, but by the time it was launched, the evil Soviet Empire was waning and NATO was falling from importance. It was simply overtaken by history and forgotten along the way.

Cheers, 2e

 

[Gunner]

If you want copies of either manuscript they can be located electronically at Mike O‘Leary‘s excellent website:

http://regimentalrogue.tripod.com/

Cheers,

 

[enfield]

towhey - thats funny. Just last training night we did an MG lecture and it was based on the paper/story you mentioned. Unfortunatley, it‘s apparently hard to find that work in the system anymore.

 

[Gordon Angus Mackinlay]

Many thanks for the reference to Regimental Rogue. It was interesting to see the two ‘clones‘ of Duffers Drift, they long gone, yet DD reprinted in the UK in Sep 2001!

I can remember reading the Emma Gee articles in the Canadian Infantry Journal when serving in UNFIL in 1980. I have always had a interest in the use of MGs in the firepower role, was involved in the developement of the L7 GPMG in the sustained fire role back in the early 1960‘s.

My father served in the Machine Gun Corps throughout its existance, he being one of the last members when it was finally disbanded in the 1920‘s. My grandfather on my mother‘s side was involved with MGs from the 1890s, set up the SA Army MG School, and was awarded the DSO on the recommendation of BRUTINEL, whilst attched to The Canadian Corps in France 1917.

Macksey‘s book is not shown on the Regimental Rogue site, it came out in 1984, and was released commercially as "First Clash Combat close-up in World War Three‘, by Arms & Armour Press, London, 1985. I have both, with the commercial copy having two very positive book reviews from The British Army Review, and The Infantryman in it, both giving the Canadian Forces full marks for producing such.

I have just flicked through it, have not read it for many years, and to be perfectly honest if it was updated to included the changes resulting from the introduction of IFVs, and more modern equipment it would be relevent today?

Did a book search on two specialist search engines, and could not find a second hand copy!

Yours,

Jock in a really fiflthy hot Sydney day.

 

[Garett]

We got a little presentation on it on Phase 2 this summer at CTC Infantry School. I‘ve downloaded the Phase 3 course lessons plans off the DIN and theres a lecture on Duffers Drift.