Badge.—An honorary distinction worn on the colours of a regiment. According to the Queen’s Regulations, all regimental badges granted under special authority to different corps are to be strictly preserved.
Baggage.—In a military sense, includes clothes, camp-equipage, and cooking apparatus of a regiment or army. The baggage of troops, if proceeding by sea, is divided into “light” and “heavy” baggage.
Balloon.—Useful in warfare for purposes of reconnoitring, also in cases of a beleaguered city of keeping up communications with the outside world. The Prussians reconnoitred the French position before Metz, in 1870, by means of a balloon with telegraph attached, and thus the survey of the position of the French army was instantaneously conveyed to General Von Moltke.
Bandoliers.—Belts of leather or canvas to hold small-arm cartridges, worn over the shoulder.
Base of Operations.—In military language represents the original line on which an offensive army forms, whether it be the frontier of a country, river, or safe position, whence it takes the field to invade an enemy’s country. The base of operations in case of retreat is always kept open to fall back upon.
Battalion—An infantry unit. A British battalion is composed of 1010 of all ranks and one machine-gun. It is usually constituted thus: Lieutenant-colonel in command, majors 4, captains 5, lieutenants (first and second) 16.
Battery.—Signifies, first, generally guns grouped and in position for action; second, the unit of an artillery command, as a battalion of infantry or a squadron of cavalry; thirdly, any work, permanent or temporary, considered as a position for a group of guns.
Bayonet.—A short sword or triangular-shaped dagger, fixed on to the muzzle of a rifle, which, in this position, gives the soldier increased means of offence and defence. The name is derived from Bayonne in France, where it was supposed to have been first invented. Originally the bayonet was a blade of steel attached to a helve of wood, which was thrust into the barrel, but this arrangement interfered with the loading and firing of the weapon, and to remedy this defect, an elbow and socket were constructed, and the result was the present mode of attaching the bayonet. This improvement took place about the seventeenth century. The first regiment which appears to have had the bayonet attached to its musket was the Grenadier Guards in 1693. Macaulay attributes the loss by the English of the battle of Killiecrankie to the then awkward mode of attaching the bayonet, as the Highlanders were upon the troops before they could convert their firelocks into pikes. The older form of bayonet was 22 inches long, and weighed nearly a pound. The modern bayonet is about 12 inches in length, and weighs 15 ounces.
Beaconsfield.—A suburb of Kimberley, containing several hotels, municipal offices, court-house, tramways, &c. Population about 10,000, half of whom are whites.
Bearer Company.—Company of Royal Army Medical Corps for the removal of the wounded from the field of action to the dressing station or hospital.