Report on Survey on Western Front

This account begins with a short historical note which deals in chronological order with the development of the various branches of the Survey organisation in France during the war. The main portion of the history is divided into two parts, with some appendices. Part I. deals with the Provision of Maps, or what is, strictly speaking, the Engineer side of survey; Part II. with Artillery Survey, or the Artillery side. In Part I., the first chapter describes map production up to the point of the finished drawing. Section I. describes the development of the Survey units, from the original Ranging Section to the Field Survey Battalions. Section II. deals with survey operations in the field, and describes the work done and the technical methods employed. Section III. is concerned with the indoor work, and in this Section the subject of Air Photography in relation to survey is discussed. In Section IV. lessons are drawn from the experience of the war. Chapter 2 deals with the map after the finished drawing was handed over for reproduction. Section I. treats of the development of the organisation for reproduction, including apparatus as well as personnel. Section II. deals with the technical side of reproduction, and describes the machines, methods and processes used. Section III. deals with the whole subject of Map Supply, both from England to France, and in France from G.H.Q. to Armies, and from Armies to troops. In Section IV. lessons are drawn for future guidance. Part II. is divided into four chapters, each dealing with a certain branch of Artillery Survey. Chapter I describes the origin and growth of the work of surveying, and giving line to our own batteries, being subdivided into two Sections dealing respectively with Battery Survey and Artillery Boards. Chapter 2 treats of Cross Observation (or Flash Spotting, as it is popularly termed), Section I. relating the growth of the Observation units; Section II. describing the technical methods employed; and Section III. giving deductions from experience. Chapter 3 deals with Sound Ranging, and on a similar plan gives in three Sections the history of the Sound Ranging units, an account of technical methods, and deductions. Finally, in Chapter 4 an account is given of the compilation and co-ordination of the results obtained by Observation Groups and Sound Ranging Sections, and of the co-operation of these and other observing agencies for the common purpose of fixing targets.

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