Interwar Era RMC deployment

[Engurrand]

Howdy!

I find myself needing to outline the contents and disposition of a camp of royal marines deployed to protect a research and surveying expedition in the ruins of Ayutthaya, Thailand, in 1939. To my knowledge, those ruins were still very much abandoned in 1939, but for this scenario, lets assume that's true.

And... I find I know next to nothing useful about the organization or equipment of such an outfit. Could anyone recommend a concise resource? Historical verisimilitude is my objective. Thank you!

A few particular questions for those who may simply know the answers:

What was the armament and organization of an RMC fire team/squad/platoon of the era? There will also be a small detachment of Ghurkas.

Is there a standard doctrine for camp disposition? I'd assume so, but the quest for a clear description or field manual has cost me several hours with no useful results. (I suspect I'm ignorant enough I don't even know what questions to ask)

How common were portable (internal combustion) electrical generators in British military units in the interwar era? How loud were they? High-Tech mentions an unreliable model which is "loud." But how loud?

For consideration, the marines are expecting trouble from humans of unusual power - namely an indigenous temple of clairvoyant warrior monks famed for unarmed and archery prowess, whose expected number is no more than a dozen, but whose base of operations is unknown (and the marine's objective to capture). I'm open to suggestions for extra-ordinary precautions and tactics the marines might employ. They know the enemy has penetrating vision (unknown level), psychomety (directed, immersive, sensitive, and cosmic (works on people)), and clairsentience (with projection and increased range 19). The marines do not have any supernatural talents or expertise, but their leader is capable, experienced, cautious and has been very well briefed.

Thank you for your help!

[DangerousThing]

Why doesn't the guard have at least one "talented" individual?

First, the RMC know detail about the meta human nature of the monks.

Second, they believe this, from your description.

Therefore, one of the most powerful nations in the world at the time should have been able to field a few talented specialists of their own.

Mundane precautions should include compartmentalized intelligence.

All the men being briefed on the threat and main precautions.

All talking to be done in English.

Important talks should be done with running water and bagpipes in the background. Running water makes it more difficult to understand an unfamiliar language, and the pipes in the hopes it will make their brains explode. :)

In addition, the talks should be discussed in a set of clothing that stays in the secure room. Basically they should come into the room in nothing but a robe, change, and toss the robe out of the room. The reverse happens on the way out. No food or drink in this room except water that never leaves. All garbage is burned completely.

Unless these monks don't speak English at all, it's going to be impossible to prevent them getting some intelligence. Therefore, inundate them with information, both true and false. If they capture a monk, give the monk the entire history of the British Empire. If the men are captured, give them orders to speak as much as possible. However, the men should be under orders to learn nothing of the native language.

And knowing military organizations, and the huge chance that the mission will go pear shaped, they should think about what they'll go after they're cashiered.

[johndallman]

Originally Posted by Engurrand

What was the armament and organization of an RMC fire team/squad/platoon of the era? There will also be a small detachment of Ghurkas.

I can't find a good source online, but it was similar to British Army organisation of the time. You can find plenty about that in GURPS World War II and the supplement for the British, GURPS WWII: All The King's Men, both available from e23. Those books have 3e templates for the troop types, including Ghurkas.

A platoon had a 2nd Lieutenant or Lieutenant in command, with a Sergeant or Colour Sergeant to back him up and a couple of runners. The officer has a .38 revolver and the others have SMLE rifles. A section (not a squad) has ten men, one of whom is a Corporal, in charge. He has a light machine gun team of three men, with a Bren or Lewis Gun and quite a lot of ammo. Two of the machine gun team, and everyone else, are armed with SMLE rifles, and one or two hand grenades. The HQ might have a 2" mortar, but it will have only been brought along if they were expecting to fight an organised force. They might also have a Boys .55 anti-tank rifle, but they'll only have brought that if they anticipated vehicles to shoot at.

How common were portable (internal combustion) electrical generators in British military units in the interwar era? How loud were they? High-Tech mentions an unreliable model which is "loud." But how loud?

I'm not sure they'd have one at all. What would they be expecting to use it for? They wouldn't expect to use it for lighting or cooking. Does the expedition have radios that can reach civilisation? This would be unlikely in 1938; the news of the ascent of Everest had to travel by runner part of the way because the 1953 expedition didn't have an adequate radio along.

For consideration, the marines are expecting trouble from humans of unusual power - namely an indigenous temple of clairvoyant warrior monks famed for unarmed and archery prowess, whose expected number is no more than a dozen, but whose base of operations is unknown (and the marine's objective to capture). I'm open to suggestions for extra-ordinary precautions and tactics the marines might employ.

They know the enemy has penetrating vision (unknown level), psychomety (directed, immersive, sensitive, and cosmic (works on people)), and clairsentience (with projection and increased range 19). The marines do not have any supernatural talents or expertise, but their leader is capable, experienced, cautious and has been very well briefed.

Well, that probably means he's a Captain, rather than a Lieutenant, and all the NCOs and marines are experienced: the WWII templates have scalability for this.

Finally, "RMC" is the wrong term. It's The Corps of Royal Marines, not the Royal Marines Corps, and always abbreviated "RM"

[Engurrand]

Originally Posted by DangerousThing

Why doesn't the guard have at least one "talented" individual?

Those of power are extremely rare.

This objective (and those within the RM who believe in it) are not high priority enough to warrant a global search for potentially helpful people of unusual powers.

RE everything else, good thinking, but how does changing your clothes when you're coming out of a meeting really help? Their psychometry works on people too. If they can see you, they can read your past.

I love the idea of ordering the men to gab profusely all the time with a complex mixture of true and false information. They'd need some kind of cypher to indicate what information was meaningful. Probably sport or home politics.

EDIT: Also, bagpipes, all loud, all the time, is a stroke of weird genius.

[Engurrand]

Originally Posted by johndallman

I can't find a good source online, but it was similar to British Army organisation of the time. You can find plenty about that in GURPS World War II and the supplement for the British, GURPS WWII: All The King's Men, both available from e23. Those books have 3e templates for the troop types, including Ghurkas.

Will purchose posthaste. I've not got much experience with 3e, and none updating to 4, but I'll make do.

Originally Posted by johndallman

A platoon had a 2nd Lieutenant or Lieutenant in command, with a Sergeant or Colour Sergeant to back him up and a couple of runners. The officer has a .38 revolver and the others have SMLE rifles. A section (not a squad) has ten men, one of whom is a Corporal, in charge. He has a light machine gun team of three men, with a Bren or Lewis Gun and quite a lot of ammo. Two of the machine gun team, and everyone else, are armed with SMLE rifles, and one or two hand grenades. The HQ might have a 2" mortar, but it will have only been brought along if they were expecting to fight an organised force. They might also have a Boys .55 anti-tank rifle, but they'll only have brought that if they anticipated vehicles to shoot at.

Thank you. This is the sort of thing I've been looking for. No need for the heavy weapons, they're obligated to pretend to be trying to avoid damaging the UNESCO world heritage site.

Originally Posted by johndallman

I'm not sure they'd have one at all. What would they be expecting to use it for? They wouldn't expect to use it for lighting or cooking. Does the expedition have radios that can reach civilisation? This would be unlikely in 1938; the news of the ascent of Everest had to travel by runner part of the way because the 1953 expedition didn't have an adequate radio along.

Interesting. Shows how little I really know. Thank you.

Originally Posted by johndallman

Well, that probably means he's a Captain, rather than a Lieutenant, and all the NCOs and marines are experienced: the WWII templates have scalability for this.

Finally, "RMC" is the wrong term. It's The Corps of Royal Marines, not the Royal Marines Corps, and always abbreviated "RM"

I... huh.
Thank you for the correction. I wonder where I got that.

[johndallman]

Originally Posted by Engurrand

No need for the heavy weapons, they're obligated to pretend to be trying to avoid damaging the UNESCO world heritage site.

UNESCO doesn't exist yet. Like all UN organisations, it is post-WWII, in this case, from November 1946. The WWII Allies called themselves the "United Nations", and set up the UN as a body to try to prevent future world wars.

The political context is worth thinking about. Thailand is not a British colony - it always managed to evade being colonised by any European power - and while permission for an archaeological expedition shouldn't be that hard to get, a large escort of foreign soldiers implies that the government can't keep the peace, which isn't a concept they'll welcome.

Edit: Is there a specific reason for Royal Marines, rather than British Army? The Royal Marines are only about 10,000 strong at this point, and thus in short supply. They're also based in the UK, but the British Indian Army is large and available quite nearby. The British Army has always been willing to split off companies and platoons for specific missions; they think more like marines than the US Army does.

[The Colonel]

Deploying British troops into the prickly, nationalistic (and somewhat pro-Japanese) Siam of 1939 is going to be struggle. Your best chance might be a naval officer with a personal connection to the Siamese junta being allowed to go on some kind of field trip and take his men with him as some sort of escort. This should give you about a platoon of marines, plus sailors - assuming a cruiser as the mothership.
Actually, the most logical use for a radio would be to keep in touch with their ship...

[Urban]

Please note that the RMC had troops stationed on all ships from cruiser size and up during this period.

For example they would serve as gunners in one of the main gun turrets on a cruiser and as the security force in harbor and for supporting (very) light landings.

[DangerousThing]

Originally Posted by Engurrand

Those of power are extremely rare.

This objective (and those within the RM who believe in it) are not high priority enough to warrant a global search for potentially helpful people of unusual powers.

RE everything else, good thinking, but how does changing your clothes when you're coming out of a meeting really help? Their psychometry works on people too. If they can see you, they can read your past.

I love the idea of ordering the men to gab profusely all the time with a complex mixture of true and false information. They'd need some kind of cypher to indicate what information was meaningful. Probably sport or home politics.

EDIT: Also, bagpipes, all loud, all the time, is a stroke of weird genius.

I thought that psychometry required touch. And it's much easier to steal a man's clothing than the man himself.

If they can use psychometry without touch, then I'm not sure that they can be beaten.

As for British talents: this expedition might not be high priority enough, but if any of the higher ups in the intelligence community of England believe, there will be a search for loyal English talents. The military might not know of them, heck the government might not know of them, but the spooks will have them.

The Laundry Files books by Charles Stross are great. They are written as a cross between Call of Cthulhu (that would be CASE NIGHTMARE GREEN) and the manual for the British Civil Service. In other words, fight monsters, then fill out tons of paperwork and go to meetings.

The books are set in the present day and the central character is Bob Howard, a computational demonologist who works for The Laundry.

[The Colonel]

Originally Posted by DangerousThing

As for British talents: this expedition might not be high priority enough, but if any of the higher ups in the intelligence community of England believe, there will be a search for loyal English talents. The military might not know of them, heck the government might not know of them, but the spooks will have them.

Actually this might still be back in the era when you'd have more luck with a private club ... quite a lot of the intelligence business was run on a fairly amateur basis until WW2, and occult matters are likely to be even more so.