TOPIC:

While reading the diary of Cpl George S Botwright, 1st Bn Durham Light Infantry, I came across the term "monkey motions" which Botwright writes is what "Tommy" calls physical drill. I have not come across this phrase before. I was curious if any of you have. Thanks.

Possibly an interpretation of this.
The Monkey Run.
It is simply crawling on hands and knees.
It is useful behind cover about 600 mm (2 feet) high.
It is possible to go quite fast but only at the risk of noise.
To be quiet, always choose a place where there are no twigs to crack. Put the hands on the ground and then the knees exactly where the hands have been.
Keep the backside and head down, but observe.
With a rifle, hold it at the point of balance with one hand and see that no dirt gets into the muzzle.

There was also this manoeuvre.

The Leopard Crawl
It is crawling on elbows and the inside of the knees.
It is useful behind very low cover.
Propel yourself along by alternative elbows and knees, and
roll the body a little as you bend each knee; or let one leg
trail behind, and use only one knee.
Keep the heels, head, body and elbows down, but observe.
With a rifle, hold it with the right hand on the pistol grip and
the left hand on the hand guard.

Not sure if the above was in the Victorian army manual. However, I would imagine various types of crawling were part of a soldiers training and maybe refered to as monkey motions by the soldier's.

Dave.....

I have to admit I have never come across the term before but scanning the British newspapers of the day confirms that at the time of the ABW Tommy Atkins did describe physical drill as "monkey motions". It was also still in common usage at the time of the Great War.

Do you have a reference you can easily share? If not, no worries.

This from a report of a talk given at Rotherham by Pte James Hesketh of the York & Lancaster Regiment on his return from 18 months service in South Africa:

South Yorkshire Times 19 July 1910:



This is a more general reference in an article discussing the phraseology of Tommy Atkins - the reference to monkey motions is about three quarters of the way down:

Stalybridge Reporter 21 July 1900: