March battalion - Definition and Overview

March battalion (French Bataillon de Marche, Polish Batalion marszowy, German Marschbefehl) is a battalion-sized military unit formed of all the rear units of an infantry regiment. It usually includes all the tabors, field kitchen staff, reserve soldiers, military police, commander's reserves, guards, aides, and raw recruits who did not arrive to the mobilization centre before the unit they were attached to left for the front. Alternatively, the name can be used for all provisional units made up of companies from various battalions.

The name is derived from the fact that such battalions are usually left in the barracks after the regiment has left for the war and spend some time there to gather all the late-commers and volunteers. Then the unit follows the main force of the regiment, usually by fast and forcible march.

March battalions were used extensively by many European armies of 19th and 20th century, most notably British, Polish, German and French. The nature of modern conflicts as well as innovations in the field of logistics make the march battalions obsolete.

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