Lanterna Rally

Author: Gilbert R. Frith

Publisher:

Published: 2015-07-27

Total Pages: 70

ISBN-13: 9781332036714

Excerpt from The Topographical Section of the General Staff: With an Account of the Geographical Services of the Austrian, French, German, and Russian, Armies In tracing the history of the origin and development of the Department, now designated the Topographical Section of the General Staff, it is necessary to follow somewhat closely that of the Ordnance Survey, especially in its earlier stages. One is the complement of the other; and the Topographical Section may be regarded as derived from the Ordnance Survey, though it was not formed directly from it, and in the first years of its existence had no connection with it. In continental armies the Topographical Sections of the Staff are responsible for the work, which in Great Britain is divided between the Ordnance Survey and the Topographical Section of the General Staff. The military side of the Ordnance Survey is apt to be lost sight of to-day, placed as it is under a civil Department of State, and a major portion of its work being cadastral, rather than military. Its establishment was due to the need felt for an accurate map of the country for purposes of defence; and for upwards of 70 years it remained under the War Department, at one period being actually combined with the Topographical Section. When by the establishment of the Ordnance Survey, the provision of an accurate military map of the British Isles had been assured, an extension of the existing department, or the formation of a new one, which should devote itself to the collection of geographical and topographical information about the Colonies and foreign countries, would seem a logical sequel in a country with such vast oversea interests as Great Britain. Logic, however, has an unfortunate faculty of appearing illogical when the conclusion to which it points necessitates the expenditure of money. About the Publisher Forgotten Books publishes hundreds of thousands of rare and classic books. Find more at www.forgottenbooks.com This book is a reproduction of an important historical work. Forgotten Books uses state-of-the-art technology to digitally reconstruct the work, preserving the original format whilst repairing imperfections present in the aged copy. In rare cases, an imperfection in the original, such as a blemish or missing page, may be replicated in our edition. We do, however, repair the vast majority of imperfections successfully; any imperfections that remain are intentionally left to preserve the state of such historical works.