From OTC to OCB-the professionalisation of selection and training of junior temporary officers.

This talk looks at how the Officer Cadet Battalion (OCB) developed in 1916 out of the OTCs and precursor Schools of Instruction. It shows how by mid-1917, a highly professionalised system of OCBs had evolved, backed by a comprehensive broader framework for developing officer-skills. It produced officers of such quality and quantity to enable the BEF’s success in 1918.