The Marquess of Winchester's Regiment

English Civil War Re-enacting

The initial position of the pikeman is with the pike laid on the floor with the butt outside of the right foot.

Order - Handle your Pike

The Pike is picked up from the ground with the right hand.

Pikeman going through the drill as directed by the officer in charge of the Division - the Ensign.

The pikeman then stands up.

Note - The left hand position on the sword hilt.

Pike pike held at waist height.

Note - the left foot slightly behind the right foot.

The right Hand should be at the end of the pike.

Order - "Recover and order your pike"

Lift the pike to about 45degrees.

Not that the foot position does not change during this part of the maneuver.

The next series of instructions is carried out in one flowing movement.

Stepping back with your left foot moving your right hand above the left.

Set the butt down on the outside of the right foot moing your left hand from the pike back onto your sword hilt.

This position is known as the "ORDER" position

Order - Lay down your pike

Step back with your right foot, pointing it 90 degrees, at the same time move the pike butt to the inside of the right foot.

Carefully lay down the pike, allowing it to pass to the right hand side of the person in front of you.

Note - the left hand stays on the sword hilt.

Stay in the position shown until the further order:

From the "ORDER" position

Order - Advance your Pike

Step 1 - Step forward with your left foot and lift the pike with your right hnad, grab hold with your left hand about halfway between your right hand and the butt.

Step 3 - The next series of moves are done in one flowing movment.

As you step back with the left foot let go with your left hand and lock the pike upright between your shoulder and your arm holding the butt end at the height of your hip.

The left hand returns onto the sword hilt.

Hint - Wrap your right arm around the pike as much as posible to lock it in the vertical position.

Order "Order your Pike"

Step 1 - Step forward with your left foot and sink your right hand a litle from your hip and bring your pike before you taking hold with your lrft hand about 3ft above your right hand.

Step 2 - Let go with your right hand and lower the pike with the left hand. take hold of the pike again with the right hand about 3ft above the left.

Step 3 - In one flowing movement step back with the left foot and bring the pike butt to the ground outside of the right foot.

The left hand returns to the sword hilt.

In summary the following orders have been explained :

"Handle your Pike"

"Recover and order your Pike"

"Lay down your Pike"

"Quit your Pike"

From "order" position two further orders were explanined

"Advance your Pike"

"Order your Pike"

Order- "Shoulder your Pike"

stwp forward with your left foot and bring the pike before you taking hold with your left as high as you can reach.

Then let go of the butt end and lt the pike slwoly fall back and grab the pike with your right as far back as you can.

Next let go with your left and rest the pike on your shoulder. The butt of the pike should be about a foot from the ground.

Note - The pike is bought onto the shoulder on the left foot beat on the march or as you step back if doing it standing

The position of the right hand to the underside of the pike. It is always carried at shoulder at this position.

Order "Advance you Pike"

Step forward with the left foot, raise the pike off the shoulder with the right hand and place the left hand on the pike as far down as possible.

Swing the pike forward with your left hand and catch under the butt with the right hand, the pike should be in the vertical position.

If this is done on the march then itis done on the second left foot drum beat.- desired not mandatory

In summary the following orders have been explained

"Shoulder your Pike"

"Advance your Pike"

Order - "Port your pike" - from the "advance" position.

Order - "Advance your Pike" - from "port".

Stationary - lift the pike back to the Vertical and step back with the left foot all in one movement. Left Hand goes back onto the sword hilt.

Order "Port your pike" - from the "Shoulder" position.

Standing -

Step 1 -Take hold of the pike with your left hand halfway between your right hand and the butt.

Step 2 -Step forward with your left foot and with your left hand swing the tip of the pike over your head releasing your right hand. As the pike moves in front catch the butt end with the right hand.

The order would then be "advance your pike" as explained above. To get back to the shoulder position would be subject to two orders.

"Advance your pike"

"Shoulder your Pike"

Order - "Charge your pike"

From either the "Shoulder" or "Advanced" position the pike is bought into the "Port" position as described previously.

The pike is bought to the horizontal position with the left hand locked under the chin.

If done on the stationary then tere is no foot movement. If on the march then it is done on the next left foot drum beat.

Note - Right aem wrapped around the pike butt.

Order - "Advance your Pike"

Stationary - lift the pike back to the vertical and step back with the left foot all in one movement. Left hand goes back onto the sword hilt.

Summary -

These last few diagrams looked at the orders "Port your pike" and "Charge your Pike"

Remember -

To "Charge you Pike" you will only get one order, from either "Shoulder" or "Advanced" position the order will be given "Charge your pike" ( i'e no intermediate order of "Port")

From which ever the original position the "Port" or Charge" order was given the recovery will always be "Advance your PIke"

Order "Charge for horse and draw forth your sword"

Stab the butt of the pike into the ground with a force to the inside of your left foot, take the pike in your right Leaft Hand about the height of your waist and step forward with your left foot.

Draw your sword over your left arm.

With your knee bent rest your left arm on your knee crouching down low.

Web ed note - Above the riders head on the battelfield - as if aiming at the horses chest on a drill display.

Order - "Order your Pike and put up your sword"

The recovery position is always to the "Order" position.

Order - "Charge your Pike to the Rear"

If there is an attack from the rear and the Pike Division are at "order" or "Advanced" they are bought to the "Advanced" ( for order) and "Face to the right about"

The Division can then "Charge your Pike" as normal

In the "Shoulder" position the order "charge your pike to the rear" can be used.

Step forward with the left foot while lifting the pike from the shoulder and moving the pike back with the right hand.

Place the left hand on the pike between the right hand and the butt.

The following steps need to be completed in one flowing movement.

The body needs to be swivaled on the left foot through 180 degrees, a the same time the pike is bought over the head with the left hand.

the pike is then caught on the butt end with the right hand while the left tucks up under the chin.

To ecover and face the original way the following orders are given:

"Advance your Pike"

"Face to the right about"

or

"Face to your leader"

Whichever otder is given the Pike Division turns 180 degrees and will be facing the correct way and at the "Advanced" position.

Order - "Trail your Pike"

This order will always come when the Division is in the "Advanced" position.

Mostly this is an order for long marches where the Pike is "Trailed" for ease, however, it is used for preparing the Pikeman for Guard duty - in this case it is done in the stationary position.

Step forward with the left foot bringing the pike forrward and taking hold with the left hand.

Bring the pike butt to the floor and feed the pike backwards through the hands as far as possible.

Let go of the pike with the left hand and return it to the sword hilt, at the same time stepping back with the left foot.

To recover from this poistion the order "Advance your Pike" is given. The pike is then shuffled back to the advanced position as quickly as possible.

If done Stationary the step forward with the left foot and shuffled back to the advanced positionas quickly as possible, stepping back with the left foot at the end of the manoeuvre.

If the "Trail your pike" order is carried out stationary and is in readiness for guard duty the following secondry order is given:

Order - "Cheek your Pike"

Step forward with the left foot and bring the pike up so the right elbow is at about 90 degees.

The left hand is places just below the point of the pike.

this position is maintained until relieved by another soldier.

To recover from this position the order "Advance your pike" is given. The pike is then shuffled back to the advanced position as quickly as possible, stepping back with the left foot at the end of the Manoeuvre.

This is the extent of Pike Orders, to summerise they are :

"Handle your Pike"

"Recover and order your pike"

"Lay down your Pike"

"Quit your Pike"

"Advance your pike"

"Shoulder your Pike"

"Port your pike"

"Charge your Pike"

"Charge your Pike to the Rear"

"Face to the right about"

"Charge for horse and draw forth your sword"

"Order your Pike and put up your sword"

"Trail your pike"

"Cheek your Pike"