Centurion Position in Battle

[Thomas Aagaard]

How many of the posters here are ex-military? Can they have some input on how they drilled using both voice commands and bugle calls.

I am and I do have some experience commanding "units" of 20-25men in medieval type mock battles.
For this we use a whistle before yelling the command. This makes the men pay attention. Otherwise the order usually gets lost in the noise and it helps the commander not ruin his voice...

Using bugles.
Iam reading the danish 1863 drillbook atm. So yes many centuries off...
It covered the bugle calls for the battalion. (one battalion = 4 companies each of 200men. than again can be divided into 4 platoons of 50 men)
First the bugler gives the signal identifying the battalion.
Then he gives on of 9 signals telling who in the battalion the order is to.
(1. the entire Battalion, 2. 1st company, 3. 2nd, 3, 3rd, 5.4th, 6.skirmishers, 7.reserve. 8.left flank. 9.right flank)
The correct units then repeats the signal to show that it have been heard. (unless the buglers can see each other, then they can just wave)

Then the battalion bugler give the order. There is a total of 18 of them. Number 10-25.
(open order. close order. forward. fall back. faster. slower. hold. to the right. to the left. straight ahead. 2x formation change. fire. stop firing. charge. long tone for a pre agreed order. form colonm. deploy skirmishers (or reinforce them) call back skirmishers)

The company bugler can do the same. Give the battalion, company signals (2-5) and then the order.(10-25)

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Please note Iam in no way saying that the romans did this. Just that this worked on a 19th century battlefield with blackpowder going of all over the place. And I can't really see why the romans should not have been able to do something similar.
Bugler: "3rd Legion", "left flank", "advance"