The flying column according to Tom Barry in his excellent book "Guerrilla Days in Ireland" was done out of a necessity not only to hit and run and hide easily, but it was also practical to deploy a strong column of well armed men. This meant all the arms available would make their way to the column while they were deployed and then those arms would be gathered and sent to training camps.
These training camps comprised all the officers from the various brigades in the area. This was the case in West Cork. Barry writes that :
"Desultory training of Companies proceeded irregularly. This was not satisfactory. A group of sixty or seventy men meeting for an hour once a week, with only a few rifles at most, could not be trained as efficient soldiers. One week’s collective training is the minimum required to inculcate military discipline and to teach men elementary tactics. Assuming that the Brigade Staff could arrange a Company Camp for every week, it would take a year to train the whole Brigade, and by that time, of course, all the I.R.A. would have been wiped out. Accordingly the idea of starting the training of each Company in turn was dropped and, instead, it was planned to train all Battalion Staff and Company Officers. These would then act as training officers to their own units."
These officers would got back to their local brigades and conduct training there. Then those men would volunteer or be called to service with the column, officers taking turns commanding the column.
At the first camp near the end of September Thirty Five Officers of the first Battalion and two from the Clonakilty Battalion assembled at the home of an O'Brian, slept in the house and an adjoining barn. The Bandon Battalion was responsible for spies and keeping watch over the camp. They were posted during the day unharmed around the perimeter and armed at night as the guns were to be used for training. Members of the local Cumman na mBan branch was responsible for cooking and cleaning during the camp.
The men upon arrival were sorted into sections and told to be expecting an attack at any moment. Then they were lectured on the methods of defense and security.
One drill would be to get out of bed quickly and ready to fight. If it wasn't done in a sufficient amount of time, they would reset and do it again.
"From eight in the morning until six in the evening the men drilled and trained. Close order, extended order, arms drill and elementary tactics occupied the first four days. During the remaining three days more advanced movements were undertaken and special attention was given to “ re- drilling.” In this each officer, in turn, took command of a section and handled it for an hour or so. Attack and defence exercises were a feature of the training, and after these, at a signal, all would come together to talk over and criticise the movements. Situations were envisaged of engaging the enemy at a stated strength, moving in a certain formation, and officers were appointed, in turn, to command the column. The officers showed an extraordinary keenness on all parades, but particularly for sham battles."
The men would then assemble in a barn and do written exercises, flying column tactics and security measures, ambushes, town fighting, elementary signals, map reading and blackboard problems.
At the very end a firing course was held where 4 rounds per man was issued, which was all that could be spared.
