The SS Beltana, the ship carrying 22nd Motor Machine Gun Battery, arrived at Bombay 103 years ago today on 20 Mar 1916. The Battery commanding officer was Major Alexander Molony, attached to the Machine Gun Corps (Motors) from the Royal Dublin Fusiliers. The Battery Sergeant Mechanic was a well known pre-war motorcyclist, Sgt Alfred Fielder; he had ridden for the Hudson Motor Company.  Amongst the soldiers were 'Bill' Macro, JP Jamieson and Walter Patrick. Once the Beltana had docked there would have been much work to do to get the troops off and also the motorcycles, transport and other equipment transferred onto the train that was to take the Battery north to its ultimate destination of Rawalpindi.

Photos from the albums of JP Jamieson and Walter Patrick courtesy of James Jamieson and Alex Bodell.