MGC Regimental Number

[Paul Reed]

A question to the MGC experts out there; roughly what period would a man with the number 22355 have joined the Machine Gun Corps?

[stubriscoe]

Paul,

i am not a MGC expert, but I used the NA MIC index, and Ancestry, to search for 1/6th Battalion South Staffordshire transfers to the MGC.

This gave:-

46th Division, 137th Brigade

Transfers to MGC on formation of MGC

xxxxx - 21773 Misc transfers

21774 - 21804 1/5 South Staffordshire Regt. to MGC

21805 - 21834 1/6 South Staffordshire Regt. to MGC

21835 - xxxxx 1/5 North Staffordshire Regt. to MGC

(numbers are MGC numbers)

You could use a similar search for numbers around yours. If these were all in the same Regiment / Battalion the same may also be true.

Regards,

Stuart

[stubriscoe]

Paul,

a quick search near "your" number gives:-

Riley, Robert,East Yorkshire Regiment,15938,Pte.,MGC,22350,Cpl.,

Galloway, John,,,,MGC,22351,Pte.,

Taylor, Charles W,Highland Light Infantry,3622,Pte.,MGC,22352,Pte.,

Mannes, John Walter,Highland Light Infantry,14449,Pte.,MGC,22353,Pte. L/Cpl.,Later Scottish Rifles Second Lieutenant & Captain

Struth, James Scotland,Highland Light Infantry,16231,Pte.,MGC,22354,Pte.,Later Royal Scots Second Lieutenant

Wark, James Allen,Highland Light Infantry,15461,Pte.,MGC,22355,Sgt.,

Dalziel, William,Highland Light Infantry,16052,Pte.,MGC,22356,Sgt.,

Cairns, Thomas,Border Regiment 11th,15402,Pte.,MGC,22357,Pte.,

Scott, Frederick,Border Regiment,13287,Pte.,MGC,22358,Pte.,

Skinner, Charles,Border Regiment,16388,Pte.,MGC,22359,Pte.,

Stuart

[Paul Reed]

Thanks for that - the soldier concerned is ex-17th HLI, so what you have posted is interesting.

[tommie]

Thanks for that - the soldier concerned is ex-17th HLI, so what you have posted is interesting.

Paul,

If he is 17th HLI try forum member Glesga Highlander, i am sure that the 17th is one of his battalions.

Tom

[Paul Reed]

Thanks for that.

[PPCLI]

Hi Paul,

It is likely that these men were transferred to the 97th Brigade Machine Gun Company soon after its formation in mid-March 1916. On formation of most MGC brigade companies, each of the four infantry battalions supplied about 35 men to the new unit. Searching the MICs will throw up results similar to those shown by Stuart (stubriscoe) i.e. batches of men from one battalion being transferred with sequential new MGC numbers. Quite often, as also shown in Stuart's example, the first batch of transfers didn't always have the full complement of men (possibly 30 of the 35 men required), so a little later you find a collection of 'stragglers' arriving to make up the numbers. In the case of the men mentioned previously with MGC numbers 22352-22359, these will probably be a mix of 16th/17th HLI and 11th Border men arriving to make up the establishment of the 97th MG Coy. (A few KOYLI men follow on at MGC 2236*, which fits with the 2nd Bn. also being part of the 97th Bde.)

Cheers,

(another)Stuart

[Paul Reed]

Thanks Stuart - much appreciated.