2nd Battalion South Staffs and Machine Gun Corp.

[Pengy]

My Grandfather, John Tranter served with the 2nd Battalion South Staffs and later the Machine Gun Corp.

So far I have found his medal roll index card:

On it there is a disembarkation date, which someone on these forums informs me relates to the 2nd Division which landed at Le Havre the day after that date. Am I correct in assuming that this means that he was with the 2nd Division when it landed on the 13th August 1914?

Having read the details about the 2nd Division on the Long, Long Trail I was wondering if there was anywhere else that I could find information on where/what the 6th Brigade or 2nd Battalion South Staffs were/did? Any good books that you can recommend regarding the South Staffs Regiment role during the war?

Was the Machine Gun Corp a seperate unit from the 2nd Battalion South Staffs, or was it a part of it?

Interestingly I have his marriage cetificate from September 1915 on which he lists his rank as Lance Corporal. On the medal index card he is listed as a Private both times, and also in 1918 when his eldest son was born it lists the rank of Private. In 1920 when his youngest son was born it has him down as an army pensioner. I have no idea why his rank is listed as Lance Corporal and later private, except that maybe he got demoted. But in regards to being an Army Pensioner, is this because he was wounded during the war and unable to work, or did all soldiers receive a pension?

I have recently heard that he may have been gassed during the war and this is why he got the pension. Is there anyway/anywhere to find out if he did suffer from a gas attack?

Any help would be really appreciated as I would really like to find out more about what he went through and where he served during the war.

Thanks,

Steve