Machine Gun Corps 37th Battalion

[Junio]

Hi

I've traced and downloaded the Medal Record Card for my grandfather, Pte 4373 John Wilson, K.O.S.B., but am having problems with the names of the Battalions he served with and what dates he would have been with them, and where he would be posted.

I know that he did a fair bit of work with horses during WWI as he relayed a few harrowing tales to my Dad about the way horses were treated, but other than that no place names were mentioned (that Dad can remember), so I have no clues to go on.

Here is the card:

Any help to decipher this would be much appreciated

June

[Ghost]

Welcome to the Forum June.

From the MIC, his date of entry to first theatre war of was 6/10/15 and is marked as 2b which is Gallipoli, this was with the K.O.S.Bs. No other place is entered on the MIC. He subsequently transferred to the Machine Gun Corps. Thats about it except for the medals awarded.

Alan

[Stebie9173]

It looks like he went to one of the Territorial battalions of the King's Own Scottish Borderers that served at Gallipoli - the 1/4th or 1/5th, and then transferred to the Machine Gun Corps in mid-1916.

The 1914-15 Star ledgers for the MGC at the National Archives usually state which infantry battalion a man served with.

See: http://www.1914-1918.net/kosb.htm

Incidentally, if you are translating the B37 as 37th battalion of the MGC, it is not a battalion reference, rather the reference to the medal roll books.

Judging by the surrounding numbering:

John Kennedy Kings Own Scottish Borderers, Machine Gun Corps 2469, 56350

George Bell Kings Own Scottish Borderers, Machine Gun Corps 2665, 56351

John Wilson Kings Own Scottish Borderers, Machine Gun Corps 4373, 56352

David Dickson Kings Own Scottish Borderers, Machine Gun Corps 1688, 56353

George Kennedy Kings Own Scottish Borderers, Machine Gun Corps 4447, 56354

Thomas Johnstone Kings Own Scottish Borderers, Machine Gun Corps 638, 56355

David Shannon KO Sco Bord,Machine Gun Corps 1594, 56356

George Stoba Kings Own Scottish Borderers, Machine Gun Corps 959, 56357

Alfred Blyth Kings Own Scottish Borderers, Machine Gun Corps 4324, 56358

John Coupland Kings Own Scottish Borderers, Machine Gun Corps 1945, 56359

...it seems like that he transferred up to the 155th Brigade Machine Gun Company and then the 52nd (Divisional) Machine Gun Battalion - PRESUMING that he wasn't transferred elsewhere at some point.

Steve.

[Junio]

Thank you both, Alan and Steve.

Somehow I was reading the '2B' as 'JB' and thus it didn't make sense when checked against the online list of codes.

So it looks like my grandfather was a latecomer to Gallipoli, since he didn't land there till October 1915?

And Steve - may I ask where you found the list of men's names and do you have a link to it? Also what do you mean about the 'surrounding numbering' indicating where he may have transferred to?

Sorry if these questions seem a bit dumb , but this is my first week researching this stuff since I found his number '4373' on a medal at the weekend!

June

[sotonmate]

June

The KOSB Battalion served on arrival at Gallipoli will also be shown on the original British War and Victory Medal Roll which is in MGC ledger WO329/1745 page 3351.

Sotonmate

[Junio]

Thanks Sotonmate! All info gratefully received

I think my problem is that the two soldiers I researched prior to this had their full service records available to view online, and had every small detail in them - from when and where posted, right down to one of them having to have his sinuses packed with 'cyanide packing' - so I guess this is the first time I've actually had to WORK for my information! I feel so ashamed ....

June

[Stebie9173]

June,

The numbers come from the medal index cards index.

The Army was in many cases fairly methodical in issuing numbers. When the machine gun corps was set up in late 1915 the Vickers Machine gunners were transferred to the Machine Gun Corps, the transfers commencing in early 1916. As far as men in Territorial battalions were concerned the were attached to the MGC at first and then officially transferred (due to legal issues with the differences between Regular and Territorial soldiers). When these transfers were made they tended to issue numbers as a batch. As you can see the KOSB men who transferred together seem to have been issued numbers in the MGC which are consecutive.

At the initial set-up of the MGC Companies, each battalion in the Brigade would form Section of the Brigade Machine Gun Company (e.g. No. 1 Section of 155th Machine Gun Company - the Brigade part of the name was later dropped), and then in 1918 each Machine Gun Company would form a Company of the Machine Gun Battalion releveant to that Division (e.g. "B" Company of 52nd Machine Gun Battalion).

Note that the examples are just that and probably not the right Sections/Companies for the units John WIlson was in).

EDIT:

I've had a further look to see if the numbers allocated form any sort of pattern

Royal Scots Fusiliers, Allocated Numbers 56247 to 56312 (64 men)

Kings Own Scottish Borderers, Allocated Numbers 56313 to 56375 (61 men)

Each of these groups would be formed of the men from the battalions of 152nd Brigade

1/4th Bn, the Royal Scots Fusiliers

1/5th Bn, the Royal Scots Fusiliers

1/4th Bn, the King's Own Scottish Borderers

1/5th Bn, the King's Own Scottish Borderers

Each battalion would have probably "donated" approx. 30 men each, possibly numbered together as a batch of 30 within the larger group of 60.

Steve.