Marigold1 Posted 20 January , 2018 Share Posted 20 January , 2018 I have been trying to find, on Ancestry, the following war diaries, to no avail. Can anyone help, please? The time frame for the four diaries below I am interested in is 1st January 1917 - March 1918: Machine Gun Corps 41st Coy Machine Gun Corps 42nd Coy Machine Gun Corps 43rd Coy Machine Gun Corps 244th Coy All four companies were merged into the 14th Battalion, Machine Gun Corps in March 1918 and I am also looking for the war diary for: 14th Battalion Machine Gun Corps for March 1918. Any suggestions very welcome. Marigold Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ron Clifton Posted 20 January , 2018 Share Posted 20 January , 2018 Hello Marigold Here are the file references: 14 DIVISION WO 95/1890 14 Battalion Machine Gun Corps. 1918 June - 1919 Feb. WO 95/1890 224 Machine Gun Company 1917 Nov. - 1918 Feb. WO 95/1890 249 Machine Gun Company 1917 July - Oct. WO 95/1896 41 Infantry Brigade WO 95/1896 Brigade Machine Gun Company 1916 Feb. - 1918 Feb. WO 95/1902 42 Infantry Brigade WO 95/1902 Brigade Machine Gun Company 1916 Mar. - 1918 Feb. WO 95/1910 43 Infantry Brigade WO 95/1910 Brigade Machine Gun Company 1916 Feb. - 1918 Feb. This will show you why you had difficulties: some types of unit, including Brigade MG Companies, are not indexed under their company numbers. If you are looking for them on Ancestry you may have to add a suffix such as /1, /2 etc as there are often several diaries in each file. Good hunting! Ron Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Marigold1 Posted 21 January , 2018 Author Share Posted 21 January , 2018 Dear Ron, Thank you! I am working on the soldiers on the Loughborough Roll of Honour and I must admit my heart sinks when I have to deal with the Machine Gun Corps or other artillery regiments. There always seem to be extra complications. Marigold Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Matlock1418 Posted 15 January , 2019 Share Posted 15 January , 2019 Marigold / Ron. Well, well, well ... 12 months on and I have the same question - looking for the War Diary for 43rd Company, MGC Specifically an image/transcription for 21 March 1918 (and possibly a few days earlier & after to put into context) - researching a 43 Coy MGC soldier captured at St Quentin [if the ICRC,CICR records are to be believed] Are you able to help please? In hope ... Matlock1418 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ron Clifton Posted 16 January , 2019 Share Posted 16 January , 2019 You may be unlucky, as the diaries for March to May appear to be missing, but there may be fragments in one of these files: WO 95/1910 43 Infantry Brigade WO 95/1910 10 Battalion Highland Light Infantry 1918 June - 1919 June WO 95/1910 7 Battalion King's Royal Rifle Corps 1918 Feb. - May WO 95/1910 20 Battalion Middlesex Regiment 1918 June - 1919 June WO 95/1910 12 Battalion Suffolk Regiment 1918 June - 1919 May WO 95/1910 Brigade Machine Gun Company 1916 Feb. - 1918 Feb. You may have to look at this diary instead: WO 95/1890 14 Battalion Machine Gun Corps. 1918 June - 1919 Feb. They can be downloaded from the Kew website, www.nationalarchives.gov.uk for about £3.50 each. You may need to add a suffix such as /1, /2 etc as there are several diaries in the same file. If you have access to Ancestry you may be able to get them free. Be aware that diaries for the last few days of March 1918 are often incomplete because of the German Kaiserschlacht which began on 21 March. War Diaries rarely mention individuals by name other than officers, but numbers of casualties each day are nearly always given, and the location of the unit, with a short description of its activities, is given on each day. Ron Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Matlock1418 Posted 16 January , 2019 Share Posted 16 January , 2019 3 hours ago, Ron Clifton said: WO 95/1890 14 Battalion Machine Gun Corps. 1918 June - 1919 Feb. Ron, Thanks, looks like the most specific 21 March 1918 and on was indeed considered an 'interesting day/time' for the British Army and may explain the gaps! Trying to locate more specific location for this chap's place of capture and the circumstances - even general info will be better than as at present [Though mention by name is most unlikely as you say!] Should anyone have such, or more, info then always welcome/appreciated. R Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
inkerman Posted 17 January , 2019 Share Posted 17 January , 2019 Ron Perhaps not quite on the 21 march, but Sidney Rogerson's account of discarding the Brigade War Diary in the River Aisne in May 1918 in his account 'The Last of the Ebb - page 33 in my edition - is an example of what might have happened, though not perhaps in a river! Richard Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Skipman Posted 17 January , 2019 Share Posted 17 January , 2019 (edited) 41st MG Coy 42nd MG Coy 43rd MG Coy 244th MG Coy From July 1917 Mike Edited 17 January , 2019 by Skipman Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tbirduk Posted 28 April , 2020 Share Posted 28 April , 2020 If I could jump in on this one. I am looking for the diary (21 Sep 1917) for 117 Company MGC? Either Ancestry or NA link please? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Admin kenf48 Posted 28 April , 2020 Admin Share Posted 28 April , 2020 9 minutes ago, tbirduk said: If I could jump in on this one. I am looking for the diary (21 Sep 1917) for 117 Company MGC? Either Ancestry or NA link please? WO 95/2587/4 On Ancestry here At TNA https://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/details/r/C8658250 Ken Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tbirduk Posted 28 April , 2020 Share Posted 28 April , 2020 Perfect, many thanks Ken Pete Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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