Royal Engineers - MC/Cpl and B Corps Signals Company

[MaxD]

Two questions if I may.

 

My man's rank is given, with many others, in the 1914/1915 Star roll as MC/Cpl.  TNA transcribe this as Mechanist Corporal (I've seen Corporal Mechanist also).  It is not clear from http://www.reubique.com/ranks.htm which of the variations on Mechanist, Machinery Mechanist and Military Mechanist obtained in the Great War - in other words what does MC/ mean and what did they do.  A sub set of this is that the 1914/1915 Star rolls I have looked at all have the MC crossed out and the entries for the same men in the BW and V roll all have plain Cpl, Sgt etc which implies the MC was discontinued during the war.

 

Secondly, what was "B Corps".  My man was MiD, the LG entry is clear with B Corps Signal Company,  as is his locally produced certificate.  I have a feeling this has come up before but I've lost my notes!

 

Thanks in advance.

 

Max

 

 

Edited 7 June , 2019 by MaxD
Typos

[Terry_Reeves]

Max. 

 

If you can post his name and number I might be able to help. I have a MM  with  1914 star  trio with  bar to a Motor Cyclist Cpl RE along with a French C de G. 

 

TR

Edited 7 June , 2019 by Terry_Reeves

[Ron Clifton]

B Corps Signal Company was part of II Corps - a rather clumsy attempt to put an extra level of security into the order of battle.

 

These companies had motor-cycle despatch riders which, in the early months of the war at least, were promoted as corporals. At least one corporal in each company was specially trained as a mechanic to service the machines.

 

Ron

[MaxD]

 

Terry - thank you. He was 74961 MC/Cpl W E Keeling.  We have his MIC, entries on the two medal rolls and the LG entry for his MSM in Jun 1918 and MiD in Dec 1918.  Service record gone walkabout in the later conflict..  

 

Ron - thank you for the pointer towards II Corps.  I was intrigued by the use of the MC as part of his rank in the 1914/1915 Star roll but not in the later roll and was trying to establish whether these men were referred to as "Mechanist Corporal" up to a point when the MC was dropped.

 

PS Just to be absolutely sure is this 2 Corps or Eleven Corps, I don't want to read the II incorrectly.

 

Max

Edited 8 June , 2019 by MaxD

[Ron Clifton]

Second Corps. It was usual to denote Corps by Roman numerals, although the index to class WO95 doesn't!

 

Ron

[MaxD]

Thank you Ron (just applying the rule - never assume, check!)

 

Max

[Terry_Reeves]

Max

 

He would have  enlisted in late April 1915 and carried out his motor cycle training at the Dunstable Signal Service Depot in Bedfordshire. 

 

TR

 

[MaxD]

Thanks TR.  

 

Max