Soldiers Numbers - Machine Gun Corps

[David643]

I am researching a relative who served in the Machine Gun Corps. I have his medals (BWM & VM) which confirm his service number and the M.G.C. initials. He was born in August 1899 so he would have been eligible for call-up in 1917 at the earliest. He survived the war and became a Police Special Constable after being demobbed in 1919.

 

His service number is 170305

 

I have read that the Machine Gun Corps can be a very difficult challenge for researching the career of a soldier. I know nothing about which MGC unit he served with so am keen to find out more about the unit(s) he was attached to during his service.

 

I know that there are researchers who are experts in how a soldier's number can provide some information about their service and I was hoping forum readers may be able to assist me?

 

Many thanks

David

[jonbem]

Hi

What was his name?

[David643]

Pte. Robert L Marsh

[charlie962]

This thread has a useful graph in post 25 that suggests his service number was probably issued around July 1918. His MIC has no other detail than that he was entitled to BWM and VM. Given his birth year then that 1918 date seems reasonable.

 

Charlie

[charlie962]

 

Pte Bennett MGC   170243 was mobilized from Reserve in April 1918, served 84 TR Bn before compulsory trf to MGC at Clipstone then to France Oct 1918.

 

Pte Johnson MGC 170301 was issued his number in July 1918 upon compulsory trf to 3 Bn MGC at Clipstone from the 84th Training  Reserve Bn

 

Pte Marsh  MGC   170305  ....................

 

Pte Stones  MGC 170330  is in a Hospital Admissions record that is dated 7/11/18 whic says he was aged 21 with 7mths Total Service but only 3 weeks with the Field Force.

 

 

 

Looking at other near numbers there seems to be a probability that Marsh was mobilised in April 1918, spent time at Clipstone (probably 84 TR Bn) with formal transfer to the MGC at the same place in July 1918. Finally going overseas perhaps mid October 1918.

 

Charlie

 

PS Near numbers will not, I suggest, help find which MGC unit he was posted to in France.

Edited 23 December , 2019 by charlie962

[Retlaw]

Just now, David643 said:

I am researching a relative who served in the Machine Gun Corps. I have his medals (BWM & VM) which confirm his service number and the M.G.C. initials. He was born in August 1899 so he would have been eligible for call-up in 1917 at the earliest. He survived the war and became a Police Special Constable after being demobbed in 1919.

 

His service number is 170305

 

I have read that the Machine Gun Corps can be a very difficult challenge for researching the career of a soldier. I know nothing about which MGC unit he served with so am keen to find out more about the unit(s) he was attached to during his service.

 

I know that there are researchers who are experts in how a soldier's number can provide some information about their service and I was hoping forum readers may be able to assist me?

 

Many thanks

David

My uncle transferred to the MGC in early 1915 he was amngst a batch of 90 or so from the 11th & 12th Battns East Lancs, he was given the number 10761. wnen he was killed he was serving with the 36th Battn. I once spent ages at Kew trying to find the War Diaries for that Battn, they were all mixed up in a cardboard box. I eventully found the right date but it told me very little, and unfortunatly his papers did not survive the blitz

[charlie962]

There are a couple of threads commented on by member @kenf48 for a man with a number 170818 that may give you some helpful pointers on his movements.

Here and here

 

Charlie

[PRC]

1 hour ago, David643 said:

Pte. Robert L Marsh

 

1 hour ago, David643 said:

He was born in August 1899

 

The only likely birth in England and Wales was that of a Robert Leonard Marsh, mothers' maiden name Grigsby, which was registered with the Civil Authorities in the Faversham District of Kent in the July to September quarter, (Q3), of 1899.

 

The most likely individual on the 1911 Census of England and Wales is an 11 year old Robert Leonard Marsh, born Faversham, Kent, who was recorded living at 8 Eastwood Cottages, Conyer, Teynham, Kent. This was the household of his step-father Thomas Bravery and mother Frances C Bravery.

 

The reason for the Genealogy background is that the 1918 Representation of the People Act, (now more famous for extending the vote to some woman), had the more significant effect at the time of extending the vote to all males over 21 - and for those in the Armed forces the qualifying age was 18. So when the electoral register for 1919 was prepared there is a good chance he would have been included, and it's almost certain he would have been on the Absent Voters List. The AVL, particularly for 1919 & later, will normally give unit details. The difficulty is trying to work out which constituency he might have been recorded under. Given his young age the prime candidate is probably wherever his step-father was living.

 

See https://www.longlongtrail.co.uk/soldiers/how-to-research-a-soldier/finding-soldiers-through-the-1918-absent-voters-lists/

for the general principles - unfortunately the link to the Kent AVL's is broken.

 

May be worth putting a request in the Documents section to see if anyone has an up to date source.

 

Hope that helps,

Peter

 

[charlie962]

27 minutes ago, PRC said:

it's almost certain he would have been on the Absent Voters List.

Good thinking. But I don't have access.

 

The 1939 Register has him born 6/8/1899 and notes he is a Special Constable , Kent, no 819

address 16 Church Place Malling RD, wife Nellie, b 20/6/04. Children seem to have been born in the 1920s.

[David643]

Thank you to everyone who has kindly replied to my request for information and provided sources for further research. I am appreciative of the time you have spent in looking-up details and submitting them to the Forum. This is going to be a challenge to find more information but one that I welcome and enjoy.

 

Thank you again

David