14th Motor Machine Gun Battery in India 1919

[pjwmacro]

Further to the 22nd Battery Motor Machine Guns topic which was started on the GWF nearly 3 years ago, my curiosity has been sparked about the other batteries of the Motor Machine Gun Service / Machine Gun Corps (Motors) which served in India during WW1, and whether they also got caught up in the policing operations in the Punjab, and the Third Afghan War of 1919. I have started a topic for 3rd Battery - the purpose of this topic is to cover 14th Motor Machine Gun Battery. They also, served in France, before transferring to India probably late 1917. According to LTT and Charles Messenger (in War Cars) the 14th Battery was attached to 20th Division in England, moving with the Division to the Western Front, and left 22 April 1916. Joined I ANZAC Corps. Attached to 1st Division between 19 July and 17 October 1917. By January 1918, was with 5th (Mhow) Division of Indian Army at Jubbulpore. According to Official Account of the Third Afghan War, the battery were temporarily in Bombay (possibly as a prelude to disbanding back to UK?) and away from Jubbulpore. So far as I am aware the battery played no part in the conflict. Certainly the MGC part of the IGSM / NWF 1919 medal roll has no reference to 14 Bty MMGS - although it is possible members had been detached to make up numbers in the Armoured Motor Batteries, or other units.

 

So this list of names of those who served with the battery in India is pretty thin - and is almost entirely due to the work of @david murdoch- in a couple of other threads on the forum other the years.  The list I have is:

 

625 A/Sjt James Lomas BARRATT - drowned in India 1 Aug 1919

660 Gnr Rhydwon JONES

668 Gnr Fred MOWBRAY (about whom there has been some research see separate topic) b Spalding 1891 m 1911 and emigrated to Canada

671 Gnr George Harry NEWTON

721 Gnr Herbert HULM

952 L/Cpl Alexander KELLAS - also emigrated to Canada post war

1138 Gnr Albion William OSGOOD DCM

1156 Gnr George GALLOWAY d 29 Oct 1918 appendicitis

2208 Gnr Thomas Cardigan WENT d 14 Apr 1919, bathing accident, Sewri

80593 Gnr Horrace DOWORTH d 5 Nov 1918

 

As always. Any help greatly appreciated - who were the battery officers in India, who were the other battery personnel, who were the attached ASC, what are the stories from their time in India?

 

The photo shows 14th battery prior to shipping to France.

 

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Edited 17 November , 2020 by pjwmacro

[pjwmacro]

The main thread detailing members of 14th battery including photos of Fred Mowbray and Alexander Kellas is here:

 

 

[david murdoch]

Another India casualty. Gunner 2208 Thomas C Went. Was not an original member of 14th Battery. He enlisted  August 1915 - appearing in The Motorcycle 19/8/1915. He was drowned in a bathing accident 14/4/1919 aged 25 in Sewri (Bombay). Originally buried in Sewri cemetery, he was exhumed in 1962 and buried in a mass grave in front of Kirkee Memorial. His soldiers effects give his middle name as Cardigan, but been mistaken for Cardinal. He left his effects divided between his siblings  which match him to a family tree on Ancestry. At least two of his brothers served. His younger brother Charles John was killed in action at the battle of Jutland onboard HMS Defence.

Edited 16 August , 2020 by david murdoch

[pjwmacro]

James Barratt, mentioned above as drowning 11 Aug 1919, was by this stage an Acting Serjeant. He was from Derbyshire. He left £276 to his widow Martha, and his register of soldiers effects also lists payments his brother Gilbert and sister Lottie Garside. He was one of the older men of the Battery, born in 1878 to Samuel Heathcote Barratt and Martha. In 1911 he was still single, living with his parents and working as a postman

[mcassell]

Can only add a few names to above, all original complement, all transferred to Heavy Section. Most extracted from list of original members of C and D Companies.

650 Sgt. Basil Edward Grieve, comm TC, tsfd RAF 1919

1435 Gnr Christopher Douglas Heib, kia 8 Oct 16

648 Gnr Ernest Freeman, tsfd TC

1427 Gnr H G Galbraith, commd RGA

1467 Gnr C North comm MGC(H) Jan 1917. MC

Obviously none went to India with battery! Think have list of officers from embarkation list when Battery went to India.Will post if find.