Salonika?

[kevins0753]

I found this fragment of a postcard in my late mother's things.

I believe that her uncle Clement served with the 81st Battalion Machine Gun Corps in the Salonika Campaign.

Does anyone recognise the uniform?

Any links I might pursue?

K.

[DavidOwen]

Welcome to the forum.

The picture suggests India to me.

To enable the members to assist you are you able to provide the man's name and any other details you have (including dob, parents, any marriage or children during ww1 etc.).

Good luck with your research.

[Michelle Young]

Although not clear, the badge is suggestive of Artillery to me. Calling @FROGSMILE

[FROGSMILE]

53 minutes ago, Michelle Young said:

Although not clear, the badge is suggestive of Artillery to me. Calling @FROGSMILE

Yes I agree that’s what his badge looks like even though he has his cap athwarts.  The leather leggings suggest Royal Garrison Artillery (RGA).  They had a large presence in India with elephant drawn heavy batteries and light (screw gun) batteries.

Edit:  I see that there are spurs fitted now so he could be Royal Field Artillery too.  No sign of ball buttons though so I don’t think he’s RHA.

Edited 28 March by FROGSMILE

[keithmroberts]

My first impression is also India, which obviously does not preclude the man also serving in Salonika at some stage, but looking at the OOB for 1918 each infantry brigade is described as having a machine gun company, and there does not seem to be any mention of the Machine Gun Corps, or of the nachine gun companies being numbered. 

This response is based on a very quick check, so I may be reading too much into the way units are listed in the OOB.

 

 

[FROGSMILE]

24 minutes ago, keithmroberts said:

My first impression is also India, which obviously does not preclude the man also serving in Salonika at some stage, but looking at the OOB for 1918 each infantry brigade is described as having a machine gun company, and there does not seem to be any mention of the Machine Gun Corps, or of the nachine gun companies being numbered. 

This response is based on a very quick check, so I may be reading too much into the way units are listed in the OOB.

 

 

I recall that a lot of artillery helped form the Motor Machine Gun Service, so perhaps he came by that route and then transferred to the MGC subsequently.  Is that feasible as you see it Keith?

Edited 28 March by FROGSMILE

[david murdoch]

The Motor Machine Gun Service was originally badged Royal Artillery - basically as when it was set up it had to belong to something in the army structure. For the first few months manning came from volunteer transfers within the army  - so many men who had recently enlisted  jumped at the chance. From December 1914 onwards was targeted enlistment by travelling MMGS recruitment team or via The Motorcycle newspaper. They rebadged MMG very early in 1915 and again after MGC was formed, with the men being paper transferred to MGC (Motors) around December 1915.

Only the first five or six MMG batteries went to France/Flanders badged RA.

 

[FROGSMILE]

23 minutes ago, david murdoch said:

The Motor Machine Gun Service was originally badged Royal Artillery - basically as when it was set up it had to belong to something in the army structure. For the first few months manning came from volunteer transfers within the army  - so many men who had recently enlisted  jumped at the chance. From December 1914 onwards was targeted enlistment by travelling MMGS recruitment team or via The Motorcycle newspaper. They rebadged MMG very early in 1915 and again after MGC was formed, with the men being paper transferred to MGC (Motors) around December 1915.

Only the first five or six MMG batteries went to France/Flanders badged RA.

 

Thanks David, aware of the basics you’ve outlined.  Am wondering how it fits the individual timeline of the man in photo heading up this thread.

Edited 29 March by FROGSMILE

[david murdoch]

20 minutes ago, FROGSMILE said:

Thanks David, aware of the basics you’ve outlined.  Am wondering how it fits the individual timeline of the man in photo heading up this thread.

Would really need a full name to dig further. I'd agree with the previous comments  that the uniform is Royal Artillery and most likely in India. It's noted the photo was received May 4th 1917, so allowing time for it to be sent home in a letter taken early 1917 (or earlier). I'm thinking perhaps 81st MG Coy rather than battalion. They were attached to 27th Division who went to Salonika in 1916. So he may have been RFA then a transfer to MGC.

[Michelle Young]

@kevins0753 can you give us his full name please ? 

[keithmroberts]

11 hours ago, FROGSMILE said:

I recall that a lot of artillery helped form the Motor Machine Gun Service, so perhaps he came by that route and then transferred to the MGC subsequently.  Is that feasible as you see it Keith?

Quite feasible, and I agree with David Murdoch that 81 MGC were in Salonika, so I was hung up over the use of the word corps. The photo still looks like India, and would add most of the small numbers of Indians troops involved in Salonika were in mainly mule transport, with the replacement of British troops by Indians really not starting until the unexpectedly early collapse of the Bulgarian forces.

 

 

[FROGSMILE]

7 hours ago, david murdoch said:

Would really need a full name to dig further. I'd agree with the previous comments  that the uniform is Royal Artillery and most likely in India. It's noted the photo was received May 4th 1917, so allowing time for it to be sent home in a letter taken early 1917 (or earlier). I'm thinking perhaps 81st MG Coy rather than battalion. They were attached to 27th Division who went to Salonika in 1916. So he may have been RFA then a transfer to MGC.

Thanks David, that sort of scenario is what I had been musing on.

Edited 29 March by FROGSMILE

[FROGSMILE]

1 hour ago, keithmroberts said:

Quite feasible, and I agree with David Murdoch that 81 MGC were in Salonika, so I was hung up over the use of the word corps. The photo still looks like India, and would add most of the small numbers of Indians troops involved in Salonika were in mainly mule transport, with the replacement of British troops by Indians really not starting until the unexpectedly early collapse of the Bulgarian forces.

 

 

It certainly seems like a reasonable theory for the OP to consider further.

[Michelle Young]

Seeing as the OP hasn’t returned, even after being tagged, we will never know.