MMGC Officer

[PhilB]

This photo in Google is described as an MMGC officer. The single cuff band indicates subaltern to me, but the pips look strange. Any view? Phil B

[Greg1]

If you look at the RH cuff he is wearinga single star. On his lefthand he appears to be wearing three but if you look closer they appear to be damage or alterations to the photo or negative. The damage looks similar to that applied by censors to some second war photographs.

Greg

[CROONAERT]

He didn't end up as a Captain and "altered" an old photograph to reflect this did he, by any chance?

Just a thought.

Dave.

[Guest]

The two extra "pips" don't look like proper pips to me.

[squirrel]

Query-why would an MGC Officer be wearing bursting grenade/bomb collar badges?

Does look like someone has tried to "add" something to the rank marking on the left sleeve.

[Steven Broomfield]

Query-why would an MGC Officer be wearing bursting grenade/bomb collar badges?

Does look like someone has tried to "add" something to the rank marking on the left sleeve.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

My guess would be that he started off in the RA or RE, transferred to the MGC and was promoted; the 'extra' pips have been added-on subsequently. Was he killed? It looks as if it might be a family thing after death if a photo of the Captain didn't exist.

Just a thought.

[Staffsyeoman]

It may be a little simpler... the Motor Machine Gun Service was formed in 1914 from the Royal Field Artillery. From what I can tell from the badge, it IS an MMG badge. Before it was subsumed into the MGC in 1915, personnel would wear MMG cap badges and Gunner insignia elsewhere. This gent is either an original MMGS officer, or a subsequently commissioned soldier? Fully concur that the extra 'pips' have been painted in onto a reprint of the picture (or perhaps even the original).