Manchester Regiment territorials

[PPCLI]

Hello,

I posted a previous query about the establishment of the MGC because I am trying to work out which men were transferred from the battalions of the 155th Bde. to make up the original 155th MG Company. I have found a batch of 128 men whose regiments fit, but this number does not appear to be enough men to form a Coy. (other members' replies say probably 144 ORs).

Immediately preceding the 155th Bde. men in the MGC sequence are a group of Manchester territorials; does anyone with a detailed knowledge of the Manchester Regt. know in which battalion the following men served?

268 Mills, Joseph 56230 MGC

3361 Leicester, Thomas 56231

2137 Lang, Albert 56232

3117 Kenyon, James 56233

2737 Jones, Arthur Morris 56234

1698 Halkyard, Frank 56235

2331 Hubbert, Robert 56235

1515 Holt, Fred 56237

2242 Gallagher, John 56238

1109 Dyer, Edward 56240

1521 Dawson, Frederick 56241

2307 Crossley, Harry 56242

1442 Campbell, Fred 56243

1957 Carter, Thomas 56244

1429 Commerford, William 56245

2021 Buckley, Walter 56246

and, more importantly w.r.t. my research, to which MG Coy. were they transferred?

I would think these men were transferred to the MGC in early 1916 while stationed in Egypt.

Hoping someone can find a link between these men and a MG Company.

Stuart

[themonsstar]

Hi PPCLI

I had a look at the medals rolls to the TF Manchester units but this shows thay could have been with any off the batts. Have you tryed the MGC medal rolls books at TNA. As all there No are consecutive its pos that thay may be in the same Vol.

Where a man transferred to the MGC from another unit his 14/15 star trio would, in most cases, be marked to his original unit. If a man's entitlement was the BWM/VM then those directly enlisted to the MGC carried MGC on the pair, while those transferring from other units might have either

[RodB]

Sounds to me like you're talking about the 42nd Divison. The Manchester battalions constituted the 127th Brigade and part of the 126th.

Frederick Gibbon's history states that at the beginning of April 1916 the division moved to 2 miles NW of Suez. "Much of this training was carried out in the desert West of Suez and along the ancient tower-marked road that leads to Cairo - the "far end" of the very road which had become so familiar to the Division in the first autumn and winter of the war. The machine-gun sections had constant practice; and it was here that the Brigade M.G. Companies took definite form as as separate units".

[PPCLI]

Thank you very much for your replies. Yes, it looks like I will need to get a look at the MGC 1915 Star roll at Kew - I'm sure they will all be in the same volume.

I agree that the Manchester men will be from the 126th and 127th Brigades of the 42nd Division. Thanks for quoting the passage from the book; it confirms what I thought may have been happening. It also makes me think that the MGC numbers were assigned in blocks depending on where units were stationed at the time - in this case Egypt.

I was hoping that someone might have known the specific MG Coy. that some of these men were transferred to; it will most probably be the 126th and 127th MG Coys., but I was hoping for confirmation. It's just that there only appears to be a block of about 30-40 Manchester men in this sequence of the MGC regt. numbers, so not enough to make up a MG Company. I was wondering if they had been transferred to a MG Coy. outwith their original Brigade.

The men following on from the Manchester soldiers in the MGC sequence are all ex-155th Bde. of the 52nd (Lowland) Division. I was just trying to rule out (or in) the possibility that the Manchester men had been transferred to the 155th MG Coy. to make up the numbers necessary for a full complement.

Thanks for your help,

Stuart

[JulianB]

There is quite a block of MGC numbers for 123 Coy but, as far as I can see, the men came from all over the place and not necessarily Bns of 123 Bde. In any case it was in 41 Div which was the last of the new New Army divs.

Julian