Machine Gun Corps

[Lindsay46]

Hello,

Yet another request for help, I'm afraid.

In tracing a William Cartmell - who originally came over with the 29 Canadian Infantry Bn - I have now seen from his MIC that he transferred to Machine Gun Corps, seemingly with a commision (although I'm unsure from the card whether the correct date for this is 17/8/1916 or 28/12/1916).

What I would love to know is whether anyone has any ideas on how transfers to the MGC were orgnaised, in particular, is he likely to have volunteered?

I also wonder if anyone may be able to point me in the right direction when is comes to trying to track his specific unit/s and later movements?

In case it helps I'm attaching (below) a copy of his MIC, which I'm sure will make far more sense to most people than it does to me.

Thanks very much for taking a look at this message and for any assistance you may be able to offer.

Lin

PS sorry, one further query, is there likely to be anything to be read into the reference on the MIC to the Imp Army?

[shinglma]

Lin

William Cartmell served firstly as Private (later Lance Corporal) 75344 with 21 Canadian Infantry Battalion. As such his attestation papers should be searchable on the CEF database here though it doesn't seem to be working for me this morning.

He was commissioned in to the MGC - the date looks as though it may have been 17/08/1916 - and his British War & Victory medals were therefore issued on the MGC Medal Rolls though there is also an entry for him on the Ex Dom rank & file rolls. His 15 Star is listed on the latter though a duplicate was later reissued from the Canadian Supplementary Roll.

His first theatre of war was France where he arrived on 17/09/1915.

Regards

Mike S

[hmsk212]

Reference to the Imp Army just means that he was no longer with the Canadian Force and was now serving with the British ( Imperial ) Army.

Steve

[Lindsay46]

Hello Mike (again!) and Steve,

Thanks very much for the information. I'm much clearer now on some of the entries on his MIC. I've already managed to get hold of his attestation papers and also noticed at the same time that the Canadian Records Office already have some of their war diaries on-line - free of charge. If anyone has anything further to add, especially about the MGC that will be great.

Lin