Christopher Gogarty - Machine Gun Guards

[sw63]

Hi,

My Great Uncle served in the Machine Gun Guards. He died of wounds at Doullens 30th March 1918.

Can anyone tell me where he was likely to have received his fatal wound(s)?

Cheers,

Simon

[sotonmate]

Simon

There is a bit of info in the Long Long Trail at top left of this page. I will link the pages here ands you might like to explore that zone a bit more,it has great links:

http://www.1914-1918.net/guardsmgr.htm

gives you a story of the Machine Gun element of the Guards Division,and:

http://www.1914-1918.net/bat22A.htm

gives you some info about the activity of the MG Guards at the time of your subject's death. It was during the German attack phase called the Kaiserschlacht. Your man died a few kms north of Amiens.

There are War Diaries at Kew but I am unable to tell you which specific Diary his unit would be in as there are four possibles,but none were current for March 1918. You could take a look in the Kew Catalogue and see wht you can find under WO95. I found 495,which is for the Life Guards MGC from 4/18 to 3/19,and the three others were for unspecified Guards MGC,1216 from 1/16 to 2/18,1220 from 9/15 to 2/18,and 1224 from 10/15 to 2/18. The big question is what did these metamorphose into during Feb 18 as they all ended then? I know there became a Guards MG Battalion but haven't yet found the Diary !

Sotonmate

[Chris_Baker]

Doullens was a main centre, as far as medical facilities are concerned, for the northern part of the Somme front.

Guards Division was by 26 March at Boiry Becquerelle and Boyelles. They were still in that area on 30 March. That's too far north for a natural route to Doullens. Curious. You really need to read the war diary, as suggested above.

On 1 March 1918 the unit had been renamed the 4th (Foot Guards) Battalion, the Guards Machine Gun Regiment.

[sw63]

Thanks for the replies.

I know that Christopher Gogarty was transferred to the Machine Gun Guards on 7/2/1918. I think this is the formation date of the MGG. Prior to this he was in the Irish Guards.

On his gravestone his unit is given as Machine Gun Guards, although the badge is that of the Guards Machine Gun Regiment.

The MGG didn't offically become the Guards Machine Gun Regiment until May 1918.

I've looked through the Kew catalogue but get very confused about all the different names this unit had. There doesn't appear to be anything on the MGG. The Guards Museum haven't been much help either, although they did send me a copy of his service record (a whopping 4 pages!). Strangely, this was in the Welsh Guards archive!

I am assuming that any documents pertaining to the MGG were absorbed, firstly, into the GMGR and then into other Guards units after the War. This is making it difficult to find anything helpful.

Is it likely that his company was an Irish Company and, as such, attached to the Irish Guards at this time? Any thoughts on this would be welcome.

Simon

[Stebie9173]

Here are the War Diary references that I can find:

WO 95/1206 Guards Division

WO 95/1206 Divisional Troops

WO 95/1206 4 Guards Battalion Machine Gun Corps 1917 Mar. - 1919 Mar.

(I suspect the March 1917 reference should be March 1918)

WO 95/1216 Guards Division

WO 95/1216 1 Guards Brigade

WO 95/1216 Guards Machine Gun Company 1916 Jan. - 1918 Feb.

WO 95/1220 Guards Division

WO 95/1220 2 Guards Brigade

WO 95/1220 Guards Machine Gun Company 1915 Sept. - 1918 Feb.

WO 95/1224 Guards Division

WO 95/1224 3 Guards Brigade

WO 95/1224 Guards Machine Gun Company 1915 Dec. - 1918 Feb.

WO 95/247 1 (Life Guards) Battalion Machine Gun Corps 1918 Apr. - Nov.

WO 95/247 3 (Royal Horse Guards) Battalion Machine Gun Corps 1918 Apr. - 1919 Mar.

WO 95/495 2 Battalion (Life Guards) Machine Gun Corps 1918 Apr. - 1919 Mar.

Have you tried the Guard Archives for his records, though I'm not sure whether they would keep the MGG records, myself.

Steve.

[sw63]

Have you tried the Guard Archives for his records, though I'm not sure whether they would keep the MGG records, myself.

Steve.

Yes, I got a response from the Welsh Guards archivist. Apparently they hold the archive for the Guards Machine Gun Regiment. I think this may have something to do with the fact the first MGG admin officer was a Lieut-Col. serving in the Welsh Guards.

Never got a response from the Irish Guards though. A bit miffed that they couldn't even be bothered aknowledging my letter.

Simon