Machine Gun Corp

[Mike]

Originally Posted by orasot

Hi Admin,
There is no way of saying if this type went into production, as they are his sample badges, who knows !! We can see it doesn't have the bigger crown, which we all go for on this badge ! I would have to say that the MMG would probably be easier to break off with this type, could be why they made them with the tabs ?? No doubt about the provenance of this badge though, or the others that came with it. Still not going to give it a bend though !!!
All the best, Wilf.

Hi Wilf, Yes you may have a unique prototype there, and the point about the potential weakness between the MMG and the guns was noticed by myself, as it looks to be tacked onto the edge. If you were producing a badge for visual perfection that is where you would attach the MMG. But for a practical working badge you would stick it aross the front or back to give it strength.

[jeanpit-frenchy]

[QUOTE=dragonz18;4407]Still away from Home,PC,Information & Collection.
But some points of possible interest here.
I personaly think the front-fix ,solid letter,etc badges are Fine.
Frenchy's badge ,in particular shows several features that I think helps this, a great deal, here.
It has what appears to be genuine wear ,on the letters especially ,as it should be?
Genuine looking back 'gunge' (age) etc ,for a change, on these also? Good colouring as well. ?
But these obviously easily faked features aside,it's the replacement(broken) pin that sells it ,for me. It looks to be a correct period piece, identical to others I've seen ,from that time & looks in keeping with the badge ?
The broken off slider & replacement by this method ,is a definite point in it's favour,I think ??
Not something I feel a 'faker' would spend time & trouble doing ? You would also be seeing more of them like this?
Overall ,it looks to be the 'Real Deal' ??

Cheers !
Steve

[QUOTE]

oups......i go to take it out of the bin...... (it's a joke.....)

thank you

[dragonz18]

Very good points.
A scenario could well read.... early badges had tacked on only letters(no tabs)although thought strong enough, initially,this was found to be not so ,in actual use. So front fixing adopted using existing letter dies (possibly already produced items?) adopted, but found not to look the best, visually .So later made dies would include tabs to make it work & look better???
This could explain possible re-affixed items. Also why tabs most "often "found on what are generally thought to be the last variety used, as well ? The variety shown on Admin's badge here may be a good indication that some of the older(?) variations carried on for a lot longer here?
Just some more thoughts !

Cheers !
Steve

NOTE !! This particular post has been altered, to accommodate for writer's hurried wording

[badgecollector]

this may be a silly question, but is the main part of the badge always brass and the MMG always whitemetal?
where these or other british badges ever blackened/oxidised for war time as were some aussie badges?
BC

[dragonz18]

My 3 examples ,for comment here.
there are already a few differences with those shown by others. Both Admin's MGC & MMG (see above here)show a difference in the cocking mechanism on LH gun ,as viewed. Another maker or Mk ? Both look fine to me.
I have placed my 3, in my own assumed order of their issue ,from earliest to latest. Though I have no real proof this is correct. With many manufacturers,they could be just maker's variations ,etc. ??
But by feelings suggest... No.1~ 1915-16, No.2~ 1916-17( some others in this group also), No.3~ 1917 onwards ?
No.3 is the most common variety.
Comments here ?
Cheers !
Steve

[dragonz18]

Back views of above badges, in same sequence.......

[dragonz18]

The MGC was origionally formed in October of 1915 & was in existence until 1922.
I have seen photograhic evidence of Badge 3 being worn at least as early as July 1917, prior to the formation of the Tank Corps, which was formed from the Heavy section of the MGC at that time.
Anyone got any further possible photographic details ?
Cheers !
Steve

[Jibba Jabba]

There is a sand cast badge as worn in Mespot, India and NW Frontier by the British MGC. It is far rarer than any die struck example.

[Sonofacqms]

Sand cast or bazaar badges as some people call them are still being made, or were being made in Pakistan in the sixties and seventies, I have somewhere amongst my archives, a catalogue of British badges all described from WWI onwards including, if I remember Royal Naval Division badges. They also offered me a deal on bulk buying and could make me any badge I required. My advice is be wary of any cast badges unless you know of the provenance, no matter how rare they are!

[Jibba Jabba]

Indeed sand cast badges are still being made, but the fact is there were used to due a shortage of die struck badges and it takes some skill and knowledge in field of badge collecting to be able to identify what is good and what is not.........a bit like collecting the die struck stuff

Ive never seen a sand cast British MGC repro for sale, if one did appear I`d probably buy it to compare to my great uncles badge he wore in Mespot and Afghanistan along with his cast MGC Calvalry shoulder titles.

The other examples not mentioned here is the MGC with cut slider and pin fastening with gold plate. Some collectors would condemn these as sweet heart badges but they arent.......they were worn by MGC instructors who had better things to do than polish badges.

There is also the Canadian MGC badge with lugs sometimes mistaken by some as British, but as the topic is not Canadian badges I`ll kill what I had to say now.

[Alan O]

9. WM versions .....for yeomanry attached units, true or false?

Steve,

Some confusion here. First of all there were Yeomanry units re-roled into the MGC (rather than MGC attached). It is not clear whether they wore the MGC badge or kept their old ones. I have seen photos of both and I suspect it depended on the unit and the man's enlistment. W/M versions have popped up on ebay as Yeo versions but that is uncorroberated and to me looked like fakes with a crooked dealers spin.

Alan

[Jibba Jabba]

White metal with Canada base scroll Canadian.

http://www.canadiansoldiers.com/medi...hine_Gun_Corps

[Toby Purcell]

Originally Posted by jeanpit-frenchy

with the MMG , machine guns are very different....and King Crown bigger

on my badge slider hade been broken and the badge had been "broched"---genuine ??? 50%

The cap badge was designed by Major Phillip W Jupe DSO, who whilst at Hythe on a machine gun refresher course heard that the Motor Machine
Gun Service was to be formed under Lt Col RW Bradley DSO, South Wales Borderers.

On arrival at Bisley as Adjutant, he found the unit had no
regimental badge or any distinguishing emblem. To remedy this he designed a badge of crossed Vickers guns, surmounted by a crown over the letters “MMG”. The badges were made by a local firm and paid for out of
regimental funds. There are dated picture postcards of MMGS men wearing such badges in early 1915 at Bisley. The Machine Gun Corps on formation adopted the badge without the letters, or “rocker” below. The Machine Gunners of the 63rd (Royal Naval) Division used the same badge with an “RND” rocker.


Info from this site under link http://www.machinegun.pwp.blueyonder...01.01.2007.pdf 'MGC Pack'.

[Alan O]

This is my new MMG one. Alhtough the MMG are not fully voided neither is the one in Bosles's latest postal auction.

This one looks the part to me and the slider is a nice old design.

[Alan O]

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/regiment-c...item27bd61889c

This damaged one is on ebay now and shows the overlay of the MMG with the solid MG. It appears quite genuine to me.