British & Commonwealth Military Badge Forum

Recent Books by Forum Members

   

Go Back   British & Commonwealth Military Badge Forum > British Military Insignia > Infantry (& Guards) Badges

 Other Pages: Galleries, Links etc.
Glossary  Books by Forum Members     Canadian Pre 1914    CEF    CEF Badge Inscriptions   Canadian post 1920     Canadian post 1953     British Cavalry Badges     Makers' Marks    Pipers' Badges  Canadian Cloth Titles  Books  SEARCH
 
Reply
 
Thread Tools Display Modes
  #1  
Old 20-09-20, 07:36 PM
GMGC's Avatar
GMGC GMGC is offline
New Member
 
Join Date: Sep 2020
Location: Houston
Posts: 12
Default Authenticity Opinions on Machine Gun Corps badge, please?

Greetings--

I'm hoping that someone more knowledgeable than me may be able to offer opinions as to the authenticity of this item for sale on Ebay. I'm hoping to acquire an example of the Machine Gun Corps badge that my great grandfather might have worn (he was originally with the Grenadier Guards during WWI, but after his discharge from that service enlisted in what is consistently referred to in his British Army records as "Machine Gun Corps" so I think this is the correct badge).

Please and thanks!

Last edited by GMGC; 21-09-20 at 12:35 AM.
Reply With Quote
  #2  
Old 20-09-20, 07:55 PM
KLR's Avatar
KLR KLR is offline
Member
 
Join Date: Oct 2007
Location: London
Posts: 3,055
Default

Firstly, the badge you refer to - is a fake. The MGC badge was in gilding metal (an alloy - but used for thousands of badges) and NEVER made in white metal.

However, your ggfather might have been in the Guards Machine Gun Battalion - rather than the 'MGC'. - which had a different badge.
(I have an interested in the MGC too as my gfather was in the MGC - though not guards)

Last edited by KLR; 20-09-20 at 08:03 PM.
Reply With Quote
  #3  
Old 20-09-20, 08:34 PM
GMGC's Avatar
GMGC GMGC is offline
New Member
 
Join Date: Sep 2020
Location: Houston
Posts: 12
Default

Quote:
Originally Posted by KLR View Post
Firstly, the badge you refer to - is a fake.

However, your ggfather might have been in the Guards Machine Gun Battalion - rather than the 'MGC'.
Thanks for the helpful reply on the badge.

I too have wondered whether I should be seeking the Machine Gun Corps, Machine Gun Regiment or Machine Gun Battalion badge. The answer is still a mystery to me.

Grampy was in 1st Battalion Grenadier Guards before the war, went on reserve and emigrated to Canada, then was recalled at the start of WWI and returned to England, and then was shipped on to France (earning the 1914 start with the 1st Bn GGuards); he then was sent home to England in spring of 1916--can't figure out why--then later reinlisted under a different regimental number in the Machine Gun Corps, but I'm not at all clear that this means he was part of the *Guards* MGC. Documents relating to that later service refer to "D Battalion M.G.C." and "D.M.G.C." and "M.G.C. at Chiseldon" and "Machine Gun Corps." So maybe he was a member of the Guards Machine Gun Battalion and they just called it "Machine Gun Corps" in their correspondence at the time? Very confusing.
Reply With Quote
  #4  
Old 20-09-20, 09:00 PM
leigh kitchen's Avatar
leigh kitchen leigh kitchen is online now
Member
 
Join Date: Nov 2010
Posts: 9,034
Default

Post on thread (or private message me if you prefer) his name, number etc and let's see if we can find more info.
Reply With Quote
  #5  
Old 20-09-20, 09:04 PM
leigh kitchen's Avatar
leigh kitchen leigh kitchen is online now
Member
 
Join Date: Nov 2010
Posts: 9,034
Default

A very quick look at 'The Long, Long Trail" site shows:

D” MG Battalion Formed from the amalgamation of the East Riding Yeomanry and the Lincolnshire Yeomanry, in Egypt on 7 April 1918. Moved to Western Front by early June 1918. Redesignated 102nd Bn MGC in August 1918, attached as First Army troops.
Reply With Quote
  #6  
Old 21-09-20, 12:29 AM
GMGC's Avatar
GMGC GMGC is offline
New Member
 
Join Date: Sep 2020
Location: Houston
Posts: 12
Default

Thanks, Leigh! His name was Arthur James Eggleton, and his Grenadier Guards number was 10804. His MGC number was 183428. According to this document, his dates of service for the MGC began on 11 July 1918 and concluded 6 March 1919, but I have never heard that he served overseas during that second term of service--he left the MGC service at Chiseldon (sometimes spelled Chisledon) and I believe he remained in England the full time after he left France in Spring of 1916 and before he was demobilized at Chiseldon in Spring 1919.
Reply With Quote
  #7  
Old 21-09-20, 06:50 AM
leigh kitchen's Avatar
leigh kitchen leigh kitchen is online now
Member
 
Join Date: Nov 2010
Posts: 9,034
Default

Sorry, I havn't found any more info.
Ancestry doesn't work well on my phone so I can't read documents as they're too small and won't magnify.
I'll have a look as and when I get to a desk top.
Reply With Quote
  #8  
Old 22-09-20, 01:53 AM
GMGC's Avatar
GMGC GMGC is offline
New Member
 
Join Date: Sep 2020
Location: Houston
Posts: 12
Default

Quote:
Originally Posted by KLR View Post
Firstly, the badge you refer to - is a fake. The MGC badge was in gilding metal (an alloy - but used for thousands of badges) and NEVER made in white metal.
Hello again, KLR--since you were so helpful last time, I wanted to ask your opinion of this item. I have no idea how to recognize "gilding metal" but at least this doesn't appear to be brass or white metal, exactly, so I'm wondering if this may be it?

Last edited by GMGC; 22-09-20 at 02:30 AM.
Reply With Quote
  #9  
Old 22-09-20, 02:14 AM
Home Guard's Avatar
Home Guard Home Guard is offline
Member
 
Join Date: Dec 2019
Location: Tennessee
Posts: 2,742
Default

GMGC,

I believe that one is also a fake, due to the fact that the crown is cut straight across the bottom. It is my understanding that a good one has a rounded bottom to the crown.

Take a look at this one for a good example of a real one.

https://www.iwm.org.uk/collections/item/object/30071376

Terry
Reply With Quote
  #10  
Old 22-09-20, 08:08 AM
KLR's Avatar
KLR KLR is offline
Member
 
Join Date: Oct 2007
Location: London
Posts: 3,055
Default

I concur with Terry! Look at the crown.

Have you decided whether you want a MGC or a GMGC badge?
good luck
Reply With Quote
  #11  
Old 22-09-20, 04:16 PM
GMGC's Avatar
GMGC GMGC is offline
New Member
 
Join Date: Sep 2020
Location: Houston
Posts: 12
Default

Thanks to you both--so much to learn...

No, I'm still not sure which badge is correct. I don't find any reference to "Guards" in records of his second term of Imperial military service, just "MGC" (and usually just abbreviated like that, not even spelled out). I'm assuming that means he left the GGuards and joined a different Army branch, but that's based only on a few mentions in different documents--his second enlistment number hasn't turned up anything definitive yet.
Reply With Quote
Reply

Tags
british, machine gun corps, mgc, wwi

Thread Tools
Display Modes

Posting Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts

BB code is On
Smilies are On
[IMG] code is On
HTML code is Off

Forum Jump

mhs link

All times are GMT. The time now is 10:14 PM.


Powered by: vBulletin
Copyright ©2000 - 2024, Jelsoft Enterprises Ltd.