Tank Corps April 1917 - badge & medals

[Docgb]

Hello,

We are trying to identify which cap badge my Dad's uncle would have been wearing when he was killed in WW1.

He was in a MkII female tank (according to Maj Wilson, 'A Company of Tanks') in D bn, Tank Corps and died on 11 April 1917 during the 1st battle of Bullecourt, we think he was in 11 Company.

His WO records suggest his service began in May 1915 and was transferred from the Ox & Bucks LI to the MGC and then to the Tank Corp - but the Tank Corps wasn't officially so named (and badged) until after his death although we guess the name could have been assigned.


We guess his badge would have been MGC-HB with crossed machine guns - which he had probably worn since his MGC days.


We are also trying to understand his WO records which have 3 entries under Medals.
Victory: roll - TC/101 b12, page - 1914
British: roll - 'ditto', page - 'ditto'
Star (preceded with a handwritten 15): roll - Tank /1e, page - 171

He has no known grave but is remembered on the Arras Memorial.

We are proud to be his relatives and want to make sure we get the details right - so may we ask for the help of all you experts out there - please?

Many thanks - in anticipation


Graham

[Bill A]

Welcome to the Forum Graham. Your account is active and open for posts.

[Docgb]

Thank You Bill

[leigh kitchen]

The entries re. medals refer to medal rolls, lists of the men within a unit who were entitled to the medal.
The three medals referred to are the 1914-15 Star, the British War Medal and the Victory Medal.

[atillathenunns]

Hi Graham,

Your Great-uncle would have worn the standard crossed machine gun badge of the MGC.
At the time of his death the Tank Corps was known as the “Heavy Branch Machine Gun Corps.”

Brent

[Docgb]

Thank you Leigh,
This amazing site has taught me about Pip, Squeek and Wilfred so now not only do I understand the medal record, I have pictures of the medals too.

[Docgb]

Thank you Brent

Thank you for confirming the logic of things - we were not sure.

Do you know which machine guns are depicted in the badge?

We didn't know when he transferred to tanks and are wondering what other action he saw. He was in tanks so early and in D bn, so wondered if he was in from the beginning and at Flers-Courcelette about 6 months before …

There is so much to learn in this forum … amazing depth of knowledge and detail …
Thank you again.

[Hoot]

The guns are crossed Vickers machine guns. He would have worn shoulder titles consisting of the letters MGC with a seperate letter H below them.

[Docgb]

Thank You Hoot.

I've seen other shoulder titles: HBMGC in a single line and MGC with HB below too … are these from other times or units?

Given the dates, my guess is Great Uncle just added the H to his MGC title - as you suggest.


Learning so much from this forum …

[atillathenunns]

Hi Graham,

If you post your Great uncles service records we may be able to help with a better understanding as to his movements and unit transfers.
For example, in March 1916 the title of the Tank Corps was changed from the “Armoured Car Section of the Motor Machine Gun Service,” to the “Heavy Section Machine Gun Corps.” and in November 1916, presumably to its rising strength, it was re-titled to the “Heavy Branch Machine Gun Corps.”

[Hoot]

Originally Posted by Docgb

Thank You Hoot.

I've seen other shoulder titles: HBMGC in a single line and MGC with HB below too … are these from other times or units?

Given the dates, my guess is Great Uncle just added the H to his MGC title - as you suggest.


Learning so much from this forum …

Graham, there are several variations of Heavy Section/Heavy Branch MGC shoulder titles but the MGC with H below is the one mostly seen in photos. By the time of your Great Uncle's death they would have been the most likely ones. The most common of the type being the ones with a large seperate H below a standard size MGC.