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Motor Machine Gun Core (MMGC) - WWI

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houghton1854
coventry
1 of 7  Mon 28th Jul 2014 11:18pm  

My grandfather Edward Atkins volunteered in WWI at the Coventry Offices to join the MMGC and was attached to the Royal Artillery at Ypres aged 17. Does anyone know how many men joined that unit in Coventry as I believe it was mainly joined by motorcycle enthusiasts. In later years he did test drive for Triumph. Thanks if you can help.
Wartime and the Blitz - Motor Machine Gun Core (MMGC) - WWI
TonyS
Coventry
2 of 7  Tue 29th Jul 2014 7:27am  

An interesting article on 1914-1918.net states that "...Men were found from volunteers or by special enlistment of men known to be actively interested in motorcycles (such as cycle club members). The Coventry offices of the enthusiasts magazine 'Motor Cycle' was listed as a recruiting office for the MMGS." It goes on to state that the Coventry Motorised Machine Gun Battery... "Landed at Le Havre 9 March 1915. Operated in the Lestrem area. Disbanded October 1915" It appears that the addition of becoming "motorised" prompted a name change from Machine Gun Corps (MGC) to Motorised Machine Gun Service (MMGS) BTW, there's currently a 1931 copy of the Motorcycle Magazine (3d) on sale here on eBay for £14.99!
Wartime and the Blitz - Motor Machine Gun Core (MMGC) - WWI
Garlands Joke Shop
Coventry
3 of 7  Tue 29th Jul 2014 4:39pm  

Hi houghton1854 and TonyS.
Seems like a good start TonyS, wouldn't have even known what the MMGS was if you hadn't have started off this topic and included a link in your post; so I've learnt something. Smile
It seems difficult to estabilish how many people were enlisted through the Coventry magazine office / recruiting office, this may be due to the damage of service records during WW2 bombing or the info just hasn't been put online. There is however information on how many people were in the whole unit, nationwide, by late 1915; apparently about 3,000 men (see second page in link). Also found another interesting link about the Motor Machine Gun Service here, on that page it mentions a Gnr Walter William Atkins from Coventry who joined this unit, any connection? Luke.
Wartime and the Blitz - Motor Machine Gun Core (MMGC) - WWI
Foxcote
Warwick
4 of 7  Wed 30th Jul 2014 7:57am  

There appears to be regular "Recruitment Lists" in the local newspapers. I found an "E. Atkins" listed in the "Coventry Evening Telegraph" on Wednesday, 18th August 1915. I only inserted the men that were recruited for the MMGS but in fact there are 170 men in all that enlisted in the one week in Coventry. Anyone that subscribes to "Find My Past" can access the Coventry newspapers.
Wartime and the Blitz - Motor Machine Gun Core (MMGC) - WWI
houghton1854
coventry
Thread starter
5 of 7  Fri 8th Aug 2014 10:31pm  

Hello. Thank you all who have put on information about enlisting in Coventry for the MMGC and general enlisting in newspaper in WWI. This has been a great help. My granddad, Edward Atkins' photo, was used on ITV Central News on 4th August as a soldier who survived. We were very proud. I can go forward now with your information. Thank you.
Wartime and the Blitz - Motor Machine Gun Core (MMGC) - WWI
rewdco
Bruges, Belgium
6 of 7  Fri 24th Apr 2015 8:27pm  

Hello, myfirst post here. The "The MotorCycle" magazine started recruiting for the 5 Motor Machine Gun Battery (also known as "the Coventry Battery") in November 1914:  photo 19141119.png Source: The MotorCycle, November 19th 1914 By the end of November the Battery was complete. The men marched through the streets of Coventry and they set of for Bisley, the Machine Gun training camp.  photo 19141203.png Source: The MotorCycle, December 3rd 1914 I'd love to have a complete list of all the 5MMGB members. So I was wondering, would anybody have the newspapers' recruitment lists from November 1914? And would anybody have photographs of the 5MMGB Coventry "parade"? Thanks for your help with my research! Jan Smile

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Wartime and the Blitz - Motor Machine Gun Core (MMGC) - WWI
PhiliPamInCoventry
Holbrooks
7 of 7  Fri 24th Apr 2015 8:53pm  

Hello & welcome to you Rewdco Wave We hope that you enjoy your time with us. Thumbs up
Wartime and the Blitz - Motor Machine Gun Core (MMGC) - WWI

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