MGC Cavalry Brigade

The MGC (Cavalry) Squadron consisted of 8 officers and 203 other ranks, equipped with 299 horses, 18 limbers, 1 GS wagon and 1 water cart. These were formed up into six two-gun sections each of a Subaltern, 33 men and 46 horses. The Squadron was commanded by a Captain or Major.

MGCC 7th Squadron formed on the 29th February 1916 for the 7th Cavalry Brigade in 3rd Cavalry Division and was broken up on the 14th April 1918.

MGCC 8th Squadron formed on the 29th February 1916 for the 8th Cavalry Brigade in 3rd Cavalry Division, it moved to 7th Cavalry Brigade on the 11th March 1918.

 

Officers

 


Lt. B. B. Griffin
Basil Beresford, entered France on the 15th of June 1915. Gazetted (London) on the 5th July 1919, attached 7th Squadron MGC. Gazette, 4th/7/1919,  issue 31435 (page 8504). Mentioned in Despatches. Despatch received from Field-Marshall Sir Douglas Haig, K.T., G.C.B., O.M., G.C.V.O., K.C.I.E., Commander-in-Chief, the British Armies in France. I have the honour to submit the name of this person, who served under my command during the period 16th September, 1918, to 15th March, 1919, whose distinguished and gallant services and devotion to duty I consider deserving of special mention.

 

3453 (LY) 51646 (MGC) 2nd/Lt. C R DEWEY

Charles Robert, formerly 3453 Trooper Dewey of the Leicestershire Yeomanry. He entered into France in July 1916 then commissioned on the 10th of September 1918 into the MGC(C), he survived the War to then emigrate to Natal in South Africa. His victory medal is shown below and he is also entitled to the BWM but that is missing.

 

7th/8th Squadron Men


1879 (LY) 51644 (MGC) Cpl. W G Cross MM
William Gordon, entered France with the LY on 2/11/1914. He transferred to the MGC in 1916 and  was mentioned in dispatches on the 12th of June 1918. Post war he joined the Royal Flying Corps and was comissioned a 2nd/Lt RFC on the 15th of October 1919 (Ref:- The Aeroplane, page 1416). His medal index card has two addresses, 1. Wimbledon SW20 2. 59 Romway Road, Leicester

2231 (LY) 51692 (MGC)  Trooper C W BEAR
Clarence is pictured here in France in 1916, still cap badged Leicestershire Yeomanry and wearing "LYC" brass shoulder titles that were worn with the new 1916 "Albert's crest" cap badge. Some time after this photo was taken he joined the MGCC. He entered France on the 1st of April 1915.

 

2572 (51635) Tpr. Ernest BONSOR

 

3339 (100250) Tpr. Victor COLEMAN

Entered the war post 1916 and transferred to the MGC(C). He has the Victory and War medal on his medal index card. Possibly A squadron LY originally as he was from Hoby near Melton Mowbray.

 

eBay sale September 2009
1930 (LY) 51647 (MGC) Tpr. J DONALDSON
Medals consisting of official replacement 1914 Star, this is correctly named 1930 Pte J Donaldson Leic. Yeo, (Replacement), the British war Medal and  Victory Medal are both correctly named to 1930 Pte. James Donaldson, Leic. Yeo, comes complete with medal index card confirming the award of medals and that the 1914 Star was issued as a replacement on the 29.09.1960, must have misplaced his first 1914 Star, the other two medals are both first issue ones , landed in France on the 02.11.1914,  also states he served with the 8th Machine Gun Corps Cavalry.

 

3223 (51664) Tpr. Edward S KENDALL

Leicestershire Yeomanry and then MGCC.

 

3505 (105055) Tpr. Reginald KENDRICK

Leicestershire Yeomanry and then MGCC.

 

2105 (LY) 255130 (CofH) Tpr. G Kenney

George, A Squadron LYPAO, attested 7/8/1914 and landed in France 3/11/1914. George was part of the Machine Gun support that made up the fire support sections per Squadron. George was later posted to the 7th Machine Gun Corps (Cav) Squadron in 1916 and later attached to the 5th Lancers in 1918. George's war finished on the 28th of January 1919.

 

2990 (100447) Tpr. Horace KING

Leicestershire Yeomanry and then MGCC.

 

1994 (LY) 51660 (MGC) 528744 (LY TF) Tpr. PL KING

Leicestershire Yeomanry, MGCC and then Leics Yeo (TF).

Percival, entered France on the 2nd of November 1914 with the Regiment. He transferred to the MGC on the 21st of november 1916. At the end of the war he became a Sergeant in the LY (TF). He is awarded the TEF on the 27th of June 1924.

 

3520 (LY) 47274 (MGC) Tpr.  E Newby

Elijah lived in Causeway Lane which is in the centre of Leicester and enlisted into the Leics Yeomanry. He transferred to the MGC Cavalry in 1916 (Pictured here in MGC Cavalry uniform).

Tpr Newby's MIC:-

 

3237 (LY) 51668 (MGC) Tpr. J H NUTTER
James Henry, was born in 1897 in Westminster, London.
The eldest child and only son of Helen and James Nutter who had eight children in all. Six of these were born in London and on moving to Leicester in 1912 they had a further two daughters. James joined the Leicestershire Yeomanry in May 1915 and entered France on the 27th of October 1915. He transferred to the 8th Squadron Machine Gun Corps (Cavalry) in October 1916.

He was killed on the 11th April 1917 at Arras in France aged twenty. It was a great loss especially as he had passed to go to University and had a bright future ahead of him.
James Mother had a large portrait of him wearing his uniform which was always displayed wherever she lived.
James name is commemorated by name on the Arras Memorial in France which bears the names of over 35,000 men lost without trace during the battles of Arras.

 

2648 (LY)  51674 (MGC) Cpl B Preston

(Medal sold on eBay June 2008)

The BWM appeared on eBay without a 1914-15 or Victory Medal in May 2008. Trooper "Basil" Preston entered France on the 27/5/1915 and was part of the reinforcement of the Regiment after Frezenberg. He then transferred to the Machine Gun (Cavalry) Corps within a short period of time. His MIC indicates that he was promoted to Corporal within the MGC and all medals are listed as MGC.

 

3154 (LY) 100733 (MGC) Tpr. A PRIESTLEY

Albert joined the Yeomanry on the 10th of May 1915, learning of the Colonels death 3 days after his enlistment. Albert went out to France 5 months later and into the trenches at Hohenzollern Redoubt, a relic of the Battle of Loos. The Yeomanry then joined the rest of the Cavalry at Corbie-sur-Somme, ready for the "Big Push". In 1917 Albert transferred to the Machine Gun Corps (Cav) and went to Egypt. He survived the War and became a special constable in Loughborough.

 

2963 (LY)  39448 (MGC)  L/Cpl E WOODIER

Eric is seated alongside his LYPAO friend 2572 Trooper Ernest Bonsor. Eric is also pictured below probably around 1909 as the cap badge is the gilding metal LIY wreath cap badge that has had the "I" removed. Seen below at home and in France.

 

9th Squadron Men

 

The 9th Squadron formed on the 28th February 1916 as part of 1st Cavalry Division and served on the Western Front from 1916-18 and served in the Army of Occupation in Germany from 1918-19. They were disbanded on the 1st December 1919.

 

 

 2114 (LY) 51623 (MGC)  Sgt. H TYLER

(Pictured on his good looking mount called "Nap")

Henry was a Corporal in the 1st/1st LY and was part of C Squadron. After the battle of Frezenberg in May 1915, Henry was transferred to the MGC(C). He was demobilized on the 25th of February 1919 with the rank of Squadron Quarter Master Sergeant and awarded the Meritorious  Service Medal (MSM). The London Gazette entry shows the 8th MGC(C) Squadron, but the 9th is clearly written on the Index.

 

Attached to the MGC

 


Major E R Hanbury
Pictured here in 1914 (Captain, A Squadron LYPAO) Major Hanbury was wounded at Frezenberg 13/05/15 and invalided back to Britain. KIA 24/03/18, (attached MGC, 14th Div). POZIERES MEMORIAL Panel 6.