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Royal Tank Corps

494 bytes removed, 11:47, 9 August 2014
Armoured Motor Batteries and Armoured Motor Brigades MGC 1915-1921: fixing links and cites
==Armoured Motor Batteries and Armoured Motor Brigades MGC 1915-1921==
In the operation from Shabkadar (North West Frontier) on 8 October 1915 "armoured cars were used for the first time in action in India and proved of great value".<ref>Operations against the Mohmands, Swat and Buner, North West Frontier [http://www.london-gazette.co.uk/issues/29652/supplements/6699 ''London Gazette Supplement'' 4 July 1916, page 6699]</ref>
"Armoured Motor Units began to form in Spring of 1915 utilising vehicles donated by rich Indians and Europeans. This was overseen by Colonel Lord Montagu (Inspector of Motor Vehicles, India and later Brigadier General, Advisor on Mechanical Transport Services, India). Only No 1 AMU had reliable vehicles - three Rolls Royces which, like the other cars were armour-plated by Indian Railway Workshops, and this unit acted as a Brigade HQ for Nos 1, 2 & 3 AMUs. Most of the other vehicles were unsuitable and it was not until 1918 that improved cars were made available.
The Units were re-designated Armoured Motor Batteries in 1917 and during this period, British and Indian crews were gradually replaced by MGC personnel. The British crews had originally been provided by Territorials from garrisons in India.
By 1919, Nos 2 & 3 Armoured Motor Brigades were formed from Nos 4 - 12 AMBs, whilst Nos 13 - 16 AMBs remained un-brigaded. At the commencement of the 3rd Afghan War, No 1 Armoured Motor Brigade was reorganised into five Regular and three Auxiliary AMBs which served in the Khyber and Chitral areas. HQ No 10 Armoured Motor Brigade, formed in the UK, commanded Nos 5, 6, 7 & 16 AMBs and operated in Waziristan and Mahsud". <ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/20131114063202/http://www.artfactinvaluable.com/auction-lot/india-general-service-1908-35,-g.v.r.,-two-clasps-1-c-2ldcgbbbnu Link] from Artfact?afRedir=true ''Lot 460: India General Service 1908-35, G.V.R., quoting details from a Spink and Sons sale in 2007two clasps, for medals of Waziristan 1919-21, Waziristan 1921-24 (7808665 Pte. A.N. Showell, M.G.C.'')] Invaluable, LLC. Retrieved 9 August 2014</ref>
The following War Diaries are available at [[The National Archives|the National Archives]], Kew
:Note in India, the units were known as Armoured Motor Batteries (AMB)
*[http://www.machineguncorps.co.uk/index.html The Machine Gun Corps Old Comrades' Association]
**[http://www.machineguncorps.co.uk/history.html History] *Jim Parkers’s [http://www.machinegun.pwp.blueyonder.co.uk/MGC%20Pack%2001.04.08.pdf Jim Parkers’s Machine Gun Corps Pack] [https://docs.google.com/viewer?a=v&q=cache:X1h0daxFLy0J:www.machinegun.pwp.blueyonder.co.uk/MGC%2520Pack%252001.04.08.pdf+Armoured+cars+machine+gun+corps+india&hl=en&gl=au&pid=bl&srcid=ADGEESgPZ03rjQBvuNgHfF5hh4nZInej2dtpElyHEc65N9dIVv6KiJsw7oDs5GBcdQaJTLVOxKA87bQiwyec9LsgHRCY8R7D_lJxXfLNyynD8xzsKpvA05bOFRb8mRQM4K_60RoS4i9V&sig=AHIEtbSpUdSLnIyhTwc4aNXRQCFeexbLJQ html version]Research information
*[http://www.arcticmedals.com/catalog/item/3738698/5950445.htm The 1st Armoured Motor Battery cap badge] (arcticmedals.com) and [http://www.whartonmilitaria.co.uk/details.php?section=britishbadges_warraisedunits&item=WRU0013 1st Armoured Motor Battery Officers cap badge] whartonmilitaria
*[https://web.archive.org/web/20131118084117/http://www.tankmuseum.org/ixbin/indexplus?record=ART4048&_IXMENU_=news_and_events The Battle of Ctesiphon] [in Mesopotamia on 23/24th November 1915] by David Fletcher 14th August 2013 tankmuseum.org. The battle included two armoured cars, possibly sent from India

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