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'''Armoured Car Companies''' and '''Light Tank Companies''' of the Royal Tanks Corps, British Army
In 1920, twelve Armoured Car Companies were set up as part of the Tank Corps, (later Royal Tank Corps), absorbing units from the Machine Gun Corps; eight were later converted into independent Light Tank Companies. All disbanded before the outbreak of the Second World War. <ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/20171223215457/http://www.royaltankregiment.com/en-GB/betweenthewars.aspx Royal Tank Regiment Association] ''Between the Wars'', now an archived webpage. Retrieved 9 August 2014</ref>
By 1936 most armoured cars in service in India had been replaced by light tanks and the cars were distributed to volunteer forces in India and neighbouring countries.<ref name=Roth> Rothwell, Steve [http://homepages.force9.net/rothwell/burmaweb/ArmdCarBAF.htm ''War Diary of Armoured Car Section, Rangoon Battalion, BAF''] British & Commonwealth Orders of Battle Burma Campaign website. Article published 8 November 2007. Retrieved 9 August 2014</ref>
On 18 October 1923 the Tank Corps was officially given the title Royal making it the Royal Tank Corps (RTC). On 4 April 1939, the Royal Tank Corps was renamed the Royal Tank Regiment and became a wing of the newly-created Royal Armoured Corps.<ref> [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Royal_Tank_Regiment Royal Tank Regiment] Wikipedia</ref>
==Online records==
Findmypast now has the database "Royal Tank Corps Enlistment Records, 1919-1934" (released in December 2013), located in Armed Forces & Conflict/Regimental & Service Records. These records are available with Britain Full and World Subscriptions, or credits may be purchased. Searching is free, and you can search by keyword (a name is not compulsory)
<ref>[http://www.awin1.com/awclick.php?mid=2114&id=201071 findmypast] </ref>
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 name=Inva>[httphttps://web.archive.org/web/20191219000718/https://www.invaluable.com/auction-lot/india-general-service-1908-35,-g.v.r.,-two-clasps-1-c-2ldcgbbbnu?afRedir=true ''Lot 460: India General Service 1908-35, G.V.R., two clasps, Waziristan 1919-21, Waziristan 1921-24 (7808665 Pte. A.N. Showell, M.G.C.'')] Invaluableinvaluable.com, LLC websitearchived page. Retrieved 9 August 2014</ref>.
The following War Diaries are available at [[The National Archives|the National Archives]], Kew
*[http://www.machineguncorps.co.uk/index.html The Machine Gun Corps Old Comrades' Association]
*[https://web.archive.org/web/20160331010021/http://www.machinegun.pwp.blueyonder.co.uk/MGC%20Pack%2001.04.08.pdf Machine Gun Corps Pack] compiled by Jim Parker, now an archived webpage. Multiple pages, keep scrolling past some blank sections at the bottom of sections. Research and detailed background information, including details of uniforms, from [https://web.archive.org/web/20160407031158/http://www.machinegun.pwp.blueyonder.co.uk Machine Gun Corps Research], now archived.
*[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
*From Jose Luis Castillo‘s blog "Armoured Cars in the WWI"
*Listen to the [http://www.iwm.org.uk/collections/item/object/80000784 1976 interview with Raymond Briggs] Reel 1...Aspects of training and operations with 16th Armoured Motor Battery in India, 1918-1919: reasons for volunteering for armoured car service, 1918; driver training at Peshawar; character of vehicles, crews and unit; internal security duties. Reel 3... Period as instructor with Ahmednagar Tank School, c1921-1925: duties; problems of using armoured cars in aid of civil power. Imperial War Museum
*[http://www.nam.ac.uk/online-collection/detail.php?acc=1982-02-31-174 Photograph: A motor cycle machine gun team, c 1919 North West Frontier] National Army Museum. "Two Motor Machine Gun Batteries, numbers 19 and 22, served during the 3rd Afghan War (1919) and the revolt in Waziristan (1919-1920). They were equipped with Matchless, Premier, Zenith, Enfield and Clyno motorcycles, many of which were fitted with Vickers machine-guns mounted on sidecars. Both units also had armoured car sections".
*The King’s College London, Liddell Hart Centre for Military Archives [http://www.kcl.ac.uk/lhcma/cats website] has a [httphttps://wwwkingscollections.kcl.ac.ukorg/catalogues/lhcma/catscollection/d/montagudo70-001/do70-07.shtml ?searchterms=Douglas-Scott-Montagu catalogue reference] " Douglas-Scott-Montagu 7/1-67 Memoranda, Articles and Reports, mainly concerning Indian transport, also includes material on …. armoured vehicles, 1914 – 28". Contains several items on Armoured Cars including "Douglas-Scott-Montagu 7/27 1917 Jan 17 Memoranda, Articles and Reports: Proposal by Montagu for the formation of a school of instruction in Armoured Car and Motor Machine Gun duties, and for the better organization of Armoured Car Units". Also appears to include a manuscript account of service of No 1 Armoured Motor Unit, North West Frontier, India, 1915-1916, by Capt A J Clifton, 68 Durham Light Infantry, 1915-1916, dated 1917, including photographs and preface by Montagu, mentioned on the page [https://kingscollections.org/catalogues/lhcma/collection/d/do70-001/ Douglas-Scott-Montagu Brig Gen John Walter Edward, 2nd Baron], but exact catalogue reference could not be located.
==Royal Tank Corps==
====Royal Tank Corps School, Ahmednagar====
*Since armoured cars were fitted with machine guns, the Machine Gun School was co-located at Ahmednagar.<ref>
Scroll down [https://web.archive.org/web/20180324031917/http://ahmednagar.gov.in/html_docs/AhmednagarCity.htm Ahmednagar City] ahmednagar.gov.in, now an archived webpage.</ref>
*Listen to the [http://www.iwm.org.uk/collections/item/object/80000784 1976 interview with Raymond Briggs] Reel 3... Period as instructor with Ahmednagar Tank School, c 1921-1925: duties; problems of using armoured cars in aid of civil power. Imperial War Museum.
*Photograph of [https://web.archive.org/web/20140122220426/http://i28.photobucket.com/albums/c214/plant-pilot/Ahamednagar-1926.jpg Sgts Mess, Royal Tank Corps School, Ahmednagar 1926] <ref>Plant-Pilot. [https://www.arrse.co.uk/community/threads/family-military-photos.14152/page-12#post-417498 Family Military Photos] ''Army Rumour Service Forum'' page 12, post 231, 17 November 2005. Retrieved 22 June 2018.</ref>
*[http://www.tankmuseum.org/home The Tank Museum] at Bovington Dorset
**[https://www.tankmuseum.org/schools-and-research/archives Archive and Library]. The Tank Museum has a lot of diaries and photo albums from the 1930s period.<ref name=NBal/>
*[http://www.royaltankregiment.com/en-GB/default.aspx The Royal Tank Regiment Association]Currently (2019/12/19) more pages are to be added over the coming weeks.
*[http://web.archive.org/web/20071121044904/http://www.regiments.org/deploy/uk/reg-cav/armdcar.htm 1st-12th Armoured Car Companies, Royal Tank Corps 1920-1939] Regiments.org, an archived website. Includes some details about the formation of the Companies.
*[http://www.4and7royaltankregiment.com/1918-1939.html The History of the 4th and 7th Royal Tank Regiments: 1918-1939]
