INDIA & IRELAND 1916 WW1 MOTOR CYCLE MACHINE GUN CORPS MEDAL 158251 CHESTERFIELD

Description

Offered is an India General Service Medal (1909) with 3 clasps, AFGHANISTAN N.W.F. 1919, WAZIRISTAN 1919 – 21, NORTH WEST FRONTIER 1930 – 31. Impressed named 158251 PTE. P. CHESTERFIELD. M.G.C. Comes with copies M.I.C.; medal rolls, birth and death records.

As Private Percy Chesterfield was still serving post WW1, his service records are still held at the Ministry of Defence Records.

What is known is that Percy was born in 1890 in Cornwall. He initially served with the 10^th Cavalry Reserve Regiment (service number 24666). These were formed on the outbreak of the War in August, 1914. These were affiliated with one or more active cavalry regiments, their purpose being to train replacement drafts for the active regiments. The 10^th was stationed in The Curragh.

Despite being a training and not a combat formation, the 10^th was involved in the putting down of the Easter Rising in Dublin in April 1916. A little after noon on Easter Monday, a mixed troop of 9th and 12th Lancers, attached to the 6th Cavalry Reserve Regiment at Marlborough Barracks in Phoenix Park, was dispatched to investigate a “disturbance” at Dublin Castle. As they cantered down Sackville Street, they were fired upon by rebels who had taken up positions in and on the roof of the General Post Office. Three troopers were killed instantly and one was mortally wounded, becoming the first military casualties of the rising. The same evening, 1600 men of the 3rd Reserve Cavalry Brigade (consisting of the 8th, 9th and 10th Cavalry Reserve Regiments) arrived from their barracks at the Curragh to support the local Dublin garrison. It is possible that Pte Chesterfield may have been involved.

At some stage he was transferred to the 7^th Hussars who were stationed in India until November 1917 when they served in Mesopotamia, at an unknown date he transferred to the 22^nd Squadron Machine Gun Corps (with the new service number 158251) which was part of the 1^st Indian Mounted Brigade.

The 22^nd Squadron were armed with Vickers Machine Guns on motorcycle side cars. They saw extensive service in India and Afghanistan being able to quickly deploy in quite rugged terrain. An excellent thread on the 22^nd is at the great war forum with the attached link.

The rolls show that he was transferred to class Z reserve 22/12/1919, however he must have re joined for further service to qualify for the clasp North West frontier 1930 -31. Pte Chesterfield died on Christmas day 1935 in Cornwall.