Infantry Rider Photo (61K)

[Steve11]

Attached is a picture of my grandfather that I've just got hold of. It's a photograph of a photograph and consequently poor quality but nobody knows what happened to the original.

The writing (not entirely legible) deciphers as follows:

1915

East Surrey ? (3rd word could start 'R' or '13' or possibly even 'B')

?patch R? (Beginning of word cropped. Letter after R probably I but could be A)

From his medals, the MIC and the Medal Rolls I now know the following:

He was 34 at the time of the photo.

He joined the East Surrey Regiment - George Speer Pte 11409.

He was in one of Kitcheners New Armies - he was discharged Class Z to the Army Reserve 11.7.19.

He didn't go overseas before 1916 - he has no 14/15 star.

In early 1916 he transferred to the Machine Gun Corps - Pte 25739.

It's very probable he enlisted in the 13th bn of the ESR as this was a 'Service' battalion, locally raised in Wandsworth in 1915 (he lived in Wandsworth).

When he moved to the MGC in 1916 he transferred with four other East Surrey's - One x Cpl & Three x Pte's.

It was common for battalion machine gun units to transfer to the newly formed MGC, undergo training and then be posted back to their original unit, although now administratively under the MGC.

The transfer of a corporal & four privates possibly indicates a Vickers Machine Gun team.

Could the writing on the photos describes him as a Despatch Rider?

Would this fit with the fact that within a few months max he was in a machine gun team.

Could he have been something other than a despatch Rider?

If he was a Despatch Rider in 1915 what would his role have been?

I'd really appreciate any input on this.

I'd also like to identify his accoutrements and would appreciate any possible suggestions.

Steve