107th Pack Battery

[cazack]

I have just received a victory medal to:

1019. DVR. Mohamed Khan. 107th Pack Battery

I am just wanting to see where I could get more information on this unit as all I know is that it was and also became the 7th mountain battery. I am wanting to find out where the unit served during WW!

regards and thanks in advance

Caz

[peter monahan]

Here's the info. on the 7th Mountain Battery

No 7 Battery

In France with IV Corps Dec 1914; transferred to I Corps Jan 1915; transferred to IV Corps Aug 1915; transferred to Army Troops Salonika Mar 1916; transferred to 3rd Mountain Artillery Division* June 1916 to 11 May 1918. At Jutogh Mar 1919.

The 7th Mountain were renamed the 7th Pack Battery in 1920 and the 107th Pack Battery in 1922. Interesting, as this suggests the time lag in getting some of the Indian Army First War Medals out to the troops.

Nice find!

[cazack]

thanks for the information. I take it is not a common naming with 107 battery on the medal then

Also is there a way to research Indian troops fro WW1 as there only seems to be a few listed on ancestry

kind regards and thanks

Caz

[Michael Johnson]

Caz,

As far as service records go - no. Those who made it to Viceroy's Commission officer will appear in the Indian Army Lists, possibly with war service. Honours and Awards of the Indian Army lists those who were decorated in the First War, and of course Commonwealth War Grave Commission lists those who died.

Michael

P.S. Peter, we need to set a date to see your exhibition.

[King-Emperor]

Sorry to chime in here, but the 107th Pack Battery was definitely not in France during WWI.

They went to East Africa in 1914 and stayed there for much of the war (it's almost certain that your man was in East Africa to earn the VM, as the battery spent time only in that theatre and in India).

The 107th was during the Great war the 27th Mtn. Battery - in 1920 the word Pack replaced Mountain, and in 1921, the number 80 was added to all the batteries (to avoid confusion with British Mtn. Batteries) so the 27th became the 107th. This lasted until 1927 when 100 was dropped and it became the 7th.

Because of the delay between war's end and the issuance of medals, you can find Mtn. Battery WWI medals named in both the pre 1921 and post 1921 titles.

Regards,
Christopher

Edited July 10, 2014 by King-Emperor

[Harry Fecitt]

Cazack

Greetings

Here's the History of the Indian Mountain Artillery:

https://archive.org/details/IndianMountainArtillery

Harry

[IrishGunner]

Thanks for that link!

[paul wood]

Harry,

Thanks so much for the link, most appreciated.

Paul

[Mervyn Mitton]

Nothing to do with the medal - however, the Mountain Pack Batteries carried an interesting variation on the standard Artillery sword.

Specially shortened to avoid getting caught on the shorter animals and the rocky conditions. They are worth a considerable

amount if you can find one - but, they are quite rare. Mervyn