Help with abbreviation please

[nell1850]

I wonder if anyone can help me with some abbreviations in an entry in the WW1 Service Medal and Award Rolls.
In the 'Previous units' entry for Patrick Desmond Labour Corps Reg. no. 12302 is the following:
1st. & 2nd. S.A.M.B. 5167 Cpl., S.A.F. Arty. R. 1508, M.L.C. 12302

I assume Cpl. = Corporal and Arty. = Artillery, not sure about the rest.

Many thanks

[MaxD]

They are South African units

SAMB South African Mounted Brigade

South African Artillery regiment

Military Labour Corps (theirs not our Labour Corps) - his card and medal roll are slightly different, roll has Military Labour Corps, card has East African Labour Corps which may well be the same thing)

Starter for ten here http://www.longlongtrail.co.uk/army/regiments-and-corps/south-african-forces-british-army/ and here
http://www.archive.org/stream/historyofsouthaf00buchrich/historyofsouthaf00buchrich_djvu.txt


maxD

[nell1850]

Dear maxD
Oh my goodness, that is a surprise. Thank you so much for the info and links.
Kind regards
Nell

[MaxD]

For completeness, the final unit is East African Military Labour Corps, obviously shortened sometimes.  Medal roll is quite clear that this is an East African unit, previous units were all South African.

Snippet here https://books.google.co.uk/books?id=8smwCwAAQBAJ&pg=PA71&lpg=PA71&dq=east+african+military+labour+corps&source=bl&ots=a_RTc1BtCS&sig=14aJ7oSg_9vnexzk1zDCdpmCHu0&hl=en&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwia7MvZ05_VAhXJCcAKHVHoBH44ChDoAQgpMAE#v=onepage&q=east%20african%20military%20labour%20corps&f=false

The campaign he fought in is likely to have been the East African campaign

maxD