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Home British Army Machine Gun Corps

Machine Gun Corps

November 13, 2017Published By John Davies

Back to British Army & Forces

Machine Gun Corps

The Machine Gun Corps had been created during September 1914. Before then battalions each had their own machine gun sections usually armed with a Lewis gun. The experience of BEF during the first weeks of war soon brought the realisation that specialist machine gunners, using a heavier Vickers weapon, were needed to support infantry advances, the MGC was the result. The corps received its Royal Warrant and Army Orders and was formally instituted in October 1915. The corps recruited men and officers from within the army. Machining gunning needed a particular skill set akin to artillery men and this ‘cherry picking’ of the best and most able men from the volunteer army caused resentment in the others corps,

The Machine Gun Corps did their training at Belton Park, Grantham. Over 170000 men served in the corps with over 62000 killed, wounded or missing. They were organised into companies and battalions operating either as divisional troops or attached to brigades. The corps was disbanded almost as soon as the war ended. It has been suggested that the rapid disbandment of the corps was because the MGC was not popular among the regular army. It was also seen by some more reactionary army staff as ‘un British’ and just a necessary requirement of the war. In this respect the corps was a victim of its own success as an efficient and ruthless fighting force. There was a mysterious fire at the corps archive in 1920 which destroyed all the Corp’s papers and records. 

Gunners of the Machine Gun Corps filling their gun with water (coolant), at Graincourt. 24 November 1917. (IWM Q 6317)

 

118 Company Machine Gun Corps

Formed in March 1916 in France in 39 Division.

Private 21927 Reginald (Charles Reginald Harper) Archer, 118 Machine Gun Company. KIA 14 October 1916, Thiepval Memorial (unknown)

5 Bn Machine Gun Corps

Formed in Italy 26 February 1918  – served with 5 Division. The Division was recalled to France in late March 1918 as reinforcements during the Kaiser Offensive. On 26 April 1918 the battalion was absorbed into 15/16/95 MG Coys. The battalion then took part during the 100 Days and Advance in Picardy and at the Armistice was in the area around Le Quesnoy.

Private 116087 Alfred Jones. KIA 02 September 1918, Bancourt British Cemetery, France Maesbury & West Felton

25 Bn Machine Gun Corps

Formed in March 1918 in France from the Machine Gun Companies of 25 Division.

Second Lieutenant Ferdinand L Hughes, 25 Bn Machine Gun Corps. KIA 29 May 1918, Soissons Memorial (unknown)

35 Bn Machine Gun Corps

Formed in March 1918 as 35 Division divisional Troops

Private 115285 Edward Jones, 35 Bn Machine Gun Corps. DoW 28 September 1918, Belgian Battery Corner Cemetery   

56 Company Machine Gun Corps

Formed in 1916 at Grantham, went over to Fance in February and assigned to 19 Division.

Private 55174 Stanley Ledwith , 56 Coy Machine Gun Corps,  KIA 26 October 1917. Tyne Cot Memorial (unknown)

80 Coy Machine Gun Corps

Sergeant 49108 Andrew Lewis, Maesbury War Memorial

5 Bn (4th Reserve Company) Machine Gun Corps

A training and reserve unit based at Grantham.

Private 83284 Joseph Southern, Machine Gun Corps (5 Bn 4th Reserve Company). 19 November 1918, Barrowby Churchyard, All Saints. Lincs

 

Men of the Machine Gun Corps in action with a Vickers machine gun (left) and captured German MG 08 machine gun, Moquet Farm, September 1916. (IWM Q 1420)

References and Sources

END

 


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