The majority of our downloads and online versions are provided free-of-charge for the benefit of anyone that wants to know more about the use of the Vickers Machine Gun and read what the Machine Gunners would have known. Many are rare items not readily available so, if you find them useful, please support the development of this resource. The archive now includes a wider range of associated documents so indirectly related to machine gunner. We hope you find it interesting.
By supporting the Association through Patreon, you are supporting the website fees that will enable us to have high-resolution versions online as well as receiving extended previews of our uploads and access to the original image scans. All donations are truly appreciated.
If you’d prefer to only give on a one-off basis, then go to PayPal or BuyMeACoffee and make a donation there.
All of the manuals are sorted in date order, with some exceptions where it is appropriate to group similar manuals, such as the Small Arms Training series.
1908-1919:
Machine Gun Training Centre, Lecture Notes
1916, United Kingdom
This set of notes are aide-memoires for the instructors at the Machine Gun Training Centres of the Great War (Infantry at Belton Park, Grantham; Cavalry at Crowborough; and Motors at Bisley).
Low-resolution PDF download: 2,126 KB
High-resolution available on archive.org thanks to support through Patreon
Infantry Machine-Gun Company Training (Provisional)
1917, United Kingdom
The manual for the training of a Company of the Machine Gun Corps (Infantry) in the latter half of the Great War.
Low-resolution PDF download: 6,463 KB
High-resolution available on archive.org thanks to support through Patreon
Instructors’ Manual, Machine Gun Training Centre
1917, United Kingdom
This full instructors’ manual goes into the full detail of the whole course of the Machine Gun School at the Machine Gun Training Centre at Grantham, where members of the Machine Gun Corps (Infantry) were trained. It includes diagrams, lectures notes, lessons learnt and lots of other detail that isn’t found in the other manuals.
This manual was reproduced as part of the Machine Gun Corps History Project and is available for sale on CD, including an introduction by the Project Team.
Machine Gun Training
October 1917, United States of America
This manual is an accumulation of training information that was reprinted by the American Expeditionary Force from a Training Memorandum developed domestically. The US Army were using the Vickers Model of 1915 for their first Divisions abroad, prior to adopting the Browning M1917 across the Army.
Low-resolution PDF download: 4,702 KB
High-resolution available on archive.org thanks to support through Patreon
Instructional Notes on the Vickers Gun
c1917, United Kingdom
This manual for the Royal Flying Corps shows how they were using their Mark I and Mark I* guns as well as important things like checking the ammunition first and ensuring loading of belts was done properly.
High-resolution available on archive.org thanks to support through Patreon
Notes on Guns, Gears and Sights
1918, United Kingdom
This is the handbook for instructors at the Turnberry School of Aerial Gunnery for the Royal Flying Corps and then the Royal Air Force. It covers all aspects of the use of the Vickers Mk I* machine gun and the preparation of both gun and ammunition ahead of aerial combat.
Low-resolution PDF download: 3,824 KB
High-resolution available on archive.org thanks to support through Patreon
Machine Gun Training. Part I – Training
1919, United Kingdom
The first post-war Vickers machine gun training manual for the Machine Gun Corps. It replaced the provisional Infantry Machine Gun Company Training manual from 1917.
Low-resolution PDF download: Available soon.
High-resolution available on archive.org thanks to support through Patreon
Machine Gun Notes
1919, United Kingdom
This update of the 1917 manual for instructors at the Machine Gun School of the Machine Gun Training Centre includes updates to the 1917 manual and summarises all of the lessons being taught to the Machine Gun Corps by the end of the Great War.
Due to its similarity, it is available alongside the 1917 manual prepared by the Machine Gun Corps History Project and on the DVD discs on our sales page.
1920 – 1938:
Machine Gun Training (Provisional)
September 1921, United Kingdom
A full post-war training manual in the small ‘square’ pocket handbook format. Includes full information on training with the gun and was to read alongside the handbooks for technical information on the gun.
Low-resolution PDF download: 35,810 KB
High resolution available on archive.org thanks to support through Patreon
Machine Gun Training (Bound Book)
1924, United Kingdom and India
This assembly of manuals, handbooks and other documents was bound together for an instructor of the Small Arms School at Ahmednagur, India, for ‘F Russell’. It contains many of the other manuals available from the Vickers MG Collection & Research Association but also new material and that specific to the training of the British Indian Army and Indian Militia troops.
Low-resolution PDF download: 48,393 KB
High-resolution available on archive.org thanks to support through Patreon
Machine Gun Training
1925, United Kingdom
The full machine gun training manual for the 1920s when the Vickers was part of a platoon, and later a company, in the infantry battalion. It covers all drills and practices.
Low-resolution PDF download: 34,978KB
High-resolution available on archive.org thanks to support through Patreon
Machine Gun Training, 1925, Amendments (No. 1)
1927, United Kingdom
Updates for the 1925 manual mainly covering the use of the bar foresight and the angle of sight instrument.
Low-resolution PDF download: 1,477KB
High-resolution available on archive.org thanks to support through Patreon
Machine Gun Training, 1925, Amendments (No. 2)
1927, United Kingdom
Further updates to the 1925 manual and this amendment covers the changes to the Annual Machine Gun classification course that was fired by all machine gunners and determined their skill and, as a result, their pay as a qualified, first class or marksman machine gunner.
Low-resolution PDF download: 1,706KB
High-resolution available on archive.org thanks to support through Patreon
Machine Gun Training, 1925 (Supplement)
1930, United Kingdom
Additional information that acts as a transitional document between the Machine Gun Training manual of 1925 and the Small Arms Training series from 1931 onwards. It includes updated information showing the organisation of a machine gun company in the infantry battalions and the squadron of a cavalry regiment.
Low-resolution PDF download: 4,646 KB
High-resolution available on archive.org thanks to support through Patreon
Machine Gun Training, 1925 – Interleaved, bound and amended
1930, United Kingdom
This is a remarkable example of how the amendments were inserted professionally by printers – in this case located near to the Hythe Small Arms School. It contains all of the amendments of Machine Gun Training up to 1930 and is twice the size of the regular Machine Gun Training manual of 1925.
Low-resolution PDF download: 27.9 MB
High-resolution available on archive.org thanks to support through Patreon
The majority of our downloads and online versions are provided free-of-charge for the benefit of anyone that wants to know more about the use of the Vickers Machine Gun and read what the Machine Gunners would have known. Many are rare items not readily available so, if you find them useful, please support the development of this resource. The archive now includes a wider range of associated documents so indirectly related to machine gunner. We hope you find it interesting.
By supporting the Association through Patreon, you are supporting the website fees that will enable us to have high-resolution versions online as well as receiving extended previews of our uploads and access to the original image scans. All donations are truly appreciated.
If you’d prefer to only give on a one-off basis, then go to PayPal or BuyMeACoffee and make a donation there.
All of the manuals are sorted in date order, with some exceptions where it is appropriate to group similar manuals, such as the Small Arms Training series.
Sources
- The National Archives, WO 123/63 Army Orders 1921.
