56th Brigade Machine Gun Company

A Machine Gun Company was attached to each Infantry Brigade and their subsequent Division.

Brigade attached to:	56th Brigade
Division attached to:	19th (Western) Division
Formed from the Machine Gun Sections of:	7th Bn. The King’s Own Royal Lancaster Regiment 7th Bn. The East Lancashire Regiment 7th Bn. The South Lancashire Regiment 7th Bn. The Loyal North Lancashire Regiment

The 56th Bde. M.G. Coy. provisionally existed between September and December 1915. It disembarked at Le Havre on 09 February 1916 and joined the Division on 14 February 1916. It is likely to have been formed from the Machine Gun Sections of the listed infantry battalions.

As a unit of the 19th (Western) Division, it will have taken part in the following battles and engagements.

1915
25 September to 02 October	Battle of Loos [Indian Corps, First Army].
25 Septmeber	Action of Pietre
1916
BATTLES OF THE SOMME
01 to 09 July	Battle of Albert [III Corps, Fourth Army].
02 to 04 July	Capture of la Boisselle.
20 to 22 July	Fighting for High Wood [III Corps, Fourth Army].
23 to 31 July	Battle of Poizieres Ridge [III Corps, Fourth Army].
22 October to 11 November	Battle of the Ancre Heights [II Corps, Reserve Army, until 30/10; then Fifth Army].
13 to 18 November	Battle of the Ancre [II Corps, Fifth Army].
1917
07 to 14 June	Battle of Messines [IX Corps, Second Army].
BATTLES OF YPRES
20 to 25 September	Battle of Menin Road Ridge [IX Corps, Second Army].
26 September to 03 October	Battle of Polygon Wood [IX Corps, Second Army].
04 October	Battle of Broodseinde [IX Corps, Second Army].
09 October	Battle of Poelcappelle [IX Corps, Second Army].
12 October	First Battle of Passchendaele [IX Corps, Second Army].
26 October to 10 November	Second Battle of Passchendaele [IX Corps, Second Army].