A Machine Gun Company was attached to each Infantry Brigade and their subsequent Division.
Brigade attached to: | 13th Brigade |
Division attached to: | 5th Division |
Formed from the Machine Gun Sections of: | 2nd Bn. The King’s Own Scottish Borderers 2nd Bn. The Duke of Wellington’s (West Riding) Regiment 1st Bn. The Royal West Kents 9th Bn. The London Regiment |
The 13th Bde. M.G. Coy. was formed on the 24 December 1915 from the Machine Gun Sections of the listed infantry battalions. At this time, the 2nd Bn King’s Own Yorkshire Light Infantry was also part of the 13th Brigade; however, the MG Section of this unit was likely formed into the 97th Brigade Machine Gun Company.
As a unit of the 5th Division, it will have taken part in the following battles and engagements.
1916 | |
BATTLES OF THE SOMME | |
20 to 25 July | Attacks on High Woods [XV. Corps, Fourth Army]. |
03 to 06 September | Battle of Guillemont [XIV. Corps, Fourth Army]. |
18 to 22 September | Battle of Flers-Courcelette [XIV. Corps, Fourth Army]. |
25 and 26 September | Battle of Morval [XIV. Corps, Fourth Army]. |
1917 | |
BATTLES OF ARRAS | |
09 to 14 April | Battle of Vimy Ridge [Cdn. Corps, First Army]. |
23 April | Attack on la Coulotte [Cdn. Corps, First Army]. |
03 and 04 May | Third Battle of the Scarpe [Cdn. Corps, First Army]. |
28 June | Capture of Oppy Wood [XIII. Corps, First Army]. |
BATTLES OF YPRES | |
01 to 03 October | Battle of Polygon Wood [X. Corps, Second Army]. |
04 October | Battle of Broodseinde [X. Corps, Second Army]. |
09 October | Battle of Poelcappelle [X. Corps, Second Army]. |
26 October to 10 November | Second Battle of Passchendaele [X. Corps, Second Army]. |
On the 23rd of November the division was warned that it would be moved to Italy. Entrainment began on the 27th November, and concentration was completed by the 20th December to the east of the R. Brenta and not far from Padua. The division formed part of the XI. Corps.
1918 | |
BATTLES OF THE LYS | |
12 to 15 April | Battle of Hazebrouck, including Defence of Nieppe Forest [XI. Corps, First Army]. |
On 26 April 1918, it was amalgamated with the 15th, 95th and 205th Machine Gun Companies to form No. 5 Battalion, Machine Gun Corps.