A Machine Gun Company of the Machine Gun Corps was attached to each Infantry Brigade and their subsequent Division. An additional Company was attached as a divisional reserve.
| Brigade attached to: | Divisional Reserve |
| Division attached to: | 20th (Light) Division |
The 217th M.G. Coy. disembarked from Le Havre on 17 March 1917. It jointed the Division at Carnoy on 23 March 1917.
As a unit of the 20th (Light) Division, it will have taken part in the following battles and engagements.
| 1917 | |
| 14 March to 05 April | German Retreat to the Hindenburg Line [XIV Corps, until 2 p.m., 25 March; then XV Corps, Fourth Army]. |
| 26 May to 16 June | Actions on the Hindenburg Line [IV Corps, Fifth Army, until 10 a.m., 31 May; then Third Army]. |
| BATTLES OF YPRES | |
| 16 to 18 August | Battle of Langemarck [XIV Corps, Fifth Army]. |
| 20 to 25 September | Battle of Menin Road Ridge [XIV Corps, Fifth Army]. |
| 26 to 28 September | Battle of Polygon Wood [XIV Corps, Fifth Army]. |
| BATTLE OF CAMBRAI | |
| 20 and 21 November | The Tank Attack [III Corps, Third Army]. |
| 23 to 28 November | Capture of Bourlon Wood [III Corps, Third Army]. |
| 30 November to 02 December | German Counter-Attacks [III Corps, Third Army]. |
On 1 March 1918, it was amalgamated with the 59th, 60th and 61st Machine Gun Companies to form No. 20 Battalion, Machine Gun Corps.
