22nd Brigade Machine Gun Company

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

Brigade attached to:22nd Brigade
Division attached to:7th Division
Formed from the Machine Gun Sections of:2nd Bn. The Royal Warwickshire Regiment
2nd Bn. The Royal Welch Fusiliers
20th Bn. The Manchester Regiment

At the time of the MG Coy formation, only three Infantry Battalions were in the Brigade.

The 22nd Bde. M.G. Coy. was formed on 24 February 1916 from the Machine Gun Sections of the listed infantry battalions.

As a unit of the 7th Division, it will have taken part in the following battles and engagements.

1916
BATTLES OF THE SOMME
01 to 05 JulyBattle of Albert [XV. Corps, Fourth Army].
01 JulyCapture of Mametz.
14 to 17 JulyBattle of Bazentin Ridge [XV. Corps, Fourth Army].
20 JulyAttack on High Wood[XV. Corps].
03 to 07 SeptemberBattle of Guillemont [XV. Corps, Fourth Army].
1917
11 to 15 January and 21 February to 05 MarchOperations on the Ancre [V. Corps, Fifth Army].
14 March to 05 AprilGerman Retreat to the Hindenburg Line [V. Corps, Fifth Army].
03 to 16 MayBattle of Bullecourt [V. Corps, Fifth Army].
BATTLES OF YPRES
01 to 03 OctoberBattle of Polygon Wood [X. Corps, Second Army].
04 OctoberBattle of Broodseinde [X. Corps, Second Army].
09 OctoberBattle of Poelcappelle [X. Corps, Second Army].

On the 10th November the decision was warned that it would be moved to Italy. Entrainment began on the 17th November, and by the 28th detrainment was virtually completed in the neighbourhood of Legnano (on the Adige). The 7th Division then advanced to the Piave Front and became reserve to the XIV. Corps.

1918

On the 19th January the 7th Division took over the right sector of the XIV. Corps front on the Piave, and remained in the line until, on the 23rd February, orders were received that the division was to return to France. On the 4th March the move to France was cancelled, and between the 22nd and 31st March the division took over the left divisional front of the XIV. Corps on the Asiago Plateau.

On 01 April 1918, it was amalgamated with the 20th, 91st and 220th Machine Gun Companies to form No. 7 Battalion, Machine Gun Corps.


Sources

Leave a Reply