5th Brigade Machine Gun Company

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

Brigade attached to:5th Brigade
Division attached to:2nd Division
Formed from the Machine Gun Sections of:2nd Bn. Oxfordshire & Buckinghamshire Light Infantry
2nd Bn. Highland Light Infantry
17th Bn. Royal Fusiliers
24th Bn. Royal Fusiliers

The 5th Bde. M.G. Coy. was formed on the 01 January 1916 from the Machine Gun Sections of the listed infantry battalions.

As a unit of the 2nd Division, it will have taken part in the following battles and engagements.

1916
25 July to 09 AugustBattle of Delville Wood [XIII. Corps, Fourth Army].
17 and 28 JulyCapture and consilidation of Delville Wood.
08 and 09 AugustAttack of Waterlot Farm – Guillemont.
13 to 16 NovemberBattle of the Ancre [V. Corps, Fifth Army].
1917
11 January to 13 MarchOperations on the Ancre [II. Corps, Fifth Army].
17 and 18 FebruaryActions of Miraumont.
25 February to 02 MarchCapture of the Thilloys.
10 MarchCapture of Grevillers Trench (near Iries).
14 to 19 MarchGerman Retreat to the Hindenburg Line [II. Corps, Fifth Army].
BATTLES OF ARRAS
12 to 14 AprilBattle of Vimy Ridge [XIII. Corps, First Army].
28 and 29 AprilBattle of Arleux [XIII. Corps, Fifth Army].
03 MayThird Battle of the Scarpe [XIII. Corps, Fifth Army].
BATTLE OF CAMBRAI
27 and 28 NovemberCapture of Bourlon Wood [IV. Corps, Third Army].
30 November to 03 DecemberGerman Counter Attacks [IV. Corps, handed over on 1/12 to V. Corps, Third Army].

On 04 March 1918, it was amalgamated with the 6th, 99th and 242nd Machine Gun Companies to form No. 2 Battalion, Machine Gun Corps.


Sources

Leave a Reply