Canadian Machine Gun Corps

Establishment

The Canadian Machine Gun Corps (CMGC) was formed along similar lines to the British Machine Gun Corps and included Infantry and Cavalry, and Motor branches. It also included a Canadian Machine Gun School and Depot and Reinforcements Camp.

It was eventually, as of 1918, by a C.M.G.C. Headquarters, with a General-Officer-Commanding, C.M.G.C., who was supported by a Brigade Major, Staff Captain, Reconnaissance Office and seven Other Ranks.

Strength

As of the Armistice on 11th November 1918, the strength of the Canadian Machine Gun Corps was:

Summary of strength (11.11.1918)	Officers	Other Ranks	Machine Guns
Headquarters, C.M.G.C.	4	7	–
1st and 2nd C.M.M.G. Brigades	52	812	80
C.M.M.G. M.T. Coy. For 2 Motor Brigades	7	312	–
4 Battalions, C.M.G.C.	252	5980	384
C.M.G.C.R.D. Staff	14	98	–
C.M.G.C.R.D. Reinforcements maintained	88	1118	–
C.C.M.G. School Staff	5	22	–
C.M.G. Corps – Total	422	8349	464

Historic establishments were:

21 June, 1915: 24 Officers; 567 O.R.
31 March, 1917: 82 Officers; 3,192 O.R.

Infantry

Companies

As with the British formations, Machine Gun Sections were brigaded into MG Companies on a similar establishment to the British. These were subsequently formed into Battalions.

The Companies of the Canadian Machine Gun Corps were:

Company	Attached to:
1st C.M.G. Company	1st Canadian Infantry Brigade, 1st Canadian Division
2nd C.M.G. Company	2nd Canadian Infantry Brigade, 1st Canadian Division
3rd C.M.G. Company	3rd Canadian Infantry Brigade, 1st Canadian Division
4th C.M.G. Company	4th Canadian Infantry Brigade, 2nd Canadian Division
5th C.M.G. Company	5th Canadian Infantry Brigade, 2nd Canadian Division
6th C.M.G. Company	6th Canadian Infantry Brigade, 2nd Canadian Division
7th C.M.G. Company	7th Canadian Infantry Brigade, 3rd Canadian Division
8th C.M.G. Company	8th Canadian Infantry Brigade, 3rd Canadian Division
9th C.M.G. Company	9th Canadian Infantry Brigade, 3rd Canadian Division
10th C.M.G. Company	10th Canadian Infantry Brigade, 4th Canadian Division
11th C.M.G. Company	11th Canadian Infantry Brigade, 4th Canadian Division
12th C.M.G. Company	12th Canadian Infantry Brigade, 4th Canadian Division
13th C.M.G. Company	Divisional Reserve, 1st Canadian Division
14th C.M.G. Company	Divisional Reserve, 2nd Canadian Division
15th C.M.G. Company	Divisional Reserve, 3rd Canadian Division
16th C.M.G. Company	Divisional Reserve, 4th Canadian Division
17th C.M.G. Company	Corps Reserve (previously 5th Canadian Division)
18th C.M.G. Company	Corps Reserve (previously 5th Canadian Division)
19th C.M.G. Company	Corps Reserve (previously 5th Canadian Division)

Battalions

The Canadian Machine Gun Corps did not subscribe to the standard four-company Battalion of the British Machine Gun Corps. Instead, it developed a two-company Battalion that focused the resources on the fighting strength of the companies and reduced the administrative requirement, freeing these personnel up to assist in ammunition carrying roles. It later added an additional Company to the Battalion establishment and increased the number of Vickers MGs to a total of 96 guns, instead of the previous 64.

With this new establishment, the ratios of MGs to rifles was increased. The ratios as at 1918 were:

British 9-Battalion Infantry Division: 1 Vickers to every 141 rifles.
Canadian 12-Battalion Infantry Division (with 2-company MG Bn): 1 Vickers to every 206 rifles).
Canadian 12-Battalion Infantry Division (with 3-company MG Bn): 1 Vickers to every 138 rifles).

The Battalions of the Canadian Machine Gun Corps were:

Battalion	Attached to:
1st Bn, C.M.G.C.	1st Canadian Division
2nd Bn, C.M.G.C.	2nd Canadian Division
3rd Bn, C.M.G.C.	3rd Canadian Division
4th Bn, C.M.G.C.	4th Canadian Division
5th Bn, C.M.G.C.	5th Canadian Division

Cavalry Units

The CMGC units which formed the Cavalry elements were:

Cdn. Cav. M.G. Sqdn.

Motor Machine Guns

The CMGC also had Motorised Machine Gun units. These included:

The administrative run-down of the Corps at the end of the Great War included the cancellation of the Mobilization Stores Tables (Army Forms G1098) for the different units in April 1922, including:

Army Form G1098-428, “Canadian Motor Machine Gun Brigade (France).”
Army Form G1098-429, “Canadian Motor Machine Gun Mechanical Transport Company, C.A.S.C.”

Canadian Machine Gun School

Originally, the Canadian Machine Gun School was established at Napier and Riseborough barracks; however, in Summer, 1916, it was amalgamated with the 86th (Machine Gun Battalion) to form the Canadian Machine Gun Depot.

Whilst there was no Canadian Machine Gun School in the field, Officers and Other Ranks were sent to the British Machine Gun School for courses.

Later a Canadian Machine Gun School was established as a separate entity to the British Machine Gun School. It, as of November 1918, consisted of 5 Officers and 22 Other Ranks as staff for 125 students (25 officers and 100 other ranks).