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Machine Gun BattalionA Machine Gun Battalion was a type of Infantry Battalion created to provide infantry (rifle) battalions with fire support, primarily from Machine Guns. First World WarA variety of Machine Gun companies and brigades were formed in the early years of the war, eventually being organized under the Canadian Machine Gun Corps, chiefly in Motor Machine Gun brigades and also with three, later four, Machine Gun Companies assigned directly to infantry divisions. Additionally, the 86th Battalion, CEF recruited in Hamilton as the first and only full Machine Gun Battalion in the Commonwealth at that time. It was later incorporated into the Canadian Machine Gun Depot in the UK in 1916. In early 1918 these brigade machine gun companies became Machine Gun Battalions, and were assigned one MG battalion per division. At first the battalions had three companies, and in May 1918 this increased to four, with a total complement of 96 Vickers Guns. On 1 May 1918, the establishment of
the new machine gun battalions was fixed as follows:
The organization of a battalion in 1918 was as follows:
Interwar PeriodMachine Gun units formed part of the newly reorganized Militia after the First World War. On 1 Jun 1919, a new Canadian Machine Gun Corps was created, with 12 Machine Gun Battalions organized in the Non-Permanent Active Militia. On 3 Nov 1919, the Canadian Permanent Machine Gun Brigade was organized as part of the Permanent Force, renamed The Royal Canadian Permanent Machine Gun Brigade on 16 Jun 1921. The Brigade was disbanded on 1 Nov 1923. On 15 Dec 1936, as part of sweeping reorganizations within the Militia, the Canadian Machine Gun Corps was disbanded. The companies were absorbed by infantry and cavalry regiments, and a new type of Infantry Battalion - the "infantry battalion (Machine Gun)" was created. Official designations of many regiments were then suffixed with (MG) (or (Mit) in French, short for Mitraiulleuses). Second World WarThe mobilization of two divisions in 1939 brought with it the mobilization of six Machine Gun Battalions, assigned to the divisions on a scale of one per brigade. This was scaled back in January 1941 to one per division. Three such battalions eventually saw action with the Canadian Army in Europe. Some regiments changed to or from a machine gun role during the existence of Machine Gun Battalions. EmploymentThe following units were designated as Machine Gun units in the periods specified.
OrganizationEach battalion was initially organized around four companies of Vickers machine guns. Each company had twelve Vickers Guns, in three platoons of four guns. In the summer and fall of 1942, the future of the machine gun battalions was in doubt, and a feeling that the heavy Vickers Guns were obsolete gave way to thoughts that the MG battalions might be better employed in other roles. The idea of using them in beachhead administration during amphibious assaults was investigated, until reports from North Africa praising the work of MG battalions there brought such efforts to a halt. While new emphasis was placed on the value of the Medium Machine Gun, a new organization was announced in the spring of 1943, and the three Machine Gun Battalions were redesignated "Support Battalions" and reorganized and re-equipped. Support BattalionsOn 1 May 1943, the former Machine Gun battalions
were redesignated
Each Support Battalion consisted of an enlarged headquarters to administer the Division's Administration Area and three Brigade Support Groups, each under the operational control of a brigade when on operations. The new establishment included 20mm anti-aircraft guns as well as 4.2" mortars. According to the regimental history of the Toronto Scottish, Carry On!, "...the reorganization from a four company machine gun battalion to a formation which resembled three small battalions was rather difficult. Promotion within the unit had been frozen for several months, and with the great increase in the number of officers and NCO's, this policy was quickly reversed. In one platoon of 38 men, 32 became NCOs of varying rank while the platoon commander was promoted to the rank of Captain and took over one of the new companies. The growing pains were not pleasant in the least." Shortly after, a draft of 200 reinforcement soldiers and 17 officers arrived to be taken on strength of the battalion, and for the first time reinforcements had come through the stream that weren't trained by Toronto Scottish instructors and who hadn't enlisted specifically in the Toronto Scottish. The Saskatoon Light Infantry also found that many men had to undergo hectic training on the new weapons the unit would be using, sometimes training up to 16 hours a day. They did not realize they were earmarked for the invasion of Sicily in July 1943; their anti-aircraft companies had to stay behind with the Divisional Rear Party to complete their training on the 20mm Oerlikon gun. Machine Gun BattalionsThe new changes were short-lived, and the establishment was changed from a three group, nine company Support Battalion back to a four company Machine Gun Battalion; three companies of machineguns and one company of mortars, each with four platoons. The anti-aircraft elements were disbanded, and the old designation of Toronto Scottish Regiment (MG) was resumed. A full slate of T-16 carriers was issued for the mortar crews and Universal Carriers for the machinegun platoons, with special mountings for the Vickers Guns. The establishment did not change again for the rest of the war. It called for a total of 36 officers and 711 Other Ranks.
Post Second World WarIn the post war era, Machine Gun battalions were discarded, with all infantry battalions being organized instead as rifle battalions. Notes
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