The King's Own Scottish Borderers consisted of Infantry Battalions that would have had an MG Section as part of its Battalion Headquarters. These weapons would have been brigaded when the Machine Gun Corps was formed in 1915. The guns, and crews, would have been formed into a Machine Gun Company.
During the Great War, the Battalions were distributed as follows:
The 2nd Battalion was part of the 13th Brigade, attached to the 5th Division. It's MG Section was transferred on 24 December 1915 to form the 13th Bde. MG Coy..
As a unit of the 5th Infantry Division, it will have taken part in the following battles and engagements.
| 1914 | |
| 23 and 24 August | Battle of Mons [II. Corps]. |
| 23 August to 05 September | RETREAT FROM MONS [II. Corps]. |
| 26 August | Battle of le Cateau [II. Corps]. |
| 01 September | Crepy en Valois. |
| 06 to 09 September | Battle of the Marne [II. Corps] |
| 13 to 20 September | BATTLE OF THE AISNE [II. Corps] |
| 13 September | Passage of the Aisne. |
| 20 September | Actions on the Aisne Heights. |
| 10 October to 02 November | Battle of la Bassee [II. Corps]. |
| 31 October to 02 November | Battle of Messines (2/K.O.S.B., 2.K.O.Y.L.I.) [Cav. Corps] |
| 05 to 19 November | BATTLE OF YPRES [I. Corps] |
| 11 November | Battle of Nonne Bosschen (2/K.O.S.B., 2/Duke's (13th Bde.), and 1/Bedf., 1/Ches. (15th Bde.)) [I. Corps]. |
| 1915 | |
| 17 to 22 April | Capture of Hill 60 [II. Corps, Second Army]. |
| 23 April to 01 May | BATTLE OF YPRES [V. Corps, Second Army]. |
| 23 April | Battle of Gravenstafel Ridge (13th Bde.) [V. Corps]. |
| 24 April to 01 May | Battle of St. Julien (13th Bde.) [V. Corps, from 27 April, in Plumer's Force]. |
In 1922, the Machine Gun Corps was disbanded and the guns returned to the Infantry Battalion as a Machine Gun Platoon and then formed as a Machine Gun Company in the early 1930s.
This remained until the formation of Divisional Machine Gun Battalions in 1936 where guns were brigaded once again.
However during the Second World War, the 7th (Airborne) Battalion of the King's Own Scottish Borderers became Airlanding Battalion of the 1st Airlanding Brigade of the 1st Airborne Division. This Battalion therefore retained an Machine Gun Platoon within its support company. These guns were transport using 'Man Carry' and with Jeeps.
The 1st Airborne Division was formed in November 1941. It saw action at the following battles:
The Officer Commanding the MMG Group at the time of Operation Market Garden (September 1944) was Capt. J.W. Coulthard (Cummings, 1998).
After the Second World War, the MG assets reverted to MG Platoons within support companies of Infantry Battalions.
