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The Machine Gun Corps (Infantry)

85th Machine Gun Company

Machine Gun Corps

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

Brigade attached to: 85th Brigade
Division attached to: 28th Division
Formed from the: Machine Gun Section of 2nd Bn. Buffs (East Kent) Regiment
Machine Gun Section of 3rd Bn. Royal Fusiliers
Machine Gun Section of 2nd Bn. East Surrey Regiment
Machine Gun Section of 3rd Bn. Middlesex Regiment

The 84th M.G. Coy. was provisionally formed on the 13 March 1916, and formally established on 18 May 1916. It is likely to have been formed from the Machine Gun Sections of the listed infantry battalions.

Unlike most other Machine Gun Companies, it was not formed into a Machine Gun Battalion, yet continued to serve attached to the Brigade.

As a unit of the 28th Infantry Division, it will have taken part in the following battles and engagements.
1916
31 OctoberCapture of Bairakli Jum's [XVI. Corps].
1917
15 MayCapture of Ferdie and Essex Trenches (near Bairakli Jum's) [XVI. Corps].
16 OctoberCapture of Bairakli and Kumli [XVI. Corps].
1918
18 and 19 SeptemberBattle of Dojran [XVI. Corps]
22 to 28 SeptemberPursuit to the Strumica Valley [XII. Corps].
At noon on 30th September, Bulgaria concluded an armistice and hostilities ceased. At this time the leading brigade (83rd, then under XVI. Corps) had reached Trnovo (in the Strumica Valley, and 18 miles north of Dojran). By then end of October the division had been drawn back to Guvezne. Then early in November the division (less the 85th Bde., the artillery, and the pioneers) was sent to occupy the Dardanelles Forts, and it disembarked in the Narrows on the 12th. On the 14th, the 85th Bde. reached Constantinople, and at the end of November the 84th Bde. moved from the Kilid Bahr-Maldos area to the Gallipoli-Builair area; Divisional H.Q. still remained at Chanaq.

It remained in Turkey until Summer 1920, when it was replaced in the 28th Division Order of Battle by 'Z' Company.


Sources

  • Becke, 1934
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