A Machine Gun Company was attached to each Infantry Brigade and their subsequent Division.
Brigade attached to: | 88th Brigade |
Division attached to: | 29th Division |
Formed from the: | Machine Gun Section of 4th Bn. Worcestershire Regiment |
Machine Gun Section of 2nd Bn. Hampshire Regiment | |
Machine Gun Section of 1st Bn. Essex Regiment | |
Machine Gun Section of 5th Bn. Royal Scots |
The 88th M.G. Coy. was formed on the 21 February, 1916, at Suez. It is likely to have been formed from the Machine Gun Sections of the listed infantry battalions. The Royal Newfoundland Battalion joined the Brigade on 19 September, 1915, whilst at Suvla. Its Machine Gun Sectionis also likely to have been absorbed by the formation of the MG Company.
On 15 February, 1918, it was amalgamated with the 87th, 87th and 227th Machine Gun Companies to form No. 29 Battalion, Machine Gun Corps.
As a unit of the 29th Division, it will have taken part in the following battles and engagements.
1916 | |
After the Evacuation of Helles, the 29th Division moved to Egypt and was concentrated at Suez. On 25th February orders were received for the early move of the division to France. Embarking in March, the division disembarked at Marseille, and between 15-29 March it effected its concentration on the Somme, east of Pont Remy. For the rest of the Great War the 29th Division served on the Western Front in France and Belgium. | |
THE BATTLES OF THE SOMME | |
01 July | Battle of Albert [VIII. Corps, Fourth Army]. |
10 to 18 October | Battle of the Transloy Ridges (88th Bde. with 12th Div.) [XV. Corps, Fourth Army]. |
1917 | |
27 January | Le Transloy (87th Bde.) [XIV. Corps, Fourth Army]. |
28 February | Saillisel (86th Bde.) [XIV. Corps, Fourth Army]. |
THE BATTLES OF ARRAS | |
12 to 14 April | First Battle of the Scarpe [VI. Corps, Third Army]. |
23 and 24 April | Second Battle of the Scarpe [VI. Corps, Third Army]. |
03 and 04 May | Third Battle of the Scarpe [VI. Corps, Third Army]. |
THE BATTLES OF YPRES | |
16 to 18 April | Battle of Langemarck [XIV. Corps, Fifth Army]. |
04 October | Battle of Broodseinde [XIV. Corps, Fifth Army]. |
09 October | Battle of Poelcappelle [XIV. Corps, Fifth Army]. |
BATTLE OF CAMBRAI | |
20 and 21 November | The Tank Attack [III. Corps, Third Army]. |
30 November to 03 December | German Counter-Attacks [III. Corps, Third Army]. |