UNITS THAT USED THE VICKERS

THE OXFORDSHIRE AND BUCKINGHAMSHIRE LIGHT INFANTRY:

The Oxfordshire and Buckinghamshire Light Infantry was an Infantry Battalion 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, including the Buckinghamshire Battalions were distributed as follows:

2nd

The 2nd Battalion was part of the 5th Brigade, attached to the 2nd Division. It's MG Section was transferred on 01 January 1916 to form the 5th Bde. MG Coy..

As a unit of the 2nd Infantry Division, it will have taken part in the following battles and engagements.

1914
23 and 24 AugustBattle of Mons [I. Corps].
24 August to 05 SeptemberRETREAT FROM MONS [I. Corps].
01 SeptemberVillers Cotterets.
06 to 09 SeptemberBattle of the Marnes [I. Corps].
13 to 26 SeptemberBATTLE OF THE AISNES [I. Corps].
13 SeptemberPassage of the Aisne.
20 SeptemberActions on the Aisne Heights.
19 October to 20 NovemberBATTLES OF YPRES [I. Corps].
21 to 24 OctoberBattle of Langemarck [I. Corps].
29 to 21 OctoberBattle of Gheluvet [I. Corps].
11 NovemberBattle of Nonne Bosschen [I. Corps].
1915
01 FebruaryCuinchy
06 FebruaryCuinchy
15 to 20 MayBattle of Festubert [I. Corps, First Army].
25 September to 04 OctoberBattle of Loos [I. Corps, First Army].
13 to 19 OctoberHohenzollern Redoubt [I. Corps, First Army].
Source: Becke, 1934

The Buckinghamshire Battalions

The Buckinghamshire Battalions formed part of the Territorial Force elements of the Oxfordshire and Buckinghamshire Light Infantry.

Photobucket

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 2nd (Airborne) Battalion of the Oxfordshire and Buckinghamshire Light Infantry became an Airlanding Battalion of the 6th Airlanding Brigade of the 6th Airborne Division. This Battalion therefore retained a Machine Gun Platoon within its support company. These guns were transport using 'Man Carry' and with Jeeps.

6th Airborne Divisional Patch


The 6th Airborne Division was formed on 3rd May 1943. It saw action at the following battles:

  • Normandy (6th June 1944)
  • Rhine Crossing (23rd March - 18th April 1945)

    (Source: Bouchery, 1999)

    After the Second World War, the MG assets reverted to MG Platoons within support companies of Infantry Battalions.