UNITS THAT USED THE VICKERS

THE SUFFOLK REGIMENT:

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The Suffolk Regiment 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 were distributed as follows:

2nd

The 2nd Battalion was part of the 8th Brigade and transferred to the 76th Brigade on 22 October 1915, both Brigades attached to the 3rd Division. It's MG Section was transferred by 13 April 1916 to form the 76th Bde. MG Coy..

As a unit of the 3rd Infantry Division, it will have taken part in the following battles and engagements.

1914
23 and 24 AugustBattle of Mons [II. Corps].
24 August to 05 SeptemberRETREAT FROM MONS [II. Corps].
26 AugustBattle of le Cateau [II. Corps].
06 to 09 SeptemberBattle of the Marne [II. Corps].
13 to 20 SeptemberBATTLE OF THE AISNE [II. Corps].
13 SeptemberPassage of the Aisne.
20 SeptemberActions on the Aisne Heights.
10 October to 02 NovemberBattle of La Bassee [II. Corps] (3rd Division (less 8th Brigade, left under Indian Corps) was relieved on 29 October)
05 to 21 NovemberBATTLES OF YPRES [I. Corps].
11 NovemberBattle of Nonne Bosschen [I. Corps]. (In this battle the 3rd Division was formed of 7th, 9th, and 15th Brigades).
14 DecemberAttack on Wytschaete.
1915
16 JuneFirst Attack on Bellewaarde [V. Corps, Second Army].
19 JulyHooge [V. Corps, Second Army].
25 SeptemberSecond Attack on Bellewaarde [V. Corps, Second Army].
Source: Becke, 1934

9th

The 9th Battalion was part of the 71st Brigade, attached to the 6th Division. Its MG Section was transferred on 14 March 1916 to form the 71st Bde. MG Coy..

This Bde. and Bn. had transferred from the 24th Division on 11 October 1915.


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.

Upon the disbandment of Divisional Machine Gun Battalions in the post-WW2 restructure of the British Army, the Vickers Machine Gun assest reverted to individual Battalions as part of the Support Company as a Machine Gun Platoon.