The Yorks and Lancaster Regiment 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 1st Battalion was part of the 83rd Brigade, attached to the 28th Division. It's MG Section was likely to have been transferred into the 83rd MG Coy. which was formed on 25 January 1916.
As a unit of the 28th Infantry Division, it will have taken part in the following battles and engagements.
| The Division had no existence before the outbreak of the Great war.
The Division assembled and mobilized at Hursley, Pitt Hill, and Magdalen Hill Camps (around Winchester) during December, 1914, and January, 1915. The 12 infantry battalions, of which it was composed, came from India (10 from nine different stations), Singapore (1), and Egypt (1); the brigades were formed at Winchester. The mounted troops included a cavalry squadron from an existing yeomanry unit, and a cyclist company, which was formed at Winchester. Of the field artillery brigades: in August, 1914, III. was in India and XXXI. was at Sheffield, whilst CXLVI. was only formed at Winchester. The field companies, signal company, field ambulances, and train, were territorial force units. The 28th Division embarked at Southampton on the 15th-18th January, 1915, disembarked at Le Havre between the 16th-19th January, and concentrated between Bailleul and Hazebrouck by the 22nd January. The 28th Division served on the Western Front in France and Belgium until the middle of October, 1915. It embarked for Egypt in October and November, and, on arrival, it encamped in the neighbourhood of Alexandria. On the 17th November, order were received for the division to embark for Salonika as soon as possiblle. Embarkation began on the 20th November, but it was not until the 4th January, 1916, that all the units had completed disembarkation at Salonika. (The XXXI. and CXLVI. Brigades, R.F.A., proceeded direct from Marseille to Salonika, sailing on the 17th November; these two brigades arrived: XXXI. on 27th November, and CXLVI. on the 2nd December.) | |
| 1915 | |
| BATTLES OF YPRES | |
| 22 and 23 April | Battle of Gravenstafel Ridge [V. Corps, Second Army]. |
| 24 April to 04 May | Battle of St. Julien [V. Corps, Second Army, until 28/4; then Plumer's Force]. |
| 08 to 13 May | Battle of Frezenberg Ridge [V. Corps, Second Army]. |
| 24 and 25 May | Battle of Bellewaarde Ridge [V. Corps, Second Army]. |
| 27 to 05 October | Battle of Loos [I. Corps, First Army]. |
| At noon on the 19th October, the division was ordered to be ready to entrain in 48 hours for an unknown
destination. On 21st October, the division beganto entrain for Marseille, and on 24th October the first units sailed from
that port. Units began to reach Alexandria on 29th October, and the division (less XXXI. and CXLVI. Bdes., R.F.A.) reached
Egypt by 22nd November.
The 28th Division was then sent from Alexandria at Salonika on the 4th January, 1916. | |
The 2nd Battalion was part of the 16th Brigade, attached to the 6th Division. Its MG Section was transferred in February 1916 to form the 16th Bde. MG Coy..
As a unit of the 6th Infantry Division, its MG Section will have taken part in the following battles and engagements.
| 1914 | |
| 19 and 20 September | BATTLE OF THE AISNE [I. Corps]. |
| 20 September | Actions on the Aisne Heights. |
| 13 October to 02 November | Battle of Armentieres [III. Corps]. |
| 1915 | |
| 09 August | Hooge [VI. Corps, Second Army]. |
The 8th Battalion started the Great War as a member of the 70th Brigade, 23rd Infantry Division.
As a unit of the 23rd Infantry Division, its MG Section will have taken part in the following battles and engagements.
| 1914 | |
| This New Army Division had no existence before the outbreak of the Great War.
Army Order No. 288 of the 13th September 1914 authorised the addition of the divisions (21st to 26th) and Army Troops to the Regular Army (See Appendix I). This augmentation formed the Third New Army, and during September 1914 the 23rd Division began to assemble near Frensham (in the Aldershot area). Many difficulties had to be overcome in the early days. At first there was a great shortage of officers; and no trained clerks joined with divisional headquarters, consequently orders had to be issued verbally to adjutants until clerks, typewriters, and stationery could be collected. Trained cooks also were non-existent and the messing of the troops was undertaken by a catering firm. The civilian clothing, in which the men joined, was in rags by the time that emergency blue clothing was issued in the middle of October, and 20,000 suits of underclothing and pairs of boots had to be purchased in Yorkshire. During October 100 old Lee-Metford rifles were issued to each battalion for drill, in November 8 L.M.E. service rifles and 400 sets of old buff equipment arrived for each battalion, and in December old pattern water-bottles and white haversacks were received. In November 1914 the divisional artillery began to form at Mytchett Camp. At first each brigade was commanded by a second-lieutenant, and it was fortunate that at this time the commands were merely nominal. The first armament received was the 90m/m. French guns. The 18-pdrs and 4.5" howitzers were not issued to the Division until the middle of 1915. At the beginning of December 1914 the weather broke and the Division was moved into Aldershot, with part of the artillery at Ewshott. On the 22nd January 1915, in heavy rain, the Division was inspected on the Queen's Parade by Field-Marshall Earl Kitchener, accompanied by the French Minister of War (M. Millerand); on this occasion the troops paraded in blue serge uniforms and civilian greatcoats, and the infantry had D.P. rifles. On the 10th February the battalion allowance of wire and sandbags was doubled, and stress was laid on the troops being taught to entrench and to construct obstacles at night. At the end of this month the Division moved to the Shorncliffe area., and here the Division remained until the end of May when it moved to Bordon and Bramshott. The final intensive preparation then began. On the 16th August the Division was inspected on Hankley Common by H.M. the King, and the order to embark for France was received on the 20th. On the 21st the first advanced party left, on the 23rd the Division began entraining, on the 26th the first units arrived in the concentration area, and on the 29th August the Division completed concentration around Tilques (north-west of St. Omer). The 23rd Division served on the Western Front in France and Belgium until November 1917, when it entrained for the Italian Front, on which it served for the remainder of the Great War. |
The 24th Brigade transfered to the 8th Division on 18 October 1915.
As a unit of the 8th Infantry Division, its MG Section did not take part in any formal battles or engagements.
Its MG Section was transferred in January 1916 to form the 70th Bde. MG Coy..
The 9th Battalion started the Great War as a member of the 70th Brigade, 23rd Infantry Division.
As a unit of the 23rd Infantry Division, its MG Section will have taken part in the following battles and engagements.
| 1914 | |
| This New Army Division had no existence before the outbreak of the Great War.
Army Order No. 288 of the 13th September 1914 authorised the addition of the divisions (21st to 26th) and Army Troops to the Regular Army (See Appendix I). This augmentation formed the Third New Army, and during September 1914 the 23rd Division began to assemble near Frensham (in the Aldershot area). Many difficulties had to be overcome in the early days. At first there was a great shortage of officers; and no trained clerks joined with divisional headquarters, consequently orders had to be issued verbally to adjutants until clerks, typewriters, and stationery could be collected. Trained cooks also were non-existent and the messing of the troops was undertaken by a catering firm. The civilian clothing, in which the men joined, was in rags by the time that emergency blue clothing was issued in the middle of October, and 20,000 suits of underclothing and pairs of boots had to be purchased in Yorkshire. During October 100 old Lee-Metford rifles were issued to each battalion for drill, in November 8 L.M.E. service rifles and 400 sets of old buff equipment arrived for each battalion, and in December old pattern water-bottles and white haversacks were received. In November 1914 the divisional artillery began to form at Mytchett Camp. At first each brigade was commanded by a second-lieutenant, and it was fortunate that at this time the commands were merely nominal. The first armament received was the 90m/m. French guns. The 18-pdrs and 4.5" howitzers were not issued to the Division until the middle of 1915. At the beginning of December 1914 the weather broke and the Division was moved into Aldershot, with part of the artillery at Ewshott. On the 22nd January 1915, in heavy rain, the Division was inspected on the Queen's Parade by Field-Marshall Earl Kitchener, accompanied by the French Minister of War (M. Millerand); on this occasion the troops paraded in blue serge uniforms and civilian greatcoats, and the infantry had D.P. rifles. On the 10th February the battalion allowance of wire and sandbags was doubled, and stress was laid on the troops being taught to entrench and to construct obstacles at night. At the end of this month the Division moved to the Shorncliffe area., and here the Division remained until the end of May when it moved to Bordon and Bramshott. The final intensive preparation then began. On the 16th August the Division was inspected on Hankley Common by H.M. the King, and the order to embark for France was received on the 20th. On the 21st the first advanced party left, on the 23rd the Division began entraining, on the 26th the first units arrived in the concentration area, and on the 29th August the Division completed concentration around Tilques (north-west of St. Omer). The 23rd Division served on the Western Front in France and Belgium until November 1917, when it entrained for the Italian Front, on which it served for the remainder of the Great War. |
The 24th Brigade transfered to the 8th Division on 18 October 1915.
As a unit of the 8th Infantry Division, its MG Section did not take part in any formal battles or engagements.
Its MG Section was transferred in January 1916 to form the 70th Bde. MG Coy..
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 assets reverted to individual Battalions as part of the Support Company as a Machine Gun Platoon.