Potted History of the Machine Gun Corps and its service in WW1:
The Machine Gun Corps was formed out of the particular circumstances of static warfare in WW1. Using the existing machine gun detachments as its nucleus it became a highly professional corps, applying the sophisticated techniques developed by their artillery brethren to deliver a wide range of dedicated fire support to infantry and other formations in both defence and attack. The corps was principally equipped with the .303 Vickers Machine Gun.
The Corps is not easy to research as unfortunately few of the Corps' own records survive.
Pte Hilton's service as far as I can reconstruct it:
451444 Private Ernest Hilton was transferred into the Machine Gun Corps from the 5th Battalion, City of London Rifles, a Territorial regiment. He enlisted into the 5th battalion on 1 March 1915, agreeing at the same time to serve outside the United Kingdom. He transferred into the Machine Gun Corps on 26 July 1916, being posted to the BEF in France on 13 August that year. He joined the 95th Company, MGC on 21 August 1916 and remained in France until 11 October 1916, during which period the company saw action on the Somme as part of 95th Brigade, 5th Division. After a period at home he was posted to 224th Company MGC, BEF, France on 25 April 1917, remaining out there until 17 September 1917, during which period the company saw action around Arras as part of the 63rd (Naval) Division. He spent the remainder of the war in Britain, being posted to 15th Company, MGC on 14 March 1918 and posted Category Bii on 29 August 1918. A short attachment to 421 Agricultural Company, Labour Corps, Warrington then followed (26 September to 27 November 1918) before he was posted to 6th Reserve Battalion, MGC on 22 February 1919. After transfer to the Army Z Reserve on 5 April 1919, he was discharged from the MGC on 20 April 1921, under paragraph 392 (xvia) of King's Regulations "being surplus to military requirements having suffered impairment since entry into the service." He was later awarded a pension, backdated to 5 April 1919, for Neurasthenia (a common diagnosis for "shell shock"), attributable to his war service, with the "degree of disablement" being given as 50%. He was awarded the British War Medal and Victory Medal.
Notable features:
None particularly, it is fortunate that Pte Hilton's records are amongst the 40% which survived bombing in WW2.
Medal condition:
Very Fine with new replacement ribbon.
XVI
No comments:
Post a Comment