38:
161:
184:. It was one of five such units raised as part of the AIF during the war. Formed in March 1918, the battalion consisted of four machine gun companies, which had previously existed as independent companies assigned mainly at brigade level. The battalion consisted of 64 medium machine guns, and took part in the final stages of the war, seeing action during the Allied defensive operations during the
310:, on a scale of first eight and then up to 20 in 1918. During the final stages of the war, the machine gun battalions proved highly effective, providing both direct and indirect fire support during attacks. In the indirect role, they were used to fire barrages of machine gun fire into the rear areas behind the German defences over a prolonged period.
264:
was a black and gold horizontal rectangle, which was usually worn above the crossed guns badge of the
Machine Gun Corps. While the battalion's constituent companies had previously been issued distinctive UCPs, upon the formation of the battalion these were replaced by the single battalion style. The
305:
level. These companies had consisted of four sections, each equipped with four
Vickers guns, operated by 10 officers and 142 other ranks. This had given each division a total of three such companies. In early 1917, this had been increased to four companies, with a total establishment of 50 officers
318:
After the war, the concept of machine gun battalions was discontinued in the
Australian Army and in the 1920s medium machine gun platoons were added to the organization of standard infantry battalions. However, the machine gun battalion was revived again in 1937 as fears of war in Europe surfaced
208:
personnel, following a re-organisation of the AIF, which saw the previously independent machine gun companies that were assigned to each division being grouped together under a battalion structure. Each machine gun battalion had an authorized strength of 46 officers and 890 other ranks. The 1st
265:
black and gold colours were chosen to signify that the unit as a machine gun unit, while the horizontal rectangle showed that the 1st
Machine Gun Battalion was part of the 1st Division, which used the same shape UCP for the majority of its units.
348:. At the end of that war, though, the decision was made to return machine guns to the establishment of individual infantry battalions and consequently since then no further machine gun battalions have been raised as part of the Australian Army.
355:
were subsequently awarded to the 1st
Machine Gun Battalion – or any other First World War machine gun battalion – as there was no equivalent unit to perpetuate the honours when they were promulgated by the Australian Army in 1927.
288:
had been assigned within line infantry battalions on a limited scale of two per battalion. As it was realised that there was a need for increased fire support, this was later increased to four guns per battalion, operated by a
344:, while several more light horse regiments were also converted for home defence, including: the 14th, 19th, 25th and 26th. The 5th Machine Gun Battalion was also re-raised and undertook garrison duties as part of
323:
regiments – the 1st, 16th, 17th and 18th – were converted into machine gun regiments. Following the outbreak of World War II, four machine gun battalions were eventually raised as part of the
237:. The 21st Machine Gun Company, however, had been formed in England in February 1917, initially as the 16th Machine Gun Company, with the intention that it would be assigned to the newly formed
241:, but it was redesignated in March 1917 and assigned to the 1st Division to supplement the brigade machine gun companies. The battalion's first commanding officer was Lieutenant Colonel
284:. The establishment of machine gun battalions within the AIF was the final step in the evolution of the organisation of direct fire support during the war. At the start of the war,
213:. Its constituent companies were the 1st, 2nd, 3rd and 21st Machine Gun Companies. The first three of these had been formed in Egypt in March 1916, and had been assigned to the
1411:
1406:
662:
1401:
1396:
765:
351:
According to
Alexander Rodger, as a result of the decision not to re-raise machine gun battalions in the early interwar years, no
17:
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1322:
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715:
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337:
333:
281:
277:
273:
269:
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257:, which finally brought an end to the war. The battalion was disbanded in mid-1919 during the demobilisation of the AIF.
192:, which finally brought an end to the war. The battalion was disbanded in mid-1919 during the demobilisation of the AIF.
1363:
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1348:
1343:
798:
696:
225:
respectively, fighting with them through the early battles of
Australia's involvement on the Western Front including
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297:, the AIF was reorganised, and the machine gun sections within each infantry battalion had been consolidated into
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691:(1st ed.). Melbourne, Victoria: Oxford University Press Australia & New Zealand.
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253:. After the German offensive was turned back, the battalion took part in the Allied
160:
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177:
67:
328:, each assigned at divisional level. Several more units were raised within the
268:
A total of five such units would be raised by the AIF during the war: the 1st,
824:
209:
Machine Gun
Battalion consisted of four such companies, each equipped with 16
1390:
596:
439:
352:
180:
that was raised for service during World War I as part of the all volunteer
791:
Battle
Honours of the British Empire and Commonwealth Land Forces 1662–1991
679:
580:. Royal New South Wales Lancers Lancer Barracks and Museum. Archived from
306:
and 870 other ranks. In addition, infantry battalions were provided with
242:
142:
113:
42:
Members of the 1st
Machine Gun Company around Chuignolles, 23 August 1918
749:. Loftus, New South Wales: Australian Military Historical Publications.
618:
370:
77:
501:
499:
486:
484:
302:
496:
481:
747:
Redcoats to Cams: A History of Australian Infantry 1788–2001
727:"Patches of Machine Gun Corps, Service Corps & Pioneers"
639:
5 Australian Machine Gun Battalion (AIF) Torres Strait Force
825:
Infantry formations of the First Australian Imperial Force
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of one officer and 32 other ranks. At the end of the
204:, the unit was formed in France on 2 March 1918 from
1412:
Military units and formations disestablished in 1919
535:
511:
689:
The Oxford Companion to Australian Military History
598:"AWM4 24/1/16: 1st Machine Gun Battalion: May 1919"
576:
490:
382:
1407:Military units and formations established in 1918
440:AWM4 24/1/16: 1st Machine Gun Battalion: May 1919
1388:
619:"The 1st Australian Division in 1914–1918"
523:
245:, and he led them through their first battle at
772:. University of New South Wales. Archived from
793:. Marlborough, Wiltshire: The Crowood Press.
445:
686:
505:
475:
394:
710:. Melbourne, Victoria: Allara Publishing.
661:: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (
641:(2nd ed.). Kareela, New South Wales.
36:
705:
674:. Malvern, Victoria: Melway Publishing.
517:
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18:2/1st Machine Gun Battalion (Australia)
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823:
815:1st Machine Gun Battalion war diaries
23:Australian Army machine gun battalion
636:
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176:was an infantry support unit of the
1402:Machine gun battalions of Australia
687:Dennis, Peter; et al. (1995).
672:Iven G. Mackay: Citizen and Soldier
13:
724:
708:The Lineage of the Australian Army
451:
14:
1423:
1397:Australian World War I battalions
808:
616:
400:
326:Second Australian Imperial Force
159:
87:Direct and indirect fire support
1378:1st Anzac Entrenching Battalion
564:. Returned and Services League
1:
359:
578:"The Australian Light Horse"
377:Returned and Services League
206:Australian Machine Gun Corps
7:
558:"1st Machine Gun Battalion"
211:Vickers medium machine guns
10:
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789:Rodger, Alexander (2003).
338:7th Machine Gun Battalions
195:
15:
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1300:
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706:Festberg, Alfred (1972).
670:Chapman, Ivan D. (1975).
604:. Australian War Memorial
313:
182:Australian Imperial Force
174:1st Machine Gun Battalion
153:
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136:
131:
109:
99:
91:
83:
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63:
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31:1st Machine Gun Battalion
30:
562:RSL Virtual War Memorial
251:German spring offensive
186:German spring offensive
119:German spring offensive
1301:Machine Gun Battalions
764:Mallett, Ross (2003).
491:Australian Light Horse
321:Australian Light Horse
255:Hundred Days Offensive
190:Hundred Days Offensive
124:Hundred Days Offensive
235:Third Battle of Ypres
745:Kuring, Ian (2004).
623:The Long, Long Trail
188:and then the Allied
16:For other uses, see
776:on 12 November 2009
766:"Machine Gun Corps"
508:, pp. 371–372.
430:, pp. 100–102.
346:Torres Strait Force
1337:Pioneer Battalions
1328:5th Machine Gun Bn
1323:4th Machine Gun Bn
1318:3rd Machine Gun Bn
1313:2nd Machine Gun Bn
1308:1st Machine Gun Bn
637:Ball, Reg (1993).
340:, which served in
308:Lewis machine guns
295:Gallipoli Campaign
286:Maxim machine guns
1384:
1383:
717:978-0-85887-024-6
648:978-0-64611-999-1
506:Dennis et al 1995
476:Dennis et al 1995
466:, pp. 90–92.
418:, pp. 83–84.
262:unit colour patch
167:
166:
155:Unit colour patch
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319:again, and four
260:The battalion's
200:Assigned to the
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584:on 31 July 2017
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178:Australian Army
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95:~ 900 personnel
68:Australian Army
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1364:5th Pioneer Bn
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1344:1st Pioneer Bn
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809:External links
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731:Digger History
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617:Baker, Chris.
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478:, p. 371.
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332:including the
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800:1-86126-637-5
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1208:5th Division
1114:4th Division
1020:3rd Division
926:2nd Division
832:1st Division
790:
778:. Retrieved
774:the original
769:
746:
734:. Retrieved
730:
707:
688:
671:
638:
626:. Retrieved
622:
606:. Retrieved
601:
586:. Retrieved
582:the original
566:. Retrieved
561:
551:Bibliography
537:
525:
513:
471:
459:
447:
435:
428:Chapman 1975
423:
396:
389:Mallett 2003
384:
372:
350:
317:
301:assigned at
267:
259:
239:16th Brigade
231:Mouquet Farm
223:3rd Brigades
202:1st Division
199:
173:
171:
104:1st Division
100:Part of
25:
1373:Other units
770:AIF Project
542:Rodger 2003
464:Kuring 2004
416:Kuring 2004
249:during the
243:Iven Mackay
143:Iven Mackay
114:World War I
110:Engagements
1391:Categories
756:1876439998
360:References
342:New Guinea
247:Hazebrouck
139:commanders
132:Commanders
657:cite book
530:Ball 1993
365:Citations
299:companies
59:Australia
51:1918–1919
1270:15th Bde
1243:14th Bde
1176:13th Bde
1149:12th Bde
1082:11th Bde
1055:10th Bde
780:29 April
736:29 April
628:29 April
608:29 April
588:29 April
568:29 April
233:and the
227:Pozieres
149:Insignia
78:Infantry
1290:60th Bn
1285:59th Bn
1280:58th Bn
1275:57th Bn
1263:56th Bn
1258:55th Bn
1253:54th Bn
1248:53rd Bn
1236:32nd Bn
1231:31st Bn
1226:30th Bn
1221:29th Bn
1216:8th Bde
1196:52nd Bn
1191:51st Bn
1186:50th Bn
1181:49th Bn
1169:48th Bn
1164:47th Bn
1159:46th Bn
1154:45th Bn
1142:16th Bn
1137:15th Bn
1132:14th Bn
1127:13th Bn
1122:4th Bde
1102:44th Bn
1097:43rd Bn
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1087:41st Bn
1075:40th Bn
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1038:34th Bn
1033:33rd Bn
1028:9th Bde
1008:28th Bn
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998:26th Bn
993:25th Bn
988:7th Bde
981:24th Bn
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971:22nd Bn
966:21st Bn
961:6th Bde
954:20th Bn
949:19th Bn
944:18th Bn
939:17th Bn
934:5th Bde
914:12th Bn
909:11th Bn
904:10th Bn
894:3rd Bde
867:2nd Bde
840:1st Bde
680:2346434
330:Militia
303:brigade
291:section
196:History
137:Notable
56:Country
899:9th Bn
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