Group    From 14/10/1915  To 15/7/1922

Machine Gun Corps

Categories: Armed Forces

A corps of the British army. It was formed in response to the need for more effective use of machine guns on the Western Front in World War I. It had four branches (Infantry, Cavalry, Motor and Heavy). The heavy branch was the first to use land tanks in combat, and subsequently became the Tank Corps and later, the Royal Tank Regiment. At the end of the war, the corps saw service in other conflicts, before being disbanded as a cost-cutting measure.

The corps served in France, Flanders, Russia, Italy, Egypt, Palestine, Mesopotamia, Salonica, India, Afghanistan and East Africa.  The last unit of the Corps to be disbanded was the depot at Shorncliffe.  The total number who served in the Corps was some 11,500 officers, and 159,000 other ranks of whom 1,120 officers and 12,671 other ranks were killed and 2,881 officers and 45,377 other ranks were wounded, missing or prisoners of war. That casualty rate, about a third, was very high and justifies the Corps' nickname: the Suicide Squad.

Credit for this entry to: Alan Patient of www.plaquesoflondon.co.uk

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This section lists the memorials where the subject on this page is commemorated:
Machine Gun Corps

Commemorated ati

Boy David

Commissioned to create a WW1 memorial to the Machine Gun Corps Derwent Wood p...

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Machine Gun Corps memorial

The statue is of the boy David holding Goliath's sword (the clue is in the si...

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Other Subjects

Admiral Sir George Ommanney Willes

Admiral Sir George Ommanney Willes

Born Hampshire, son of a naval officer.  Went to sea aged 15.  Served in: East Indies and China, the Mediterranean.  Participated in the bombardment of Odessa and of Sebastopol.  Died at his home i...

Person, Armed Forces

1 memorial
J. L. Davison

J. L. Davison

J. Lyons & Co. Ltd. staff member who died in WW2.

Person, Armed Forces

War dead, WW2
1 memorial
Earl of Kilmarnock

Earl of Kilmarnock

Jacobite.  Taken prisoner at the Battle of Culloden.  Tried and beheaded on the Tower Hill scaffold.

Person, Armed Forces, Execution, Scotland

1 memorial
J. W. Kaye

J. W. Kaye

Co-partner or employee of the South Suburban Gas Company. Served but did not die in WW1.

Person, Armed Forces

War served, WW1
1 memorial
Cecil Sewell, VC

Cecil Sewell, VC

Soldier. Born Cecil Harold Sewell in Greenwich. On 29th August 1918 at Fremicourt, France, he was in command of a section of Whippet light tanks. He crossed open ground under heavy machine-gun fire...

Person, Armed Forces, France

War dead, WW1
1 memorial

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Caloust Sarkis Gulbenkian

Caloust Sarkis Gulbenkian

Born in what is now Istanbul. His father was already in the business of oil import/export and Calouste became immensely wealthy in this field. Took a degree at Kings College, London and here, 1892...

Person, Politics & Administration, Armenia

1 memorial
Giuseppe Mazzini

Giuseppe Mazzini

Italian patriot. Born Genoa. Died Pisa. An exile in London for much of his life from 1837 onwards.  Byronico has information about 10 addresses where he lived in London. He often stayed near, or wi...

Person, Nationalism, Italy

4 memorials
Lord Henry Snell

Lord Henry Snell

Socialist politician and campaigner. Born Nottinghamshire. Largely self-educated. Came to London as a young man. Joined the Labour party and the South Place Ethical Society (of which he later becam...

Person, Politics & Administration

1 memorial
Slade fountain

Slade fountain

SE11, Kennington Park Road, Kennington Park

On a nearby information board: Slade Fountain – This drinking fountain was installed in 1861 at the request – and expense – of local resi...

2 subjects commemorated, 1 creator
Jack Cornwell V.C. - Hornchurch

Jack Cornwell V.C. - Hornchurch

RM12, Station Lane, 114 - 124

We first took a photograph of this plaque some time ago, before it was stolen in March 2011, but then replaced with an almost identical c...

War dead | WW1
1 subject commemorated, 1 creator