1st Machine Gun Battalion (Australia)
1st Machine Gun Battalion | |
---|---|
Active | 1918–1919 |
Country | Australia |
Branch | Australian Army |
Type | Infantry |
Role | Direct and indirect fire support |
Size | ~ 900 personnel |
Part of | 1st Division |
Engagements | World War I |
Commanders | |
Notable commanders |
The 1st Machine Gun Battalion was an infantry support unit of the Australian Army that was raised for service during World War I as part of the all volunteer Australian Imperial Force. 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 German spring offensive and then the Allied Hundred Days Offensive, which finally brought an end to the war. The battalion was disbanded in mid-1919 during the demobilisation of the AIF.
History
Assigned to the
The battalion's
A total of five such units would be raised by the AIF during the war: the 1st,
Legacy
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.[4] However, the machine gun battalion was revived again in 1937 as fears of war in Europe surfaced again, and four Australian Light Horse regiments – the 1st, 16th, 17th and 18th[10] – were converted into machine gun regiments. Following the outbreak of World War II, four machine gun battalions were eventually raised as part of the Second Australian Imperial Force, each assigned at divisional level.[11] Several more units were raised within the Militia including the 6th and 7th Machine Gun Battalions, which served in New Guinea, while several more light horse regiments were also converted for home defence, including: the 14th, 19th, 25th and 26th.[10][12] The 5th Machine Gun Battalion was also re-raised and undertook garrison duties as part of Torres Strait Force.[13] 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.[11]
According to Alexander Rodger, as a result of the decision not to re-raise machine gun battalions in the early interwar years, no battle honours 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.[14]
References
- Citations
- ^ Returned and Services League.
- ^ Mallett 2003.
- ^ Baker.
- ^ a b Kuring 2004, pp. 83–84.
- ^ Chapman 1975, pp. 100–102.
- ^ AWM4 24/1/16: 1st Machine Gun Battalion: May 1919.
- ^ Harris.
- ^ Kuring 2004, pp. 90–92.
- ^ Dennis et al 1995, p. 371.
- ^ a b Australian Light Horse.
- ^ a b Dennis et al 1995, pp. 371–372.
- ^ Festberg 1972.
- ^ Ball 1993.
- ^ Rodger 2003, p. 91.
- Bibliography
- "1st Machine Gun Battalion". RSL Virtual War Memorial. Returned and Services League. Retrieved 29 April 2016.
- "The Australian Light Horse". Royal New South Wales Lancers Lancer Barracks and Museum. Archived from the original on 31 July 2017. Retrieved 29 April 2016.
- "AWM4 24/1/16: 1st Machine Gun Battalion: May 1919". Unit war diaries. Australian War Memorial. Retrieved 29 April 2016.
- Baker, Chris. "The 1st Australian Division in 1914–1918". The Long, Long Trail. Retrieved 29 April 2016.
- Ball, Reg (1993). 5 Australian Machine Gun Battalion (AIF) Torres Strait Force (2nd ed.). Kareela, New South Wales. ISBN 978-0-64611-999-1.)
{{cite book}}
: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link - Chapman, Ivan D. (1975). Iven G. Mackay: Citizen and Soldier. Malvern, Victoria: Melway Publishing. OCLC 2346434.
- Dennis, Peter; et al. (1995). The Oxford Companion to Australian Military History (1st ed.). Melbourne, Victoria: Oxford University Press Australia & New Zealand. ISBN 0-19-553227-9.
- Festberg, Alfred (1972). The Lineage of the Australian Army. Melbourne, Victoria: Allara Publishing. ISBN 978-0-85887-024-6.
- Harris, Ted. "Patches of Machine Gun Corps, Service Corps & Pioneers". Digger History. Retrieved 29 April 2016.
- Kuring, Ian (2004). Redcoats to Cams: A History of Australian Infantry 1788–2001. Loftus, New South Wales: Australian Military Historical Publications. ISBN 1876439998.
- Mallett, Ross (2003). "Machine Gun Corps". AIF Project. University of New South Wales. Archived from the original on 12 November 2009. Retrieved 29 April 2016.
- Rodger, Alexander (2003). Battle Honours of the British Empire and Commonwealth Land Forces 1662–1991. Marlborough, Wiltshire: The Crowood Press. ISBN 1-86126-637-5.