After the end of World War I, those units in the regular divisions of the army that would form the first British Army of the Rhine in 1919 remained and took on many of the soldiers that had time to serve before demobilisation or wished to continue in the army.
The fighting of the Great War had finished but the Machine Gun Corps (MGC) continued to see service in northwest Russia supporting the imperial forces there, in northwest India and Afghanistan until 1921. Their final engagements were in 1922 in Ireland as part of the transition of power to the Irish Free State. The last battalion of the MGC to see service was the 1st Battalion and they returned to Shorncliffe, Kent, for disbandment on 15 July 1922. Those who remained in MGC were transferred to other units or left the army.
With only six years, nine months and two days of service, the MGC had seen around 200,000 men pass through its ranks, the majority of whom served overseas. At least 16,917 had died in service (this number continues to grow as more evidence is found) and up to another 50,000 had been wounded or taken prisoner.
This story is from the Issue 116 edition of History of War.
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This story is from the Issue 116 edition of History of War.
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