Canadian Machine Gun Corps | |
---|---|
Active | 16 April 1917 – 15 December 1936 |
Country | Canada |
Branch | Canadian Expeditionary Force (1917–1918) Canadian Militia (1919–1936) |
Type | Machine gunners |
Role | Direct and indirect machine gun fire |
Part of | Canadian Expeditionary Force (1917–1918) Permanent Active Militia (1919–1923) Non-Permanent Active Militia (1919–1936) |
Nickname(s) | "Emma Gees" |
Engagements | First World War |
Commanders | |
Notable commanders | Raymond Brutinel |
Part of a series on the |
Military history of Canada |
---|
The Canadian Machine Gun Corps (CMGC) was an corps of the Canadian Expeditionary Force (CEF) and of the Canadian Militia. [1] [2] [3] It was part of the CEF sent to France during World War I. The Canadian Permanent Machine Gun Brigade was organized in the Permanent Force on 16 April 1917. By 1918, the CMGC consisted of 4 battalions (each of 4 machine gun companies), and 5 independent motor machine gun batteries, attached to each of the 4 Canadian divisions. In addition, the 20th Machine Gun Company CEF served at Vladivostok as a unit in the Canadian Siberian Expeditionary Force. [4] The Canadian Permanent Machine Gun Brigade was redesignated the Royal Canadian Permanent Machine Gun Brigade on 16 June 1921. The Royal Canadian Permanent Machine Gun Brigade was disbanded on 1 November 1923. The Non-Permanent Active Militia component of the CMGC continued to serve until it was disbanded as part of the 1936 Canadian Militia reorganization, and its roles were transferred to the newly formed infantry (machine gun) battalions. [5] [6] The CMGC donated a wall plaque at St. George's Church in Ypres. [7]
The Canadian Machine Gun Corps was formed on 16 April 1917 and the official publication of the formation occurred in the Canadians' Routine Order 558 of 22 February 1917. It was initially composed of:
During the Battle of Vimy Ridge the CMGC, with some British units, used a total of 362 Vickers guns. 104 guns went forward with the infantry while 258 were used in the indirect barrage role. Nearly 5 million rounds of ammunition were allocated for the barrage. [9]
Lieutenant Hugh McKenzie was posthumously awarded the Victoria Cross for his actions on 30 October 1917 during the Battle of Passchendaele. [10]
This unit was allied with the Machine Gun Corps of the British Army.
The Canadian Expeditionary Force (CEF) was the expeditionary field force of Canada during the First World War. It was formed on August 15, 1914 following Britain’s declaration of war on the German Empire, with an initial strength of one infantry division. The division subsequently fought at Ypres on the Western Front, with a newly raised second division reinforcing the committed units to form the Canadian Corps. The CEF and corps was eventually expanded to four infantry divisions, which were all committed to the fighting in France and Belgium along the Western Front. A fifth division was partially raised in 1917, but was broken up in 1918 and used as reinforcements following heavy casualties.
The Winnipeg Grenadiers was an infantry regiment of the Canadian Army.
The Irish Regiment of Canada is a Primary Reserve infantry regiment of the Canadian Army based in Sudbury, Ontario. It is part of the 4th Canadian Division's 33 Canadian Brigade Group. Currently one battalion of the regiment exists.
Permanent Active Militia (PAM), also known as Permanent Force (PF), was the proper name of Canada's full-time professional land forces from 1855 to 1940, when it was reorganized into the Canadian Army. PAM was in effect Canada's standing army, consisting of one regular infantry regiment and two cavalry regiments in 1914.
The Winnipeg Light Infantry was an infantry regiment of the Non-Permanent Active Militia of the Canadian Militia. In 1955, the regiment was amalgamated with The Royal Winnipeg Rifles.
The Edmonton Fusiliers was an infantry regiment of the Non-Permanent Active Militia of the Canadian Militia and later the Canadian Army. First raised in 1908 as part of the 101st Regiment Edmonton Fusiliers, it became a separate regiment in 1924 when The Edmonton Regiment was split into two separate regiments. In 1946, the regiment was Amalgamated with the 19th Alberta Dragoons.
The 56th Field Artillery Regiment, Royal Canadian Artillery is a Canadian Army Reserve artillery regiment based in Brantford, Ontario. The regiment is currently part of 4th Canadian Division's 32 Canadian Brigade Group.
The Canadian Fusiliers (City of London Regiment) was an infantry regiment of the Non-Permanent Active Militia of the Canadian Militia (now the Canadian Army). In 1954, the regiment was amalgamated with The Oxford Rifles to form The London and Oxford Fusiliers (now the reserve battalion of the Royal Canadian Regiment).
The New Brunswick Rangers was an infantry regiment of the Non-Permanent Active Militia of the Canadian Militia. In 1946, the regiment was amalgamated with The Saint John Fusiliers to form The South New Brunswick Regiment which was later renamed as The New Brunswick Scottish. They now form part of the 1st Battalion, The Royal New Brunswick Regiment.
The Saskatoon Light Infantry was an infantry regiment of the Non-Permanent Active Militia of the Canadian Militia. The regiment was formed in 1924, when The North Saskatchewan Regiment (1920–1924) was reorganized into four separate regiments. In 1955, the regiment was amalgamated with The Prince Albert and Battleford Volunteers to form The North Saskatchewan Regiment.
The Oxford Rifles were an infantry regiment of the Non-Permanent Active Militia of the Canadian Militia. In 1954, the regiment was amalgamated with The Canadian Fusiliers to form The London and Oxford Fusiliers.
The Peterborough Rangers was an infantry regiment of the Non-Permanent Active Militia of the Canadian Militia. In 1936, the regiment was amalgamated with the 3rd Prince of Wales' Canadian Dragoons to form The Prince of Wales Rangers.
The Haldimand Rifles was an infantry regiment of the Non-Permanent Active Militia of the Canadian Militia. In 1936, the regiment was Amalgamated with The Dufferin Rifles of Canada to form The Dufferin and Haldimand Rifles of Canada.
The Dufferin and Haldimand Rifles of Canada was an infantry regiment of the Non-Permanent Active Militia of the Canadian Militia and later the Canadian Army. The regiment was formed in 1936, when The Haldimand Rifles was Amalgamated with The Dufferin Rifles of Canada. In 1946, the regiment was converted from Infantry to Artillery and now forms part of the 56th Field Artillery Regiment, RCA.
The Sherbrooke Regiment was a regiment of the Canadian Militia and later the Canadian Army Reserve that existed from 1866 to 1965. Originally an infantry regiment, during the Second World War the regiment helped form the 27th Armoured Regiment (The Sherbrooke Fusilier Regiment) which served as an armoured (tank) unit in the 2nd Canadian Armoured Brigade. In 1946, the regiment itself was converted to an armoured regiment was redesignated as The Sherbrooke Regiment (RCAC). In 1965, the regiment was amalgamated with the 7th/11th Hussars to form The Sherbrooke Hussars.
The Saint John Fusiliers was an infantry regiment of the Non-Permanent Active Militia of the Canadian Militia. In 1946, the regiment was amalgamated with The New Brunswick Rangers to form the South New Brunswick Regiment which was later renamed as The New Brunswick Scottish. They now form part of the 1st Battalion, The Royal New Brunswick Regiment.
The Cumberland Highlanders was an infantry regiment of the Non-Permanent Active Militia of the Canadian Militia. In 1936, the regiment was amalgamated with The Colchester and Hants Regiment to form The North Nova Scotia Highlanders.
The Colchester and Hants Regiment was an infantry regiment of the Non-Permanent Active Militia of the Canadian Militia. In 1936, it was amalgamated with The Cumberland Highlanders to create The North Nova Scotia Highlanders.
The Argyll Light Infantry was an infantry regiment of the Non-Permanent Active Militia of the Canadian Militia. In 1936, the regiment was converted from infantry to form one of the Canadian Army's first tank units, and then in 1946 was converted to anti-tank artillery. In 1954, the regiment was converted back to infantry and amalgamated along with The Midland Regiment into The Hastings and Prince Edward Regiment.
The Grey Regiment was an infantry regiment of the Non-Permanent Active Militia of the Canadian Militia. In 1936, the regiment was amalgamated with the Simcoe Foresters to form the Grey and Simcoe Foresters.
{{cite book}}
: CS1 maint: date and year (link)