The Canadian Machine Gun Corps (CMGC) was an

administrative corps Corps (; plural ''corps'' ; from French , from the Latin "body") is a term used for several different kinds of organization. A military innovation by Napoleon I, the formation was formally introduced March 1, 1800, when Napoleon ordered Gener ...

of the

Canadian Expeditionary Force The Canadian Expeditionary Force (CEF; French: ''Corps expéditionnaire canadien'') was the expeditionary warfare, expeditionary field force of Canada during the First World War. It was formed on August 15, 1914, following United Kingdom declarat ...

(CEF) and of the

Canadian Militia The Canadian Militia is a historical title for military units raised for the defence of Canada. The term has been used to describe sedentary militia units raised from local communities in Canada; as well as the regular army for the Province of Ca ...

. It was part of the CEF sent to France during

World War I World War I or the First World War (28 July 1914 – 11 November 1918), also known as the Great War, was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War I, Allies (or Entente) and the Central Powers. Fighting to ...

. By 1918, the CMGC consisted of four battalions (each of four machine gun companies), and five independent motor machine gun batteries, attached to each of the four Canadian divisions. In addition, the 20th Machine Gun Company CEF served at Vladivostok as a unit in the Canadian Siberian Expeditionary Force. The CMGC donated a wall plaque at St. George's Church in

Ypres Ypres ( ; ; ; ; ) is a Belgian city and municipality in the province of West Flanders. Though the Dutch name is the official one, the city's French name is most commonly used in English. The municipality comprises the city of Ypres/Ieper ...

. The Canadian Permanent Machine Gun Brigade was organized in the Permanent Force on 16 April 1917. The brigade was redesignated the Royal Canadian Permanent Machine Gun Brigade on 16 June 1921. This brigade was disbanded on 1 November 1923. The

Non-Permanent Active Militia The Non-Permanent Active Militia (NPAM) was the military reserve force of Canada from 1855 to 1940. It was composed of several dozen infantry battalions (redesignated as regiments in 1900) and cavalry regiments. After the withdrawal of British ...

component of the CMGC continued to serve until it was disbanded as part of the 1936 militia reorganization, and its roles were transferred to the newly formed ''infantry (machine gun)'' battalions.

History

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: * Machine Gun Squadron,

Canadian Cavalry Brigade The Canadian Cavalry Brigade was raised in December 1914, under its first commanding officer Brigadier-General J.E.B. Seely. It was originally composed of two Canadian and one British regiments and an attached artillery battery. The Canadian un ...

, * Machine gun companies, * 1st Motor Machine Gun Brigade and motor machine gun batteries, * A depot organized in England on 4 January 1917 (authorized by Canadians' Routine Order 150 of same date). During the

Battle of Vimy Ridge The Battle of Vimy Ridge was part of the Battle of Arras, in the Pas-de-Calais department of France, during the First World War. The main combatants were the four divisions of the Canadian Corps in the First Army, against three divisions of ...

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.

Victoria Cross recipient

Lieutenant Hugh McKenzie was posthumously awarded the

Victoria Cross The Victoria Cross (VC) is the highest and most prestigious decoration of the Orders, decorations, and medals of the United Kingdom, British decorations system. It is awarded for valour "in the presence of the enemy" to members of the British ...

for his actions on 30 October 1917 during the

Battle of Passchendaele The Third Battle of Ypres (; ; ), also known as the Battle of Passchendaele ( ), was a campaign of the First World War, fought by the Allies of World War I, Allies against the German Empire. The battle took place on the Western Front (World Wa ...

Related units

This unit was allied with the

Machine Gun Corps The Machine Gun Corps (MGC) was a Regiment, corps of the British Army, formed in October 1915 in response to the need for more effective use of machine guns on the Western Front (World War I), Western Front in the World War I, First World War. Th ...

of the British Army.

References

;Bibliography * *

External links

* * * * {{Use dmy dates, date=June 2017 Administrative corps of the Canadian Army Army units and formations of Canada in World War I Military units and formations established in 1919 Canadian Expeditionary Force 1919 establishments in Canada 1936 disestablishments in Canada