Guards Machine Gun Regiment
The Guards Machine Gun Regiment was a regiment of the British Army. It was initially formed in 1915 when machine gun companies were formed in the Guards Division.[1] In April 1917, the four companies were grouped together as a single battalion of the Machine Gun Guards, before being re-designated by Royal Warrant in May 1918 as the 6th, or Machine Gun, Regiment of Foot Guards.[2] In June, the regiment was reorganised into battalions:[3]
| Guards Machine Gun Regiment | |
|---|---|
| Active | 1918–1920 |
| Country |  United Kingdom |
| Branch |  British Army |
| Type | Foot Guards |
| Role | Machine Gunner |
| Size | 5 Battalions |
| March | Quick - Machine Gun Guards Slow - The Soldier's Chorus |
Battalions
Battalions of the regiment were;[4]
- 1st (Life Guards) Battalion - Conversion of 1st Life Guards
- 2nd (Life Guards) Battalion - Conversion of 2nd Life Guards
- 3rd (Royal Horse Guards) Battalion - Conversion of Royal Horse Guards ("The Blues")
- 4th (Foot Guards) Battalion - Re-designation of the existing Guards Machine Gun battalion
- 5th (Reserve) Battalion - Re-designation of Guards Machine Gun Training Centre
The first three battalions served with the 1st Army of the British Expeditionary Force, while the 4th Battalion remained with the Guards Division. In 1918, after the end of the war, the three Household Cavalry battalions resumed their old role as cavalry, with the 4th Battalion being disbanded in February 1919.
The regimental establishment of HQ and four machine gun companies was retained until 1920, and the regiment took part in the Trooping the Colour ceremony in Hyde Park, London to mark the King's Official Birthday in June [5] 1919 alongside the other regiments of foot guards.
On 26 February 1920 an army order was issued announcing that the regiment was to be immediately disbanded and the 1918 royal warrant cancelled.[6]
Footnotes
- Guards Machine Gun Regiment at the archive of regiments.org
- "No. 30678". The London Gazette. 10 May 1918. p. 5603.
- "The 6th Guards. A Machine Gun Regiment". The Times. 11 May 1918. p. 7.
- Frederick 1984, p. 398
- "Trooping The Colour. Stately Ceremony In Hyde Park, Pageant Of Household Troops". The Times. 4 June 1919. p. 10.
- "Guards Machine-Gun Regiment". The Times. 28 February 1920. p. 16.
References
- Frederick, J. B. M. (1984). Lineage Book of British Land Forces 1660-1978, Volume II. Wakefield, United Kingdom: Microform Academic Publishers. ISBN 1-85117-008-1.