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- 103rd Company, Machine Gun Corps during the Great War -


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World War 1 One ww1 wwII greatwar great 1914 1918 first battalion regiment

103rd Company, Machine Gun Corps



   103rd Machine Gun Company, Machine Gun Corps joined 103rd Brigade 34th Division on the 27th of April 1916. They were in action during the Battles of the Somme, including the capture of Scots and Sausage Redoubts, The Battles of Bazentin Ridge and Pozieres Ridge. 103rd Brigade and the Divisional Pioneers also saw action in The Battle of Flers-Courcelette. In 1917 they fought in the The First and Second Battles of the Scarpe and the The Battle of Arleux during the Arras Offensive. In August they were involved in the fighting at Hargicourt and in October they took part in The Third Battles of Ypres at the Broenbeek. On the 26th of February 1918 they joined with the other machine gun companies of 34th Division and became 34th Battalion MGC.

28th June Letters Home  The raider did not get much rest for on the 27th and 28th the Battalions of 34th Division began to move forward. This in preparation for the opening of the attack. For the previous four days the British Artillery had been bombarding the German trenches. Every man in the Brigade was aware that the opening of the offensive was very close. Before setting off for the front line men wrote what could be their last letters home. However the date and time of attack was to be delayed by forty eight hours. Heavy summer rain had fallen on the 26th and 27th there was a great possibility of flooding. On the 28th June the decision was taken to postpone the attack. The Divisional and Brigade staff Officers had the job of halting and turning around those battalions on their way to the front line.

12th Sep 1916 Orders

21st Sep 1916 Quiet

22nd Sep 1916 Arrivals  location map

23rd Sep 1916 Orders  location map

24th Sep 1916 Trench Mortars  location map

25th Sep 1916 Shelling  location map

26th Sep 1916 Some Shelling  location map

27th Sep 1916 Trench Mortars  location map

28th Sep 1916 Training & Reliefs  location map

29th Sep 1916 Wire Cutting  location map

30th Sep 1916 Trench Raid  location map

1st Oct 1916 Quiet

2nd Oct 1916 Quiet

3rd Oct 1916 Shelling  location map

4th Oct 1916 Orders  location map

5th Oct 1916 Wire Cut  location map

6th Oct 1916 Rounds Fired  location map

7th Oct 1916 Trench Raid  location map

8th Oct 1916 Artillery Active  location map

9th Oct 1916 Quiet

10th Oct 1916 Quiet

11th Oct 1916 Course

12th Oct 1916 Trench Raids  location map

14th Oct 1916 Reliefs

15th Oct 1916 Conference

16th Oct 1916 Courses

19th Oct 1916 Orders Issued

20th Oct 1916 Trench Raids

21st Oct 1916 Enemy Aircraft

22nd Oct 1916 Artillery Active  location map

23rd Oct 1916 Artillery Active  location map

24th Oct 1916 Experiment

25th Oct 1916 Artillery Active

26th Oct 1916 Wire Cutting

27th Oct 1916 Artillery Active

28th Oct 1916 Artillery in Action

29th Oct 1916 Heavy Shelling  location map

30th Oct 1916 Artillery Active  location map

31st Oct 1916 Warning  location map

24th Dec 1917 Reorganisation

6th of January 1918  Reliefs Complete  location map

8th of January 1918 Heavy Snow

17th January 1918 Machine Guns Active

18th January 1918 Artillery Bombardment

21st of January 1918 A Surrender  location map

21st Jan 1918 Course

29th of January 1918 Divisional HQ Moves  location map

31st of January 1918 Training  location map

3rd of February 1918  Weather Fine  location map

5th Feb 1918 Course Ends

13th Feb 1918 Personnel

14th of February 1918 Training

21st Feb 1918 Reorganisation

26th Feb 1918 Reorganisation  location map

27th of February 1918 On the March  location map

28th of February 1918 On the Move  location map

21st Mar 1918 34th Division over run  On 21st March 1918, the great German spring offensive overran the positions of 34th Division at Croisilles on the River Sensee, causing many losses.

If you can provide any additional information, please add it here.





Want to know more about 103rd Company, Machine Gun Corps?


There are:5288 items tagged 103rd Company, Machine Gun Corps available in our Library

  These include information on officers, regimental histories, letters, diary entries, personal accounts and information about actions during the Great War.


Those known to have served with

103rd Company, Machine Gun Corps

during the Great War 1914-1918.

  • Hartley Ernest Henry. Pte. (d.10th Apr 1917)
  • Rickard Reginald. Pte. (d.1st July 1916)
  • Starkey Edwin. Pte. (d.1st Jul 1916)
  • Surman Jesse Charles. Pte. (d.1st Jul 1916)

All names on this list have been submitted by relatives, friends, neighbours and others who wish to remember them, if you have any names to add or any recollections or photos of those listed, please Add a Name to this List

Records of 103rd Company, Machine Gun Corps from other sources.


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254395

Pte. Edwin Starkey 103rd Coy. Machine Gun Corps (d.1st Jul 1916)

Edwin Starkey was the only son of Emily and George Starkey, born in Walsall. He had two younger sisters, Gertrude Ellen (Gertie) and Beatrice (Beattie), and a fiance named Sarah. His mother bought them a clock to mark their engagement.

Despite having a reserved occupation, he joined up to serve in France and was killed, aged 21, on the first day of the Battle of the Somme. He is my Great Great Uncle, he is buried amongst his fellow men at Ovillers Military Cemetery, and he is remembered with affection and honour.

For our today, he gave his tomorrow.

Thanks Uncle Ted, and hope to meet you one day.

Julie Baldwin-Smith




238730

Pte. Reginald Rickard 103rd Coy. Machine Gun Corps (d.1st July 1916)

Reginald Rickard served with the Devonshire Regiment, number 20551 then transferred to 103rd Coy Machine Gun Corps, new number 13502. He was killed in action on the first day of the Battle of the Somme

Reginald has no known grave and is commemorated on the Thiepval Memorial to the missing. He was aged 26 when he died and was the son of Rhoda Rickard of 7 Pym Street, Morice Town, Plymouth and the late John Rickard.

Mark Collins




210718

Pte. Ernest Henry Hartley 103 Coy. Machine Gun Corps (d.10th Apr 1917)

It has taken me ages to find out anything about Ernest Hartley, after much research, I have now found him. He was born in Tadcaster, Yorkshire in 1890. His Dad, Henry Hartley, born 1856. His Mother, Emma Bulmer, in 1864. He was formerly 37901 West Yorkshire Reg and died from his wounds in France and Flanders on the 10th of April 1917. I am now trying to find if he was trained at Belton House in Grantham, where the Machine corps were trained to use these guns to overcome the Germans, who had been using these weapons for year and were killing thousands of our soldiers.

Michael J Highfield






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