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245th Company, Machine Gun Corps    245th Machine Gun Company was raised and trained in Grantham MG Training Base and moved to France joining the 50th (Northumberland) Division as part of the Divisional Troops on the 30 July 1917. It was later moved into the 50th Battalion, Machine Gun Corps on the 1 March 1918 as part of more tactic changes to further increase the concentration of Divisional firepower. 15th July 1917 On the Move 16th July 1917 Arrival in France  245 Machine Gun Company The Company disembarked at Le Havre at 0830 on the 16th July and marched to No.1 Rest Camp, Section A at Sanvic, where 1 ASC Driver joined the Company. 17th July 1917 refitting  245 Machine Gun Company From the 17th to the 19th July the Company was engaged in making up deficiencies in equipment, clothing, transport and machine guns and generally sorting itself out for action. 20th July 1917 Rest and Refitting  245 Machine Gun Company The Company was based at the Rest Camp from 20th to 28th July refitting and generally preparing itself for the move to its active service station. 23rd July 1917 Rest and Refitting  245 Machine Gun Company Still at Rest Camp, one NCO sent to hospital, sick. 24th July 1917 Rest and Refitting  245 Machine Gun Company Rest Camp, one OR sent to hospital, sick. 25th July 1917 Rest and Refitting  245 Machine Gun Company Rest Camp, one OR sent to hospital, sick. 26th July 1917 Rest and Refitting  245 Machine Gun Company Rest Camp, one NCO returned from hospital and two ORs were struck off previously reported Company strength. 28th July 1917 movements 29th July 1917 Relocations  245 Machine Gun Company. The Company entrained and departed Le Havre at 0320 Company Strength: 10 Officers, 176 ORs, 6 rider’s mounts, 2 heavy draft horses and 47 mules. At 0530 the train arrived in Foucart-Alvimare Station. One Horse Truck was broken during shunting. It contained 6 mounts and 2 heavy draft horses. The Truck was left behind in a siding at Foucart-Alvimare station in charge of a transport sergeant and five men. Arrangements were made with the French authorities to have a replacement truck sent up from Le Havre. The Company stopped for a meal and exercise in Romescamps at 1400 and continued on at 2145 by train via Amiens and Albert to Boisleux-au-Mont (near Arras). 30th July 1917 Arrival at Mercatel  245 Machine Gun Company The Company arrived in Boisleux au Mont at 0430 on the 30th July and was met by the Divisional Machine Gun Officer (DMGO). They marched to a camp NW of Mercatel. Mercatel is south of Arras in the direction of Bapaume. The OC 245 MG Company Reported to the GOC. 150th Infantry Brigade who informed the him that his Company is to be the Divisional Machine Gun Company of the 50th (Northumberland) Division and will be attached to Divisional Headquarters and not with 150th Brigade. 31st July 1917 245 MGC Setting up base camp  245 Machine Gun Company having arrived now at its base near Mercatel, commenced work erecting huts and tents and generally settling in. One man was sent to VII Corps Rest Station, sick. 1st August 1917 Inspections  245 Machine Gun Company Mercatel. Received Operations Order No.115 but the Company is not affected by this Operations Order. GSO1 visited the Company and informed me that the Company would not take over trench positions until the 7th inst. (GSO General Staff Officer). Copy of Operations Order GSO1 5oth Division. No.115 Copy 23. 150th Infantry Brigade to relieve 149th Brigade in the Vis and Guemappe sectors on night 4/5th Aug 17. 2nd August 1917 Movement Orders 3rd August 1917 Movement Orders 4th August 1917 movements 5th August 1917 Operational Orders  245 Machine Gun Company Mercatel and trenches. Received orders from DMGO that S2,3 and S4 positions are to be taken over on the night of 6/7th August. Gave orders to 2/Lt. GE Barnes to take up remaining 3 guns of No.1 section on the night of 6th inst. (appendix No.5 letter, DMGO 50th Division.) Copy of Appx No 5. Letter on relief DMGO 50th Division. 245 MG Coy. to take over new positions S2, S3 and S4 on night 6/7th August 1917. S.O directly responsible to GOC 151 Inf. Brigade (Right Sector) 5th August 1917. 6th August 1917 Movements 7th August 1917 Movements 8th Aug 1917 Activity in Front Line   245 Machine Gun Company Mercatel and trenches. At 1100 a practice barrage was commenced by all arms, during which fire was opened on the right of Lanyard Trench isolating that trench from St Romart’s factory. (see Map 6) The raid was postponed. 9th August 1917 Activity in Front Line  245 Machine Gun Company Mercatel and trenches. At 1100, the practice barrage of the previous day was repeated. Zero hour for the raid was at 0745 and rapid fire was maintained for 90 minutes. One NCO was wounded and sent to 20th Casualty Clearing Centre. A suggestion was forwarded to the DMGO that relief of guns in the Right Sector should take place on the night of 13/14th August and in the Left Sector on the night of the 12/13th August. One OR was wounded in Egret Trench. 10th August 1917 Activity in Front Line  245 Machine Gun Company Mercatel and trenches. Received Operations Orde No.117 (50th Div.) warned that all officers in the trenches were considerably handicapped by not being in telephonic communication with Divisional Headquarters also with Right and Left Brigade Headquarters. This was reported to the DMGO. Organization. The establishment laid down for a Machine Gun Company in the field does not seem sufficient. A Transport Officer is required during trench warfare. The weather clear but unsettled. There was heavy rain during the week and storms on the 9th and 10th August. Copy of Operations Order No.117 GSO1 50th Division. Copy No.20. 149th Inf. Brigade to relieve 151st Inf. Brigade in Cherisy sector on night of 12/13th Aug. 1917. 12th Aug 1917 Orders 13th Aug 1917 Reliefs 14th Aug 1917 Leave  245 Machine Gun Company report from Mercatel "Lt. AJ Barnes proceeded on special leave of absence for 10 days." 16th August 1917 Orders for Move  245th Machine Gun Company have their HQ at Mercatel and are in the trenches. Received Operations Order No.118 from 50th Division: "151st Inf. Brigade to relieve 150th Brigade in Vis and Guemappe Sectors on the night 20/21st August 1917." 17th August 1917 Activity in Front Line   Layout of Machine Guns under new Divisional Defence 245 Machine Gun Company Mercatel and trenches. Conference held at 245 Machine Gun Company Headquarters at 1200, attended by DMGO and OC’s 149, 150 and 151 Brigades together with the OC. 245 MGC. The new Divisional Machine Gun Defence Scheme, part of the VI Corps Defence Scheme, was discussed. Received a letter from Divisional HQ, showing division of gun positions under the new Defence Scheme and indicating that all guns are to be in position by 0600 21st August. Copy of Divisional Letter GX4025/34 GSO1 50th Division. 1 Attached Map (Appx No.12) substituted for previous M.9 Maps. 2 Right Brigade to occupy positions 1 to 7 inclusive and S1 and S2. Left Brigade to occupy positions 8 to 15 inclusive and S8. 245 MG Coy. to occupy positions S3 to S7 and S9 to S12 inclusive. All guns to be in position by 0600 21st Aug 1917. Remaining 7 guns per Brigade MG Coy in the line to be at the disposal of GOC Brigade 17th August 1917. 18th August 1917 Activity in Front Line  245 Machine Gun Company Mercatel and trenches. Attended VI Corps Horse Show at Bihucourt, with one entry in event 18, a pair of mules. 19th August 1917 Activity in Front Line  245 Machine Gun Company Mercatel and trenches. Issued with Operations Order No. 1 for reliefs on the nights of the 19th, 20th and 21st August. 20th August 1917 Activity in Front Line   Divisional Positions of all Machine Guns by Company 245 Machine Gun Company Mercatel and trenches. Received orders from DMGO that post S3 need not be occupied. Posts occupied by the Company on the night of 20/21st were S4, 5,6, 7, 9, 10, 11 and S12. All guns were in position by 0600 21st August, according to the Divisional Letter. A map was issued showing the positions of all machine guns in the Divisional Sector and how they were divided amongst the Companies. 21st August 1917 Activity in Front Line  245 Machine Gun Company Mercatel and trenches. Relief postponed as gas is expected to be released in the 50th Divisional area. Issued orders for reliefs to take place on the night of 22/23rd August. 22nd August 1917 Activity in Front Line  245 Machine Gun Company at Mercatel, sheet 51B France 1/40,000 M.24.c.2.4 and trenches Section Reliefs. 2/Lt. Parsons (No.1 Section) relieved 2/Lt. Derbyshire (No.4 Section) in S4 and S5. 2/Lt. G Barnes (No.1 Section) relieved Lt. Houghton (No.2 Section) in S6 and S7. 2/Lt. Wheatley (No.3 Section) relieved 2/Lt. Attwater (No.2 Section) in S8, 9, 10, 11 and S12. Division of Positions: S4, S5 and S6, Right Brigade. S7, Right of River, Left Brigade. S8, 9, 10 and S11, Left of River, Left Brigade. 26th August 1917 Activity in Front Line  245 Machine Gun Company Mercatel, sheet 51B France 1/40,000 M.24.c.2.4 and trenches Received Operations Order No.119 from Divisional HQ regarding Brigade reliefs. Copy of Operational Order No.119 GSO1 50th Division. Copy 20. 150th Inf. Brigade to relieve 149th Inf. Brigade in Fontaine and Cherisy Sectors on the night 28/29th Aug. 17 Dated 26th Aug. 17 27th August 1917 Activity in Front Line  245 Machine Gun Company Mercatel, sheet 51B France 1/40,000 M.24.c.2.4 and trenches The OC. 245 MGC, Capt WR Thomson proceeded on leave of absence to UK for 10 days. Lt. LW Rees assumed temporary command of the Company. Weather during the night, very violent storm, strong wind and rain, several tents were blown down and sheets of (screens?) displaced. (Note: the war diary for last item very faint and difficult to read) 28th August 1917 Activity in Front Line 29th August 1917 Activity in Front Line 30th August 1917 Activity in Front Line 29th of October 1917 Orders   8th of November 1917 Orders   13th of November 1917 Dispositions   12th of December 1917  14th of December 1917  18th of December 1917  22nd of December 1917 Orders 24th Dec 1917 Reorganisation 26th of December 1917  30th of December 1917  9th of January 1918  21st Jan 1918 Course 24th of January 1918  31st of January 1918  31st of January 1918  3rd of February 1918 Orders 4th of February 1918  5th Feb 1918 Course Ends 8th of February 1918    8th of February 1918 Orders 11th of February 1918  12th of February 1918  13th Feb 1918 Personnel 15th of February 1918  15th of February 1918 Orders   16th of February 1918 Machine Guns Relieved 17th of February 1918  21st Feb 1918 Reorganisation 27th of February 1918 Orders If you can provide any additional information, please add it here. Want to know more about 245th Company, Machine Gun Corps? There are:66 items tagged 245th 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 245th Company, Machine Gun Corps during the Great War 1914-1918. This page is new, as yet no names have been submitted. 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 245th Company, Machine Gun Corps from other sources. The Wartime Memories Project is the original WW1 and WW2 commemoration website. 1st of September 2023 marks 24 years since the launch of the Wartime Memories Project. Thanks to everyone who has supported us over this time. 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