Machine-gunner 1914-1918: Personal experiences of the Machine Gun Corps

by C.E. Crutchley

In 1914 there were only two machine guns supporting a British infantry battalion of 800 men, and in the light of the effectiveness of German and French machine guns the Machine Gun Corps was formed in October 1915. This remarkable book, compiled and edited by C E Crutchley, is a collection of the personal accounts of officers and men who served in the front lines with their machine guns in one of the most ghastly wars, spread over three continents. The strength of the book lies in the fact that these are the actual words of the soldiers themselves, complete with characteristic modes of expression and oddities of emphasis and spelling. All theatres of war are covered from the defence of the Suez Canal, Gallipoli and Mesopotamia in the east to France and Flanders, the German offensive of March 1918 and the final act on the Western Front that brought the war to an end. October 2006 is the 90th anniversary of the formation of the Machine Gun Corps.

Genres: History, World War I, Biography

1 pages, Hardcover

First published November 28, 2013

About the author

Charles E. Crutchley

Reviews

[Roger Burk · Rating 2 out of 5]

This is a somewhat disjointed collection of recollections of British machine gunners from WWI, when they were apparently organized as a their own branch of service, separate from the infantry. Lots of war-is-hell stories, but very little to show how being a machine gunner was different from a rifleman.

[Matt · Rating 3 out of 5]

Well written and a great insight into the formation of the MGC. Great to find out about the different and evolving tactics and equipment used by the men of this corps. Fact has been interspersed with personal accounts and diary extracts from men, officers and units.