Sergeant Andrew Lewis 49108 Machine Gun Corps

[Neon_strobelight]

Hi, I wonder if someone was able to assist me with some research. I have recently discovered my Great Great Uncle, Andrew Lewis was a Sergeant in the Machine Gun Corps, rol number 49108.

I have found his records but I have to admit, I’m not a military historian so much of it is lost on me ( I can do the very basic but more than that is over my head). I would appreciate anyone who can help me to sort through what happened to him and where he went and to put some meat on the bones so to speak.

Thank you in advance. Neil

[barryd]

Knowing the Army's sense of Humour he may have been attached  to a Lewis Machine Gun the other choice being a Vickers Machine Gun.

I remember the last Vickers being fired accompanied by an Army Band. Probably in the 1950/1960. I wonder if they filmed it.

[ShaunJ]

There is certainly a lot to work through.

Starting with the bare bones:

He started out in the Shropshire Light Infantry (9298) before transferring to the Machine Gun Corps, 80th Company 0n 18/5/16.


Home islands: 18/12/09 to 11/9/12
India: 12/9/12 to 16/11/14
Home islands: 17/11/14 to 19/12/14
France: 20/12/14 to 18/11/15
Mediterranean Expeditionary Force: 19/11/15 to 21/12/18 (date of death)

[ShaunJ]

In December 1918 he was in Italy on troop train 171 from Taranto en route to the UK when he was taken ill with bronchial pneumonia. He died in the military hospital at Faenza at 15.35 on 21 December.

[ShaunJ]

See http://www.vickersmachinegun.org.uk/units-mgc-i-coy-80.htm regarding 80th MG Company

[Leyb2004]

At the outbreak of WW1 a battalion had two machine guns (usually Vickers), The Machine Gun Corps was "created" by Order in October 1915 and all existing trained Machine Gunners were transferred to the Machine Gun Corps. An MGC Company was attached to an Infantry Brigade and, usually, consisted of the Machine Gunners from the Brigade's Infantry Battalions.  So 80th MGC Company would have been in 80 Brigade, part of 27 Division.  In March 1918 the MGC Companies were formed into Battalions, usually 4 Companies to a Battalion.  The last Battalion of the MGC was disbanded in 1922.  In a subsequent fire all the Corps records were lost and most Soldier's records were lost during the Blitz, so information can be hard to come by.
There is an Old Comrades Association (www.machineguncorps.co.uk) one of the members has an extensive database on Machine Gunners.  The nickname of the MGC was "The Suicide Squad".