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31st Battalion, Machine Gun Corps    The 31st Machine Gun Battalion was formed on the 21st of February 1918 from the Machine Gun Companies of 31st Division. They saw action in The Battle of St Quentin, The Battle of Bapaume, The First Battle of Arras, they moved north to Flanders and took part in The Battle of Estaires, The Battle of Hazebrouck, The Defence of Nieppe Forest and The attack at La Becque during the Battles of the Lys. During the Advance in Flanders they were involved in The capture of Vieux Berquin, and The action of Tieghem. They crossed the River Scheldt on the 9th of November and at the Armistice the forward units had reached Everbecque and the River Dender. They moved back to the Arques-Blendecques area and demobilisation began. 24th Dec 1917 Reorganisation 21st Jan 1918 Course 5th Feb 1918 Course Ends 13th Feb 1918 Personnel 21st Feb 1918 Reorganisation 31st of March 1918 Relief Completed   If you can provide any additional information, please add it here. Want to know more about 31st Battalion, Machine Gun Corps? There are:5236 items tagged 31st Battalion, 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 31st Battalion, Machine Gun Corps during the Great War 1914-1918. Geraghty Denis. L/Cpl. (d.13th Apr 1918) Kruse MM.. Arthur William. Sgt. 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 31st Battalion, Machine Gun Corps from other sources. The Wartime Memories Project is the original WW1 and WW2 commemoration website. 1st of September 2024 marks 25 years since the launch of the Wartime Memories Project. Thanks to everyone who has supported us over this time. 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We also have a section on World War Two. and a Timecapsule to preserve stories from other conflicts for future generations. 264015 Sgt. Arthur William Kruse MM. 31st Battalion Machine Gun Corps Born in 1882, the son of Cord Heinrich Kruse, a German immigrant and wine merchant, Arthur Kruse was very much a London boy growing up in Harlesden. Arthur joined the YMCA in 1904, aged 21, and married his childhood sweetheart, who was his next door neighbour's daughter, Ada M Matthews, who were a family of hatters, in 1912. They had a very long and, I believe, very happy marriage. He was an active member of the YMCA both before and after his wartime service. The Sunderland Echo newspaper wrote up his 50 years of membership in 1954. During his time as Secretary of Herrington Burn YMCA, and of the Sunderland Association, he shrewdly invited Mr. R Gurney (then Sunderland Centre Forward) as a supporting guest speaker in 1936. His German heritage did not prevent him from answering Kitchener's call to arms for long but this might have done as he was 33 years old when he enlisted on 23rd of November 1915. He was transferred into the Machine Gun Corps in mid-April 1917. I believe that his army number, 98543, falls within a group of men who all came from Battersea and Balham. My grandmother, Dorothy Ingmire (nee Bonner) was brought up by her Matthews family Aunts and Arthur Kruse gave her away at her wedding to my grandfather Gordon Ingmire. There are three anecdotes that my father, David Ingmire, told us about Arthur. Arthur had dropped his particularly treasured shaving kit during a move through no-mans land. As well as complaining about this incident, his fondness for the item was well known to his men. He must have been quite a popular chap as, the following morning, the retrieved shaving kit was presented to him simply with a "There you go sarge!". One of the men had been out in the dark to retrace their steps through no-man's land to find it. The second story was that, when he won his Military Medal (it is not known exactly what it was for or where he won it)' he was very saddened because he had lost two of his ammunition feeders to enemy fire but continued to keep the gun in action. Records of the 14th Field Ambulance show that he was wounded on or about 28th June 1918 in the left shoulder and right arm. He was actually not shot by the Germans on this occasion but by a British sentry. He had captured a German soldier and was bringing him back at gun-point to the British trench. As they neared the trench, the German started acting up the and the British sentry, thinking that they were both Germans, shot and hit Arthur. Wounded in the both arms, he could not hold his rifle, so told the prisoner that he had best be off! Whilst away at the trenches, a window at home was broken with a brick because of his German name and once, when he was on leave, he was sitting outside a cafe and was handed a white feather (for cowardice) by a lady who should have known better. He politely handed the feather back to her and told her that he did not need it. He was discharged on account of wounds on 24th September 1919, aged 36 years 8 months and was awarded Silver War Badge No 03106 which was sent to him on 22nd December 1919. Charles Ingmire Add to this record. 254957 L/Cpl. Denis Geraghty 31st Btn. Machine Gun Corps (d.13th Apr 1918) Denis Geraghty joined up to the Connaught Rangers at Athlone, Co Westmeath in 1915. He was enlisted even though under age. Because he was under age he was not sent to the front immediately and eventually transferred to the Machine Gun Corps. He was killed in action in the vicinity of the town of Strazeele, defending a position near the railway line. The action took place during the German Spring offensive of 1918. He is buried at Meteren Military Cemetery just south of Ypres on the Belgian/French border. A photo of Denis in army uniform graced his nieces' mantelpiece for many years. He was often spoken of fondly as the young uncle who died too young and who was never known in person. May he Rest In Peace. Never forgotten. Martin Gillick Add to this record. Recomended Reading. Available at discounted prices.

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