68th Company, Machine Gun Corps

The 68th Machine Gun Company was formed Grantham, Lincolnshire on the 4th of March 1916 and joined 68th Brigade, 23rd Division at Bullswater in September, as the winter set in, the Division moved to Aldershot. At the end of February 1915 they moved to Shorncliffe, Kent then to Bordon, Hampshire at the end of May for final training. They proceeded to France in the third week of August, landing at Boulogne and concentrating near Tilques. On the 5th of September 23rd Division became attached to III Corps, moving to the Merris-Vieux Berquin area, for trench familiarisation under the guidance of the 20th (Light) and 27th Divisions. They took over front line sector between Ferme Grande Flamengrie to the Armentieres-Wez Macquart road in their own right on the 14th. They fought alongside the 10th Btn. and 11th Btn. Northumberland Fusilers, the 12th and 13th battalions Durham Light Infantry and the 68th Trench Mortar Battery. During the Battle of Loos CIII and CV Brigades RFA were in action attached to 8th Division. With 23rd Division holding the front at Bois Grenier, they were relieved from that sector at the end of January 1916 and Divisional HQ was established at Blaringhem with the units concentrated around Bruay for a period of rest. On the 3rd of March they returned to the front line, taking over a sector between the Boyau de l'Ersatz and the Souchez River from the French 17th Division, with the Artillery taking over an exposed position between Carency and Bois de Bouvigny where it was subjected to heavy shelling. In early March a Tunnelling Company was established and men with a background in mining were transferred from the ranks to the Royal Engineers. In Mid April they returned to Bruay area for rest until mid May when they again took over the Souchez-Angres front, just before the German Attack on Vimy Ridge on the 21st. The brunt of the attack fell on 47th (London) Division, to the right of 23rd Division and the 23rd Divisional Artillery went into action in support of the 47th. On the 1st of June the Artillery supported 2nd Division as they undertook operations to recover lost ground. On the 11th of June the 23rd Division Infantry moved to Bomy and the artillery to Chamblain Chatelain and Therouanne to begin intensive training for the Battles of the Somme. They were in action in The Battle of Albert including the capture of Contalmaison, The Battles of Bazentin Ridge, Pozieres, Flers-Courcelette, Morval and The Battle of Le Transloy including the capture of Le Sars. In 1917 they fought in The Battle of Messines, The Battles of the Menin Road, Polygon Wood and the The First and Second Battles of Passchendaele. In November 1917 the Division moved to Italy concentrating between Mantua and Marcaria before taking over the front line at the Montello on the 4th of December. On the 1st of April 1918 the Company joined with the other MGC's of the Division to become No 23 Battalion, MGC.

24th Dec 1917 Reorganisation

21st Jan 1918 Course

5th Feb 1918 Course Ends

13th Feb 1918 Personnel

21st Feb 1918 Reorganisation

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Those known to have served with
68th Company, Machine Gun Corps
during the Great War 1914-1918.

Barrell Arthur. Pte. (d.11th Jun 1917)
Burt George. Pte. (d.11th Nov 1917)
Caine Evan Idwal. Pte. (d.9th Jun 1917)
Fowler Frederick William. Pte. (d.9th Jun 1917)
Gray John. Pte. (d.9th Jun 1917)
Jacques Albert. Gnr.
Robinson T.. Pte. (d.9th Jun 1917)
Trim Samuel. Pte. (d.24th Dec 1916)

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264358

Gnr. Albert Jacques 68th Coy. Machine Gun Corps

Albert Jacques joined up with the York and Lancaster Regiment and later served with the 68th Coy Machine Gun Corps. He was hospitalised for 3 months in 1916 at No 2 General Hospital at Le Havre and was entitled to wear a Wound Stripe from 6th of July 1916.
Michael Bacon

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243212

Pte. George Burt 68th MG Coy. Machine Gun Corps (d.11th Nov 1917)

George Burk is buried in Pegli Communal Cemetery in Italy.
S Flynn

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234936

Pte. Samuel Trim 68th Coy. Machine Gun Corps (d.24th Dec 1916)

Samuel Trim enlisted voluntarily at Taunton between 10th and 12th January 1915, joining the 8th Somerset Light Infantry. He was then transferred to the MGC training school at Belton Park near Grantham on 1st January 1916 and on completion was attached to the 68th Company MGC, in 68th Brigade, 23rd Division. The 68th MGC landed in France on the S.S. La Marguerite on 25th February 1916.
The war diary describes how the Company moved into the trenches after a period of rest, on 6th December 1916. The guns took up positions in the Armagh Wood - Vince Street sector of line, which is south east of Zillebeke near Ypres. It was a relatively quiet tour.
Over the next days, German artillery was active and the Company positions were shelled. The diary is rather matter-of-fact about it all and mentions no casualties. On 22nd December the Company was relieved and began to move out of the trenches for rest at Erie Camp, west of Ypres. As it moved through the ruins of Zillebeke around 6pm, heavy shellfire fell.
It is reasonable to assume that Samuel was a victim of this shelling, and that he may have been hit in Zillebeke. He was evacuated, making it as far as the medical facilities at Remy Farm (No 3 Canadian CCS) in the hamlet of Lijssenthoek, west of Poperinge. He succumbed to gunshot wounds to the Shoulder, thigh, elbow and side (shrapnel) on 24th December 1916 and is buried in Lijssenthoek military cemetery.
His brother L/Cpl Ernest Frank Trim 12156 8th Bn Somerset Light Infantry was killed on 28th April 1917 and is commemorated on the Arras Memorial to the missing.
Shane Russell

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68th Company, Machine Gun Corps

Want to know more about 68th Company, Machine Gun Corps?

Those known to have served with68th Company, Machine Gun Corpsduring the Great War 1914-1918.

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Recomended Reading.

Links

The Wartime Memories Project
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Those known to have served with
68th Company, Machine Gun Corps
during the Great War 1914-1918.