Lieutenant Sydney George Whitaker – Machine Gun Corps Sydney

Lieutenant Sydney George Whitaker – Machine Gun Corps
Sydney was born in 1889 to Charles and Martha
Whitaker. He was the 7th of ten children. His father
had a grocery business in Magpies Square when
Sydney was born but by the time of the 1901 census
he was working as a commercial traveller and in the
1911 census he was described as a Tea Traveller.
Sydney attended Lincoln Grammar School and by the
time of the 1911 Census he was still living at 3
Tentercroft St with the family and working as a
railway clerk (age 21). There was a cadet corps at
Lincoln Grammar School, which it is likely that
Sydney was a member of. He died near Arras on
22nd March 1918 whilst serving with the Machine
Gun Corps. He did his training at Belton Camp and
these photographs relate to that time.
Reverse: Captain Cooper Clyb? /
?Belton Park / M.G.C Sports / 1917
On reverse of photo – Sidney Whittaker, Glass Hilton and Benbow. Clipstone Trek, June 1917
On Reverse: Left Glass, Whittaker, Smith, Mackie and Benbow. Route March from Belton 1917
On Reverse: 'Ole Biel, Whit and Benbow. Outside Grantham 1917'
Reverse: 'Whit out on the Bank 2nd from front. Clipstone Trek, June 1917'
Reverse: 'Whit and some of the officers, 244 Coy resting on the Clipstone Trek June 1917'
Photographs supplied courtesy of Sue Stennett.
A BRIEF HISTORY OF THE MACHINE GUN CORPS
BY COLONEL SIR GEORGE A WADE MC, JP.
CHAIRMAN, THE MACHINE GUN CORPS, OLD COMRADES’ ASSOCIATION.
At the outbreak of war in 1914, each cavalry regiment and infantry battalion of the
Regular and Territorial Armies had a machine-gun section, usually of 2 or 3 Maxims,
although Vickers machine-guns were also coming into use.
By November 1914 there were less than 300 machine-guns remaining, and few surviving
guns or gunners in the British Expeditionary Force in France and Flanders.
Many military leaders believed that the rapid rifle-fire of British infantry, supported by
cavalry action, would be equal to all demands. Others urged the massive provision and
use of machine-guns.
Meanwhile there were commanders who made improvised arrangements to provide for
the manning of whatever machine-guns that were procurable. A training school for
infantry machine-gunners was set up at St Omer. An establishment for motorised
machine-gunnery was at work at Bisley; the guns were mounted on motor-cycle sidecars
and light armoured vehicles. The School of Musketry at Hythe extended and later hivedoff its machine-gun training school.
In the field, a number of commanders considered that the tactical use of their machineguns should be more widely-based.
Most Indian Army and some British formations brigaded their regimental machine-gun
sections when in the line, and this collective use of the machine-gun power of a Brigade
became usual.
While these were still matters of some controversy in high quarters, Mr Lloyd George
initiated a very large programme of manufacture of Vickers machine-guns. In this he
was discreetly supported by His Majesty King George V, who had a remarkable personal
knowledge of the requirements. The Princess of India expressed loyal support by placing
private orders for Vickers guns; these were presented to His Majesty for issue to the
Forces.
All controversy ceased on 14th October 1915, with the enactment of a Royal Warrant for
the creation of an autonomous Machine Gun Corps. In due course His Majesty became
Colonel-in-Chief of the Corps.
During November 1915 the regimental machine-gunners of existing formations were
transferred to the Machine Gun Corps and became the Brigade Machine Gun Company or
Machine Gun Squadron. Units of the Motor Machine Gun Corps were similarly created;
and finally a Machine Gun Corps (Heavy Branch) came into being to man the heavilyarmoured tracked vehicles then in secret production. The Heavy Branch personnel
served in the Machine Gun Corps until their transfer to the newly-formed Tank Corps in
1917.
These early units of the Machine Gun Corps were soon to be greatly outnumbered by
newly-created companies formed and trained at the Machine Gun Corps Depot
establishments at Grantham and in the surrounding district. In the theatres of war there
were eventually over 300 Service companies, squadrons, and batteries of the Corps,
with an administration that included machine-gun officers at Divisional, Corps and Army
headquarters. Each overseas Command had its machine-gun schools and depots, while
at home a large establishment of Depot, Training and Reserve companies supplied the
ever-increasing demand for more machine-guns and machine-gunners. By 1917 the
universal weapon, and one that dominated every battlefield, was the Vickers gun.
In February 1918 the accepted need for the use of machine-guns with reference to the
overall plan was met by the creation of Divisional battalions of 4 machine-gun
companies. These battalions, with their self-contained transport, armament, supply and
headquarters sections, were the largest and most formidable major units in any army. At
the date of the Armistice in November 1918 there were over 80 such battalions in the
field.
Despite a headlong run-down in the Corps during the early months of 1919, it was
considered that any post-war Army would require machine-gun battalions, and 12 such
post-war battalions were in fact created, the personnel coming from Regular machinegunners with unexpired service and others who re-enlisted for normal or short-term
engagements. These battalions saw service in India, the Middle East, North Russia, and
in Ireland.
Severe economic depression and a view that there would be no major war for many
years, led to a decision in 1920 to disband the Machine Gun Corps. Members of the
Corps were re-posted to regiments of the line, where they reverted to their pre-war role
of serving as a regimental support-section.
It was still recognised that in a major conflict, whether of open or static warfare, there
would have to be machine-gun battalions. A few such battalions were formed in 1937,
but as support-battalions belonging to existing regiments; the Machine Gun Corps was
not resuscitated.
The last units of the Machine Gun Corps were disbanded on 15th July 1922.
Approximately 170,500 officers and men served in the Corps during its brief existence.
They received an unexampled number of awards for gallantry and self-sacrifice far
beyond the call of duty.
In the same short period that Corps suffered 62,049 casualties.
(History extracted from Machine Gun Corps Book of Remembrance, St Wulfram's Grantham).