The Ashton Reporter newspaper announced that the 9th Battalion Manchester Regiment appointed Lieutenant Frederick Arthur Makin as officer in charge of the machine gun section in its May 2, 1914 edition. Three months later the same newspaper published the nominal roll of the battalion including the current members of the machine gun section:
| No | Rank | First | Middle | Surname |
| 526 | Sgt | Thomas | Moss | |
| 1364 | Cpl | Frank | Howard | |
| 1285 | Pte | Albert | MacCormack | |
| 1199 | Pte | Thomas | Radcliffe | |
| 1353 | Pte | John | William | Dodd |
| 471 | Pte | William | Fogg | |
| 1371 | Pte | Abert | Edward | Neale |
| 1360 | Pte | John | Levi | Kendall |
| 1903 | Pte | Harold | Ellis | |
| 1157 | Pte | William | Henry | Illingworth |
| 1349 | Pte | Robert | Bell | |
| – | Pte | H | Cook | |
| 1354 | Pte | William | Loyd | Shuttleworth |
| 1325 | Pte | Joseph | Kent | |
| 1314 | Pte | John | William | Andrews |
| 1274 | Pte | John | William | Donnelly |
Enlisted Men of the Machine Gun Section, Aug 1914
At this time, the battalion’s machine gun section consisted of two .303 calibre Maxim Machine Guns. The British-manufactured Service Maxim was used from late 1890s until its replacement by the Vickers Machine Guns that were introduced into British Service in 1912 and not declared obsolete until 1968. But by the outbreak of war only 109 of the new Vickers Machine Guns had been delivered to the Army.
The Maxim Machine Gun
It’s not possible to know precisely which model of Maxim Machine Gun the battalion was in possession of and so the following description is of a general nature.
The Maxim Machine Gun operated automatically through a combination of two forces; the recoil generated from the explosion of the powder in each cartridge which pushed backwards and a strong spring which then pushed forwards. A sophisticated set of precisely calibrated and well lubricated mechanical components used this movement to eject the spent cartridge and pull the next live round into position ready to be fired. The gun was belt-fed from 250 round reusable ammunition belts, (made from waterproofed linen with brass strips and eyelets to properly set the ammunition spacing), and was capable of firing 450 rounds per minute (rpm) in rapid fire and a more sedate 70 rpm in controlled fire.
The Maxim was water-cooled, the gun-metal barrel casing holding about seven pints of water to keep the barrel cool when firing. It had three openings, one on the upper right side near the breech for filling, one underneath near the muzzle for drawing off the water, and the third for allowing the steam but not the water to escape. Steam was vented via a flexible tube into a can so that plumes of steam did not give the gun’s position away. When the barrel casing was filled with water about 2,000 rounds could be discharged at short intervals without replenishing, depending on the rapidity of fire. However, once the water started to boil, it evaporated at a rate of around 1 pint for every additional 1,000 rounds fired.
The Maxim Machine Gun was heavy and bulky, weighing 60lbs. When water was added for cooling it added almost another 10lbs. The tripod weighed around 48lbs and a fully loaded belt plus ammunition box weighed around 22lbs.
Maxim Machine Guns were operated by a crew of four to six men: The Gunner fired the gun; the Reloader quickly reloaded the gun when the 250 round ammunition belt was expended; the Spotter identified and directed fire towards enemy targets; the Ammunition and Water Carriers carried and prepared ammunition and water; and Mounters were responsible for moving and mounting the weapon on its tripod.
Gallipoli (May – June 1915)
When the 9th Battalion Manchester Regiment landed at Gallipoli on May 9, 1915 the machine gun section was already short two enlisted men. Pte 471 William Fogg and Pte 1349 Robert Bell were discharged on medical grounds in Egypt before the battalion sailed for Gallipoli.
Additionally, when Lieut. Sydney Marsden was wounded on June 6th, he was reported to be the Officer in charge of the machine gun section and therefore must have replaced Lieut. Makin either in Egypt or shortly after the battalion landed at Gallipoli. Lieut. Makin himself was medically evacuated from the peninsula the following day suffering from typhoid fever. And since Lt. Makin was the natural replacement for Lt. Marsden this caused a problem and the command of the machine gun section passed to Second Lieut. John Matley Robson who had only just arrived in Gallipoli on June 2nd having remained behind in Egypt serving as Officer in Charge of the Base, at Port Said, El Kantara, and Alexandria.
The machine gun section suffered another loss on June 9, 1915 when 1354 Pte. William Loyd Shuttleworth was killed in action. Sergeant 643 Squire Ellor had by this time taken over as senior NCO of the section, (vice Sergeant 526 Thomas Moss), and wrote the following letter to Pte. Shuttleworth’s mother:
“I am sorry to convey this message to you of your brave son’s death. He passed away early this morning. I cannot praise your son’s services enough as a machine gunner. He was a thorough master of his work, and as fearless as anyone in the section. We are very sorry we have had to part with him, but it is God’s will, and we cannot alter His works. Your boy died at his post. Only on Monday night last he kept awake for seven hours attending to two wounded comrades. He said to me that if he had to die, he hoped the Lord would not let him suffer in the way those two men had suffered. He died immediately he was shot. He was a credit to his battalion and his country. May he rest in peace.”
The newspaper report went on to say that Private Shuttleworth formerly worked at Ashton New Moss Colliery, (one of many men in the battalion from the Colliery), and he was killed shortly before his 21st birthday.
8 days later, Pte 1285 Albert MacCormack reported sick with Enteric Fever and was medically evacuated taking no further part in the campaign, eventually being repatriated to England on October 15, 1915.
Meanwhile, 2/Lt. Robson, having been appointed Officer in charge of the machine gun section without any prior experience or training, was ordered to report to the base depot at Gallipoli, behind the firing lines, where he underwent a 10-day course of instruction in the Maxim Machine Gun. He referred to this training in a letter he wrote on June 22, 1915:
“It’s much worse here than in the firing line. Shells are continually dropping round our dug-outs. You can imagine how difficult it is to concentrate your attention on what the instructor is saying when shrapnel and Jack Johnsons are flying round. The battalion has done exceedingly well, and has been praised by the generals, but the cost has been frightful.”
Gallipoli (July 1915)
2/Lt. Robson reported sick with Enteric Fever on July 7, 1915 and was medically evacuated to the 15th General Hospital at Alexandria where he died 10 days later on July 17, 1915. An old Boy of Manchester Grammar School, John Matley Robson was 23 years old. At this point the command of the machine gun section passed to Lieut. George William Handforth who transferred from B Company to C Company to temporarily take over command after they lost their entire group of officers who had landed six weeks earlier.
On July 12, 1915 Private 1501 George Markham, one of the men added to the machine gun section after the battalion arrived in Egypt, was killed in action. Remarkably, there is no mention of his death in the local newspapers save for a short family-supplied death notice:
In loving memory of our dear son and brother of Private Geo. Markham, 1/9th Manchester Regiment (machine gun section), aged 22 years, who fell in action at the Dardanelles July 12th, 1915.
We’ll not forget you, boy, who died for England. We’ll meet you once again in some far place; Where those we’ve loved and lost will greet us grandly. And tell us how you met death face to face.
And in mid-July the machine gun section lost their second gunner when Pte. 1157 William Henry Illingworth became sick from powder fumes from a Turkish lyddite shell and was medically evacuated to St. George’s Hospital, Malta for treatment. He remained in Malta for 3 months, (until at least late October), and likely returned to Gallipoli after he left the Għajn Tuffieħa Convalescent Camp there.
Machine Gun Section Replacements
Throughout their time at Gallipoli a small set of enlisted men were brought into the machine gun section to fill the holes left by the original members who were killed, wounded or sick. Since such assignments were not recorded on any service records or official records the men below are provided solely from newspaper reports.
| No | Rank | First | Middle | Surname |
| 643 | Sgt | Squire | Ellor | |
| 1978 | Cpl | Arthur | Spurrett | |
| 2049 | Cpl | Charles | William | Gibson |
| 2074 | Pte | James | Hall | |
| 1968 | Cpl | Arnold | Willerton | |
| 1985 | Pte | Leonard | Smart | |
| 1534 | Pte | Alfred | Edwin | Snape |
| 1501 | Pte | George | Markham | |
| 1667 | Pte | John | Hill |
Machine Gun Section Replacements 1915
Gallipoli (August 1915)
In August, the 9th Battalion Manchester Regiment was involved in the Battle of Krithia Vineyard (August 6-13) and the machine gun section suffered more casualties.
1353 John William Dodd, (now promoted to Corporal), suffered a bullet wound to the leg on August 7, 1915 and was medically evacuated to England where he spent time in hospital in Plymouth. He did not return to Gallipoli.
A few days later, on August 12, Corporal 2049 Charles William Gibson was also wounded when he took a bullet to the left knee. He too was medically evacuated to England but died on September 15, 1915 from septic poisoning. The September 25, 1915 edition of the Ashton Reporter in part stated:
Most impressive scenes marked the burial, on Saturday, of Corporal Charles William (Carl) Gibson, 23 years, of 342, Mossley-road, Ashton. Corporal Gibson, who was a fitter by trade, and formerly employed at the Patent Loom and Tape Works, Broadbottom, was wounded during, the severe fighting in the Gallipoli Peninsula on August 12th. He was attached to the machine gun section of the 1/9th Manchester Regiment. He was resting in the trench, and had fallen asleep, when he was struck on the knee by a poisoned bullet. Under a rain of lead his comrades carried him out of the trench. On August 29th he was admitted to the 2nd Military Hospital at Weaste, and after strong hopes had been entertained of his recovery he died on September 15th from septic poisoning and syncope.
The body was conveyed home from Weaste on Friday evening. At the interment on Saturday thousands of townspeople lined the streets. The burial was accompanied by full military honours Comrades of Corporal Gibson acted as bearers, and walked on either side the hearse, which was drawn by four horses. A firing party of 16 wounded and invalided Territorials back from Egypt and the Dardanelles were in command of Captain Lees. Lieut. Colonel D. H. Wade was also present.
On August 29, Pte 1314 John William Andrews, one of the original members of the machine gun section, died of wounds. He was buried the following day by the Reverend J.K. Best on a cliff overlooking Gully Beach.
Gallipoli (September – December)
2/Lt. Percy Ainsworth arrived in Gallipoli on Aug 19, 1915 as part of a draft of 4 Officers and 145 men and was allocated to C Company. On September 17th Capt. (temp) Handforth reported sick to hospital after being sick for some time and 2/Lt. Ainsworth took over command of the machine gun section. 2/Lt Ainsworth remained with the battalion until they evacuated the peninsula on December 27th and there is no indication that anyone else took over his command until he left the battalion in March 1916 when he joined the Royal Flying Corps in Egypt.
On December 12, 1915 the machine gun section suffered its final fatality of the Gallipoli Campaign when 18-year-old Pte 1534 Alfred Edwin Snape was killed in action. Born on December 30, 1896 Alfred joined the 9th Battalion Manchester Regiment a few weeks before his 17th birthday and turned 18 while they were training in Egypt. By the Army’s own regulations, he should not have been serving in a combat role at Gallipoli before his 19th birthday. Alfred had been wounded earlier in the campaign when he took a bullet to the thigh, (breaking a sixpenny piece in his pocket into three pieces), and was medically evacuated to Malta where he spent 3 months recovering. He had recently returned and was killed when a shell burst over his machine gun position. A letter of condolence was sent to his parents by his section NCO, Corporal 1968 Arnold Willerton, (himself only 18 years old when he landed in Gallipoli).
Egypt 1916
The 9th Battalion Manchester Regiment evacuated Gallipoli on December 27, 1915 and after a brief stop in Mudros arrived at Alexandria on January 17, 1916. They were taken by train to Cairo and from Cairo Station to Mena Camp by tram. A week later they moved to Tel-el-Kebir, located about 68 miles north-north-east of Cairo. Shortly after, they moved to El Shallufa on the Suez Canal, making camp on the East side of the canal. On February 10th they moved again, this time to El Kabrit, about 20 miles north of Suez where they remained for some time.
The 126 Company, Machine Gun Corps was formed by transfer of the battalion Machine Gun Sections of each of the four battalions of the 126th Infantry Brigade, 42nd (East Lancashire) Division. Throughout the Gallipoli campaign, Divisional Order of Battle and Field State reports consistently recorded that these four battalions were equipped with 2 machine guns each. However, since 28 men of the 9th Manchesters transferred, (with similar numbers from each of the 5th East Lancs, 4th East Lancs and 10th Manchesters), this indicates that the 126 Company’s machine gun count had doubled to 16 most likely with the addition of the newer Vickers machine guns.
Although it is widely accepted that the 126 Company, Machine Gun Corps was formed on March 14, 1916 the surviving service records of the 28 men of the 9th Battalion Manchester Regiment contradict this. Their service records indicate that they were transferred to the “Machine Gun Corps, 126 Bdge” on this date. These same men were all subsequently posted to the 126 Company, Machine Gun Corps on August 10, 1916. It is worth noting here that in military terminology that transferred meant a man had been permanently moved to another corps, while posted meant that a man had permanently moved to another unit of the same corps. This implies that the 126 Company was not actually formed until August 10, 1916.
During this period of transfer and posting, many of the men from the 9th Manchesters who transferred went through a formal 10-day machine gun training class at the Imperial School of Instruction, Zeitoun, (a suburb of Cairo), on June 23, 1916. At least three of them were awarded the proficiency badge of 1st Class Machine Gunner; Thomas Cronin Hardy, James Hall and Mathew Ellison.
Because the Machine Gun Corps was considered to be part of the Regular Army, all of the men from the Territorial Force who transferred had to effectively terminate their engagement with the Territorials and then re-enlist with the Machine Gun Corps. This, among other things, necessitated them undergoing a new medical examination by the Machine Gun Corps doctors to verify their medical eligibility. The paperwork that officially sanctioned their transfer was signed by Lt. Col D.H. Wade on September 29, 1916 while the 9th Manchesters were at Hod en Negiliat, (a “hod” is a plantation of date palms), en-route to El-Arish.
The 28 men of the 9th Battalion Manchester Regiment who transferred to the Machine Gun Corps on March 14, 1916 had all served in Gallipoli but only 3 were from the original 16 men of the machine gun section who left England on September 10, 1914.
| No | MGC No | Rank | First | Middle | Surname |
| 643 | 39621 | Sgt | Squire | Ellor | |
| 1364 | 39622 | L/Cpl | Frank | Howard | |
| 1968 | 39623 | Cpl | Arnold | Willerton | |
| 3853 | 39624 | L/Cpl | Albert | Shepley | |
| 1816 | 39625 | Pte | Alexander | McKenzie | Whittet |
| 1360 | 39627 | Pte | John | Levi | Kendall |
| 1515 | 39628 | Pte | James | William | Cheetham |
| 1880 | 39629 | Pte | Thomas | Cronin | Hardy |
| 2145 | 39630 | Pte | Thomas | Lumley | |
| 1702 | 39631 | Pte | Arnold | Myers | |
| 3705 | 39632 | Pte | Matthew | Ellison | |
| 3717 | 39633 | Pte | John | Burgess | |
| 3039 | 39634 | Pte | George | Andrew | Brocklehurst |
| 3224 | 39635 | Pte | James | Buckley | |
| 1268 | 39636 | Pte | Jesse | Edwin | Connolly |
| 1891 | 39637 | Pte | Joseph | Jackson | |
| 2883 | 39638 | Pte | Albert | Loader | |
| 1330 | 39639 | L/Cpl | Harry | Potter | |
| 2960 | 39640 | Pte | John | Samuels | |
| 1667 | 39641 | Pte | John | Hill | |
| 1573 | 39642 | Pte | Sam | Entwistle | |
| 3301 | 39643 | Pte | Charles | Henry | Ward |
| 2074 | 39649 | L/Cpl | James | Hall | |
| 1737 | 39650 | Pte | Thomas | Rackstraw | |
| 2624 | 39651 | Pte | William | Cooper | |
| 2549 | 39652 | Pte | William | Matley | |
| 1325 | 39653 | Cpl | Joseph | Kent | |
| 1695 | 39654 | Pte | Alfred | Smith |
Machine Gun Corps Men from the 9th Manchesters, 1916
Note: The rank shown is the rank held upon transfer to the Machine Gun Corps.
This group of men, (with two notable exceptions who were under the age of 19 when they landed in Gallipoli), were generally slightly older than the remainder of the battalion. But life in the Machine Gun Corps was dangerous and four men were later killed in action in France with another five being discharged due to wounds or sickness. Between the 28 men were two winners of the Distinguished Conduct Medal, three winners of the Military Medal and three awards of the Territorial Efficiency Medal and Territorial Force Efficiency Medal.
References:
Handbook for the 0.303″ Maxim Machine Gun (Magazine Rifle Chamber), 1901.
The Devil’s Paintbrush (Sir Hiram Maxim’s Gun) by Dolf L. Goldsmith.
Acknowledgements:
Vickers MG Collection & Research Association