Emma Gee

xupdated on 10th July, 2020.

The magazine is the life blood of the MGC/OCA and we welcome articles from all, not just members.

Why 'Emma Gee'? Because it is phonetic, the men called it MG which became Emma Gee.

Their original magazine was called The Boy David, but this was changed to Emma Gee.

Artilces by non members are always welcome too. You don't need to be a professor to contribute. We like articles about the war, photographs and stories of individual soldiers and visits to the battlefields too. Photographs of soldiers with their name, rank and serial number and any information about them are welcome, even if this does not appear in the magazine, it helps us ensure we Remember Them as the real people they were, not just statistics.

Here are some sarticle from previous magazines:

AN ETHIOPIAN IN THE MACHINE GUN CORPS
By Graham Sacker
O ne of the fairly early transfers into the Corps, was 28678 Private Katima Garza, who served first in 197 Company (9th Division), later in No 182 Company(61st Division), and in 1918 in the 61st Battalion. (War Diary entries)
None of his service papers have survived, but in the 1911 census he can be found - recorded as Thomas Katama Garza, then aged 21, living as a boarder at 19 Denman Street, London W, and employed as a coffee cook in a restaurant. His place of origin was recorded as “Abbysinia” (modern day Ethiopia)
Private Garza is recorded in a War Office Casualty List, dated 3/9/1918 as a known Prisoner of War, although no International Red Cross record card can be found. At the time, he would have been serving with the 61st Battalion and was probably taken during actions in the Somme sector, during the German Spring Offensive. The Casualty list records his place of residence (ie. his home address) as “Soudan”
His medal roll record tells us that he was discharged to Class “Z” Reserve on the 3rd April 1919 and that he received the British War & Victory medals.
In the 1939 Register (Government census) he can be found living at 16 Whitfield Street, London, apparently single, employed as a waiter, where his date of birth is shown as 15/4/1893. In the margin of the entry, his discharge from the army and his regimental number are recorded, next to “5th Middx Regt” which must have been his original enlistment.
The death of a “Thomas Garza” (aged 59) was recorded at Westminster during the first quarter of 1952.

 


BELTON CHURCH SERVICE
By Ray Armstrong
On Sunday at 2 p.m. we attended a Service in Belton Church (organised by Belton PCC) and made it known we were representing the OCA. The Service was being held to commemorate the Centenary and remember the 49 Belton men who served in WW1. The Memorial Church Gates and Plaque which were erected in memory of the 10 men who died (none of which were MGC) were Re-dedicated following recent restoration. The afternoon’s commemoration finished with a tea in the Belton Old School, when I met the new General Manager at Belton House, Ian Cooper and the Learning and Community Officer, Melissa Maynard.
The Church Service was lovely and although it is only small, the Church was full. The bells were ringing to call us all to church and all the children present were invited to assist in raising the Union Flag on the flagpole in the churchyard at the end of the Re-dedication.

 

 

 

MACHINE GUN CORPS SONG

Sent in By Alan Simcock

First verse

You’ve heard of Julius Caesar and of great Napoleon too
You’ve never heard the way we beat the lads at GHQ
There’s still a martial story that was never read before
And that’s the tale of how we got a real machine Gun Corps
THIS gallant Corps was organised with civil war and strife
Such troubles as we had you never heard in all your life
For if we asked for men or guns they simply said ‘We fut
T’was just as f wed mounted gun and left the shutter shut

(Chorus)

But down in the shell holes spit the little Vickers guns
Clogged with mud and undermanned, the terror of the Nuns
One day they’ll get the job they want of finishing the war
But GHQ will NEVER, NEVER let then, be a Corps

Second verse

Then GHQ devised a scheme and said what should be done
To organise the MG Corps with fairness to the Hun
They knew we had a lot of guns and to appease his hate
Suggested ‘that Divisional guns should be reduced by eight
They told us we were Infantry and really mustn’t fight
In Batteries with Barrages, it really wasn’t right
They’d give us clubs or bayonets to fix upon the gun
They said ‘We can’t do more for you in fairness to the Hun’

(Chorus)

But down in the shell holes etc

Third verse

Then up spake Colonel Georgius* the MGs pride and joy
(He was a most unruly lad, the Corpses oldest boy)
tell you straight, says he, that’s not the way to win the war
You want a lot more guns and men, you want an MG Corps
You must fight your guns in Batteries from a Grand Divisional Pool
Give them fifty bob protractors too, made at the Small Arms School
With these and other blessings of a Centralised Control
We’ll drive the Hun across the Rhine and leave him up the pole

(Chorus)

But down in the shell holes etc

Fourth verse

So off he went to GHQ to reason With the Staff
He argued first, then flattered them and then went onto chaff
But neither method helped at all, the Staff refused to see
Their notions had got crystallised 10,000 BC
He tried again and many times but it was all no use
The Chestertieldian Staff were near descending to abuse
And posted up all round Montreuil George very plainly saw
Machine Guns shall be infantry; they SHALL NOT be a Corps

(Chorus)

But down in the shell holes etc

Fifth verse

One day there was a rumour spread- you couldn’t call it news
The bravest lads at GHQ were shaking in their shoes
T’was said there might be changes made before it was too late
Unless SOMEONE woke up to the fact and brought things up to date
They wrote at once to Georgius-they wouldn’t let him speak
They said we’ve had a GREAT IDEA- t’wiII start this very week
Its obvious that Centralised Control all through your corps-
Why couldn't YOU have mentioned it-will win the Blooming war.

(Chorus)

And down in the shell holes spit the little Vickers guns
Cogged with mud and undermanned, the terror of the Huns
At last we've got the job we want of finishing the war
We're going to have Battalions and a real Machine Gun Corps.


=======================


Copy found in the 'Lindsay Papers' held in the Royal Tank Regiment's Mitchell Library. In the Royal Armoured Corps Tank Museum at Bovington*George Mackintosh Lindsay, Rifle Brigade- Capt, School of Musketry, Hythe and HG BEF MG School, Maj GS02 MGC Training Centre, Grantham, Bde Maj 99 Infantry Bde, Brevet Lt Col & Chief Instructor HT BEF MG School, Deputy Inspector MG Units 1st Army, CO 41 Bn MGS, Col Commanding MGC Foreign Service Group, Shorncliffe, then transferred to Tank Corps.

NOTE:  The History Group has  found the music to the MGC March and this has been arranged and recorded along with the bugle call.

Copyright Machine Gun Corps Old Comrades' Association.

Articles written by Judith Lappin and Keith Stephenson.