1940 Enamelled Motor Machine Gun Brigade Cap Badge. BA 906. 1940 Enamelled Motor Machine Gun Brigade Cap Badge. BA 906. Antique & Militaria

The Motor Machine Gun Service (MMGS) was a unit of the British Army in the First World War, consisting of batteries of motorcycle/sidecar combinations carrying Vickers machine guns. It was formed in 1914 and incorporated into the Machine Gun Corps in October 1915 as the Machine Gun Corps (Motors). Although the usefulness of the machine gun had not been fully appreciated by the British Army before the outbreak of the Great War, it soon became apparent that highly mobile machine gun units would be of considerable value in the fluid warfare that characterised the first few weeks of the war. As part of the British Army’s reaction to the potential invasion threat, it was required to establish rapid reaction forces. These organisations were highly mechanised and lightly armed. They used 2-wheeled drive light utility cars – Austin Tillys – as the vehicles to carry the Vickers machine gun and 3,500 rounds, the Driver, Nos. 1 and 2 and a Sergeant or Corporal. The other gun numbers were carried in coaches with the headquarters element. They only existed between May and December 1940. The Motor Machine Gun Brigades were established from Cavalry and Armoured Units. It was likely that these units did not have sufficient armoured vehicles to equip them as they were intended. Cast in gold coloured metal with enamelled ‘MMG’ *pin to rear absent* 2 ½ x 3cm. The price includes UK delivery. BA 906.