7th Machine Gun Battalion (Australia)

7th Machine Gun Battalion
Active	1942–44
Country	Australia
Branch	Australian Army
Type	Infantry
Role	Direct and indirect fire support
Size	~ 900 personnel
Part of	17th Brigade
Engagements	World War I New Guinea campaign
Insignia
Unit Colour Patch

The 7th Machine Gun Battalion was a battalion of the Australian Army that was raised for service during World War II. A Militia unit, it was formed in 1942 under the command of Lieutenant Colonel Terry Farrell through the amalgamation of the machine gun companies of six infantry battalions: the 3rd, 36th, 39th, 49th, 53rd and 55th. Equipped with Vickers medium machine guns, it subsequently deployed to New Guinea where they were assigned in support of the 7th Brigade, taking part in the Battle of Wau – with two companies being attached to the 7th from the 2/1st Machine Gun Battalion – being flown in to provide protection to the airfield there in late January and early February 1943. It later served around Milne Bay, before the battalion was disbanded in 1944.

References

Citations

Bibliography

• "2/1st Machine Gun Battalion". Second World War, 1939–1945 units. Australian War Memorial. Archived from the original on 3 February 2014. http://web.archive.org/web/20140203080730/http://www.awm.gov.au/units/unit_15105.asp. Retrieved 30 January 2014. 
• Campbell, John (2013). New Guinea Machine Gunners: A History of 7th Machine Gun Battalion AIF 1942–1944. Jannali, New South Wales. ISBN 9780987238726. 
• Harris, Ted. "Patches of the Infantry, Pioneers, Parachute, Machine Gun Battalions and BCOF". Digger History. Archived from the original on 12 July 2007. http://web.archive.org/web/20070712164437/www.diggerhistory.info/pages-badges/patches/2aif.htm#mg. Retrieved 1 May 2016. 
• McCarthy, Dudley (1959). South–West Pacific Area – First Year: Kokoda to Wau. Australia in the War of 1939–1945. Series 1 – Army. 5. Canberra: Australian War Memorial. OCLC 186193870. https://www.awm.gov.au/collection/RCDIG1070204/.