Uploaded pix which appear on the Desert Column Forum.
Western Mail, Thursday, 8 August 1929, p. 2
Is This a Record?
"Eggs-a-Cook" writes.-
"Following on your account under the above heading of the performances of the 16th Battalion machine gun section, I forward this as being of interest. The 44th did not have the same opportunities as the older battalions but its gun section's record is remarkable, nevertheless. There were 31 members in the four original gun-crews. Twelve were killed in action (Thrum, Bysh, Vincent, Stephens, Mullins. Jones, Wade, Short, McNeece, Boxhall, Blick and Casey). With one exception every other man was wounded once, twice or three times. Five gained commissions (Davies, Thorn, Parks, Casey and Rogers). Its only competition was on Salisbury Plain, when it won the Lewis gun championship from the other twelve battalions of the 3rd Division - Two Military Crosses, two Military Medals and two foreign orders comprised its small "bag" of decorations. I submit that its record, while not equalling tbat of the 16th, is comparable, considering that the 44th started eighteen mouths behind scratch."