Machine Gun

Did you ever hear of a “suicide club”? That’s what the Australian Machine Gun Corps was sometimes called during the First World War. Right here in Brisbane, at Anzac Square, stands a memorial to the Queensland members of this extraordinary group. The Machine Gun Corps memorial isn’t a towering statue. It’s a plaque, made of marble and bronze, adorned with five enamelled unit colour patches. Each patch represents one of the five battalions attached to the five Australian Divisions during the war. Unveiled in 1935 by Governor Sir Leslie Wilson, the Machine Gun memorial was created by members of the Machine Gunners’ Association of Queensland. Colonel E.G. Radford, the association’s patron, proudly stated it was designed and built by the very men who served. These were men who faced relentless front-line trench warfare. They endured more than perhaps any other unit. The Governor acknowledged their arduous work, highlighting Queensland’s impressive contribution of thirteen machine gun companies. Imagine the sacrifices these men made. The memorial service, led by Reverend R. St. George, included a guard of honour and a poignant moment. Mrs. E. Costin, mother of Lieutenant W. J. Costin, laid a wreath. Her son was the first Australian machine gunner to fall at Gallipoli. The Machine Gun memorial stands as a solemn tribute to the Queenslanders who served and gave their lives in the Australian Machine Gun Corps. Their names, etched in memory, live on forever.