The Canadian Automobile Machine Gun Brigade, also known as Brutinel's Brigade or the Brutinel Brigade, was the first fully motorized unit of the

Canadian Expeditionary Force The Canadian Expeditionary Force (CEF) was the expeditionary field force of Canada during the First World War. It was formed following Britain’s declaration of war on Germany on 15 August 1914, with an initial strength of one infantry division ...

(CEF) during the

First World War World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, the United States, and the Ottoman Empire, with fightin ...

. It was established on August 24, 1914, in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada, as Automobile Machine Gun Brigade No. 1 by Canadian Brigadier-General

Raymond Brutinel Brigadier-General Raymond Brutinel (May 6, 1882 – September 21, 1964) was a geologist, journalist, soldier, entrepreneur and a pioneer in the field of mechanized warfare who commanded the Canadian Automobile Machine Gun Brigade during World War ...

, who initiated the program and was the unit's first commander. The unit played a significant part in halting the major German spring offensive of March 1918.

History

The brigade was originally equipped with eight

Armoured Autocar The Armoured Autocar was a Canadian armoured car used as a mobile machine gun nest during the First World War. Development The Armoured Autocar was developed by Major Raymond Brutinel, who immigrated to Canada from France. Brutinel, a Captain ...

s mounting two Colt Model 1914 machine guns (later replaced with the standard British Vickers MG) manufactured by Autocar in

Ardmore, Pennsylvania Ardmore is an unincorporated community and census-designated place (CDP) spanning the border between Delaware and Montgomery counties in the U.S. state of Pennsylvania. The population was 12,455 at the 2010 census and had risen to 13,566 in the ...

. Autocar also supplied six unarmoured support vehicles, four "

roadsters __NOTOC__ Roadster may refer to: Transportation * Roadster (automobile), an open, two-seat, often sporty car ** Roadster utility, an automobile with an open-topped roadster body and a rear cargo bed * Roadster (bicycle), a utilitarian bicycle, t ...

" for the brigade's officers, and an ambulance. Field Marshal Sir Douglas Haig wrote that the "work of the 1st CMMG Brigade in recent operations has proved the value that can be obtained from such units, and recommends the formation of a 2nd Brigade be undertaken forthwith." So in May 1918 the 2nd Canadian Motor MG Brigade was added. With the new unit Brutinel's force consisted of the 1st and 2nd Motor Machine Gun Brigade (each of 5x8 gun batteries), Canadian Cyclist battalion, one section of medium trench-mortars mounted on lorries (plus an assumed wireless and medical support). - quoting the Official History 1918 vol.4, p42 This totaled 80 machine guns and about 300

bicycle infantry Bicycle infantry are infantry soldiers who maneuver on (or, more often, between) battlefields using military bicycles. The term dates from the late 19th century, when the "safety bicycle" became popular in Europe, the United States, and Austra ...

. Canadian historian John A. English points out that this "was the first mechanized formation in the Commonwealth armies and the forerunner of the armoured division."

Structure

By June 1916 there were five batteries in the brigade https://scholars.wlu.ca/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1088&context=cmh * A Battery (

) * B Battery (Armoured Autocar) * C Battery (Machine Gunners) * D Battery (Machine Gunners) * E Battery (Machine Gunners)

Bibliography

;Notes ;References *Cameron Pulsifer (2007). ' 'The Armoured Autocar in Canadian Service'', Service Publications *Dominique and Jacques Baylaucq (2014), ''1882-1964 Brutinel, The extraordinary story of a French citizen, Brigadier-general in the Canadian Army'' * - Total pages: 304 * - Total pages: 352 *

External links

Brigades of the Canadian Army Canadian World War I brigades Military units and formations established in 1914 1914 establishments in Canada 6th Duke of Connaught's Royal Canadian Hussars Royal Canadian Hussars {{UK-mil-unit-stub