Ww1 Us Marine Corps 6th Machine Gun Painted Helmet

Beautifully painted British Made Marine Corps, 6th Machine Gun Battalion painted helmet with punched EGA or Eagle Globe and Anchor. Helmet is complete and in excellent condition!. The 6th Machine Gun Battalion was a battalion of the United States Marine Corps which served during World War I. Along with the 5th and 6th Marine Regiments, the battalion was part of the 4th Marine Brigade. After being formed in 1917, the battalion supported the Marine regiments by detaching machine gun companies to operate with the regimental battalions along the Western Front and to provide fire support to them during the fighting. In addition to this role, the battalion was sometimes employed as a complete unit with all its companies being concentrated together to ensure that maximum firepower was applied to various points along the front line in support of Allied attacks and also to defend against German assaults. The battalion also supported the operations of the 2nd Infantry Division. After the war, the unit undertook occupation duties in Germany before returning to the United States in mid-1919 where it was subsequently deactivated.History: The 6th Machine Gun Battalion was formed as the 1st Machine Gun Battalion on 17 August 1917 at Marine Corps Base Quantico, Virginia, under the command of Major Edward B. Cole. When the battalion was formed, it consisted of the Headquarters, 77th, and 81st Companies. Provision was made to add two more companies at a later date. Each company (excluding the HQ) was issued 16 Lewis Guns and 33 hand carts apiece. Between 27 August 1917 and 7 December 1917, the battalion undertook extensive training at Quantico which included weapon familiarization, pillbox construction, fire discipline and trench warfare doctrine. In addition, the 12th and 20th Companies and an Aviation Detachment were also attached to the battalion at this time and it was re-designated as a "provisional battalion". On 14 December 1917, the battalion embarked on the USS DeKalb and set sail for St. Nazaire, France. Arrival in France: The USS DeKalb arrived at St. Nazaire on 28 December 1917. The unit then moved to the Bourmount Training Area at Haute-Marne where its Lewis Guns were replaced with Hotchkiss M1914 Machine Guns. Around this time the 12th and 20th Companies were detached from the battalion and sent to the 5th Marine Regiment. The battalion then began a program of battle preparation and, as a part of this process, on 20 January 1918 they were redesignated the 6th Machine Gun Battalion. The 15th and 23rd Companies were detached from the 5th Marine Regiment and assigned permanently to the 6th Machine Gun Battalion. After two months of intense training, in March the battalion was committed to the fighting against the Germans. Over the course of the nine months that remained in the war, it would take part in all of the major battles that US forces were involved in along the Western Front. Toulon Sector, Verdun: 15 March – 13 May 1918: On 15 March, the 6th Machine Gun Battalion moved up to the Department of the Meuse, in the Verdun Sector, with the purpose of relieving the machine gun companies that were deployed in support of the 6th Marine Regiment at that time. This was the battalion's first experience of the front and although they were not involved in any major conflict at this time, it helped to prepare them for their later engagements by enabling them to learn about how the war was fought on the Western Front. The battalion was not deployed as a complete unit at this time though. Instead, it was split up and its individual companies were attached to the various battalions of the 5th and 6th Marine Regiments. The disposition of the battalion's companies at this time was as follows: 15th Company with the 3rd Battalion, Sixth Marines; 23rd Company with the 2nd Battalion, Fifth Marines; 77th Company with the 3rd Battalion, Fifth Marines; 81st Company with the 2nd Battalion, Sixth Marines. Aisne Defensive, Château–Thierry Sector: 31 May – 9 July 1918: In late May, the 6th Machine Gun Battalion was deployed to support the defensive operations in the Chateau–Thierry Sector. During this time they were employed as a complete unit in order to provide concentrated fire support at key points along the Allied line. The 77th and 81st Companies were assigned to the right flank while the 15th and 23rd Companies were assigned to the left. Their job was to lay down covering and harassing fire during both defensive and offensive operations. They also assisted the 5th and 6th Marine Regiments in their respective drives through Belleau Wood. On 10 June, the battalion's commanding officer, Major Cole, was mortally wounded and command temporarily passed to Captain Harlan E. Major. Captain George H. Osterhout took over on 11 June; however, he remained in command only until 21 June, when Major Littleton Waller officially took over. The aggressiveness of the men of the 4th Marine Brigade during both the offensive and defensive phases of t