[3] The establishment of machine gun battalions within the AIF was the final step in the evolution of the organisation of direct fire support during the war.

At the end of the Gallipoli Campaign, the AIF was reorganised and expanded in preparation for its transfer to the Western Front, and the machine gun sections within each infantry battalion had been consolidated into companies assigned at brigade level.

[2] The first three of battalion's constituent companies had been formed in Egypt in March 1916 and at that time they had been assigned to the 5th, 6th and 7th Brigades respectively, arriving in Europe in mid-1916.

[4] The battalion was equipped with a total of 64 Vickers medium machine guns – assigned at a scale of 16 per company – and took part in the final stages of the war, seeing action during the Allied defensive operations during the German spring offensive and then the Allied Hundred Days Offensive, which finally brought an end to the war.

[7] Another soldier, Sergeant Claud Castleton, received the award while serving as part of the 5th Machine Gun Company, prior to its incorporation into the battalion.

Following the outbreak of World War II, four machine gun battalions were eventually raised as part of the Second Australian Imperial Force, each assigned at divisional level.

[10][12] The 5th Machine Gun Battalion was also re-raised and undertook garrison duties as part of Torres Strait Force.