 The Brigade Machine Gun Company was formed at Shallufah on 22–23 April by taking two officers and the machine-gun (MG) detachment from each battalion.The 8 Vickers machine guns thus collected were increased to 16 and the Essex men transferred to the Machine Gun Corps 


In August the troops were moved northwards to counter a Turkish thrust at the canal, resulting in the Battle of Romani.161st Machine Gun Company was the only unit of 54th Division engaged in this action, though 1/5th and 1/7th Essex were in the area.