 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.On 5 August, supporting 52nd (Lowland) Division round Mount Rowston, the company took part in the decisive action of the battle, resisting a stiff attack in which it suffered several casualties, and won a number of gallantry awards.