World War 1 and cyclists

[ufkacbln]

After the Newgate history thread I was doing some research on cylists and WW1 and came across this wonderful site on the Huntingdonshire Cyclists Battalions

You were even paid an allowance if you brought your own bike!

HUNTS. CYCLIST BATTALION.




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AGE 17 - 35 HEIGHT NOT LESS THAN 5ft. 2ins.


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CYCLES provided practically FREE OF CHARGE.


Money Allowance to men who provide their own.


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ANNUAL CAMP, Usually at the SEASIDE, at a time which does not interfere with harvest.


All men attending, in addition to food and lodging, receive pay


from 1s to 4s per day according to rank; also


Separation Allowance for Wife and Children, and Boot Allowance.




UNIFORMS, RIFLE, AND EQUIPMENT PROVIDED FREE OF ALL CHARGE.


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Fascinating reading, and I though that this might be an opportunity to investigate the use of bicycles in WW1

It is NOT a political debate over whether the war was right, wrong, avoidable, unavoidable, simply a thread where the use of cyclists and bicycles can be discussed

 

[annedonnelly]

Thanks Cunobelin, I'll pass that on to my brother. He's a cyclist and also the curator of a military museum. He's bound to be interested if he doesn't already now about it.

 

[deptfordmarmoset]

British Pathé have just uploaded much of their back catalogue onto Youtube. There are a handful of films on military cyclists.

 

[Cycleops]

Very interesting, although I would have thought a cycle would be a bit of a liability if fighting in France at certain times of the year. The soldier in the pic has his seat at a strange angle!

 

[ufkacbln]

At 0:27

General: "That chain is a bit slack..... Sergeant take that man's name"

 

[ufkacbln]

Very interesting, although I would have thought a cycle would be a bit of a liability if fighting in France at certain times of the year. The soldier in the pic has his seat at a strange angle!

This was a programme that was aimed at lighthearted information rather than factual debate, but the WW1 Uncut on BBC IPlayer is a fascinating simple insight into the subject of how exposed troops were.

Mud, and other obstacles would also have been an issue.

It is also questionable as to the value of mobile troops in a trench warfare situation

 

[LarryDuff]

Not sure about WW1 but the rapid conquest of Malaya by the Japanese in WW2 was greatly helped by the mass use of bicycles by the Japanese infantry.

 

[ufkacbln]

The bikes were for getting from port to trench more quickly than marching though, not for use in the trenches surely.

There was a change in policy.

The first troops expected a mobile war that would be won with stunning advances by cavalry and fast moving troops (like the cycle battalions) moving in behind to hold the captured ground. This was what the troops were trained for and the strategy was based upon

It was only when the modern firepower changed this to trench warfare that mobile troops became redundant

 

[Hover Fly]

Somewhere among the assorted junk I have waiting to come back from France, is the Cyclists's Drill book, showing the regulation ways of mounting, dismounting, standing to attention with the bicycle etc. One gem is the footnote as to why cyclists were not to salute by raising their hand to senior officers, apparently one battalion's adjutant had smartly saluted his Commanding Officer, according to the method laid out in a previous edition, itself based on cavalry drill. as he did so and brought his head and eyes over to the right, he lost control and wobbled into the path of his CO, who was preparing to return the compliment and so was unable to take avoiding action, result, they ended up in a pile in front of the mustered other ranks.

 

[EltonFrog]

http://www.cyclechat.net/threads/like-cycling-got-bad-teeth.141131/

 

[Flying Dodo]

After the Newgate history thread I was doing some research on cylists and WW1 and came across this wonderful site on the Huntingdonshire Cyclists Battalions

You were even paid an allowance if you brought your own bike!



Fascinating reading, and I though that this might be an opportunity to investigate the use of bicycles in WW1

It is NOT a political debate over whether the war was right, wrong, avoidable, unavoidable, simply a thread where the use of cyclists and bicycles can be discussed

I've got some bad news for you. The first casualty from WWI was a cyclist, and he was probably a victim of friendly fire. Typical.

 

[Ron-da-Valli]

The actor Charles Laughton was in the Hunts Battalion.

 

[Ron-da-Valli]

The actor Charles Laughton was a member of the Huntingdonshire Cyclists Battalion.

 

[Donger]

I'm sure many of the regulars will already know, but for anyone else who is interested, I just thought I'd let you know that there is a national memorial in Meriden (near Solihull) to all the cyclists who died serving in the First World War. It has always struck me as a nice idea, and I had been planning do do a ride through there some time - maybe to leave a poppy wreath in November. If anyone else beats me to it, it would be nice to see photos.

 

[classic33]

http://www.firstworldwarmeriden.co.uk/cyclists.html
"Meriden remembers especially the Centenary of the First World War with the annual Cyclists’ Memorial Service on Sunday 18 May 2014."