On Remembrance Sunday, we look at the British Army Cyclists Corps who played their part in World War 1.
The first complete bicycle unit (the 26th Middlesex Rifle Volunteers) was assembled in 1888 and in 1908 became part of the Territorial Force.
This force had fourteen battalions by the time that World War 1 broke out and the cyclist battalions were employed helping to protect’s Britain’s coastal defences.
Their role was at the time, considered to be so important that, initially, none of the battalions were sent overseas.
However, in 1915, the Army Cyclist Corps was founded and brought these battalions and twelve more second-line yeomanry regiments which had been converted to cyclists together.
Some did see active service like at the Somme, with reconnaissance tasks but in 1920 the corps was disbanded and by 1922, all of the units had returned to regular duties.
Picture - Brooks, Ernest (Lt)
Source – Kev Monks, CNS Sport
Source: DSG
