Page 21 - PBCOctober2015

Pickwick Bicycle Club Magazine Volume 12 No.1 March 2015 !21
!

Bicycles and World War 1…………
!
So, having decided to cycle for the King (back page last
issue), what, where and how did it happen?
!

Cycle mounted infantry, scouts & messengers were quite common-place during the latter
part of the war. The Italians had their “Bersagheri –light infantry units’ (with folding
bicycles), the Germans, their Jager battalions with bicycle companies, and the British
their cycling battalions within its divisions - latterly becoming a Cyclist Division.
!
There have been volunteer cycling units as far back as the 1880s with the first bike unit
in 1988 – the 26 Middlesex Rifle Volunteers. When WW1 started there were 14 cyclist
th
‘groups’ in the Territorial Force although they weren’t sent to France as units. In 1914,
the Army Cyclist Corps according to Army Order 477 was formed as an alternative to
battalions, but bikes were not suited to trench warfare. Those that were sent to France
were mainly used for reconnaissance and the rest were merely a means of transport for
communication –messengers.

!

The bikes they used were far ranging…and heavy. The 1915 Military Sunbeam was a basic
design of single speed and rod brakes. The most important requirement were clips to hold
the rifle. Early versions of the clips were found to hold to foul the ankle, and restrict the
rapid speed of detaching the gun ready for use. Many modifications were made so there
was no uniform pattern or style. Folding bicycles were quite common……and often carried
on the back by the soldiers.
!

One slightly disturbing aspect of bicycle warfare was the 100 round ammo’ pouch
strapped under the saddle along with the puncture kit!