Poem ~ Cycling to War - Wednesday, 25 November 1914

Source: File: British Army cyclists recruiting poster WWI.jpg, 2014. From Wikipedia Army Cyclist Corps. [online] (updated 1 October 2014)  Available at: < http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Army_Cyclist_Corps> [Accessed: 25 November 2014].

Beginning as the Bicycle Union,

In 1878, formed by the purpose

Of regulating races -

And in the defence of cyclists -

Merged from 1882,

With the Tricycle Association.

This Nationalist Cyclist Union,

Gained a new purpose in 1914.

With enough cyclists

To form a company of its own,

Members of the Union, formed

The name of the 6^th Royal Sussex

Territorial Cyclist Battalion -

With additional cycling men,

To create an almost complete,

Additional Battalion.

Also comes the call,

For home defence cyclists,

Within the Kent Cyclist Battalion.

In Chancery Lane are the offices,

Of Nationalist Cyclist Union,

Where on the 26 November,

From 11 to 4 pm an officer,

From Canterbury Headquarters,

Attended - to welcome,

Kentish men and others

To cycle forth,

And join this battalion.

Such wheeled forces,

Had already made war experience,

In South African campaigns -

Quieter and lighter than horses.

Found their uses in communications

And reconnaissance -

At start of the 1914 conflict,

Were 14 territorial cyclist battalions -

Regular infantry numbered ten,

While 4 remained independent,

Of any regimental affiliation.

Their first purpose of defence

of the coast on the home isles -

Poster recruitment called out,

Asking if ‘YOU’ are fond

Of cycling – if so

‘Why not cycle for the king?’

As on one poster for

48^th South Midland Divisional

Cyclist Company.

An appeal to join, might be for

Provisions given, of uniform

And very own army cycles.

No fitness requirements

Are expressed - only to say,

‘Bad Teeth, No Bar.’

by Jamie Mann.

Anon.,1914. Cyclist Companies. The Daily Telegraph, [online] 25 Nov. p.2. Col.3. Available at: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/ww1-archive/11251495/Daily-Telegraph-November-25-1914.html [Accessed: 25 November 2014].

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/National_Cyclists'_Union

Mann, J., 2014. 100 years Ago - Poems by Jamie Mann. [letter] (Personal communication, 25 November 2014). 

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/ww1-archive/11251495/Daily-Telegraph-November-25-1914.html

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