Condensed History of the
Canadian Corps Cyclist Battalion

(thanks to Wendy Kimmel for this document)

Most of the personnel comprising this Company was drawn from men who volunteered for it from the various infantry battalions of the 1^st Contingent and it was named the "Suicide Battalion" because they had visions of fighting rear guard actions with "Heine" and their chances of survival would be small.  Such, however, was not to be the case for when the 1^st Contingent, including Cyclists, disembarked at St. Nazaire on February 15, 1915, the German advance was substantially halted and the then arriving troops were required to consolidate positions rather than fight a running battle.  

          The drawing of volunteers for the 1^st Divisional Cyclists from the various infantry battalions was the occasion of there being representatives from every Province of the Dominion in its ranks and this condition prevailed also throughout the remaining Cyclist Companies, for when the 2^nd Divisional Cyclists were formed early in 1915, platoons were drawn from Halifax, Montreal, Toronto, Kingston, Winnipeg and Vancouver and assembled at Toronto under the command of Colonel Denison who afterwards transferred to the 19^th Battalion and was killed at Vimy.

          It would appear that a Cyclist Company was definitely required for each Division leaving Canada to complete its establishment.  As recruiting for the infantry battalions was carried out primarily by the militia units then in existence, it was decided by the authorities that the Corps of Guides Detachments throughout Canada would be the logical units to recruit cyclists, as the basis of training for the Guides was expected to be also the requirements of cyclists, with the exception that Guides rode horses.  The first effort of the Guides in this connection was the formation of the 3^rd Divisional Cyclist Company at Toronto under Captain B. G. Schwartz and consisted of six platoons of thirty men and an officer, again drawn from the larger centres of Canada , and with a total strength, including H.Q. details, of 200 men.  Similarly the 4^th Divisional Cyclist Company was formed on February 4, 1916, under Captain G. L. Berkeley and later in the year the 5^th Divisional Cyclist Company under Captain (now Lieut.-Colonel of the Royal Canadian Corps of Signals) W. A. Kyle.  In the last three companies new cities were represented by platoons from Ottawa , London , Calgary and Edmonton .

          The 2^nd Divisional Cyclists were sent to Shorncliffe for training, but the 3^rd, 4^th and 5^th went to Chiseldon in Wiltshire and were attached for training to the Army Cyclist Corps under the command of Colonel Eastwood.  Chiseldon Camp was situated about half way between Swindon and Marlborough and before the War was a permanent cavalry barracks.  Here were stationed a reserve battalion of the Durham Light Infantry, about 1,500 Imperial Cyclists, 400 Australian Cyclists, 200 New Zealand Cyclists and 400 Canadian Cyclists.  These figures varied from time to time as drafts were required to re-inforce the units in France, the vacancies being filled by new detachments as they arrived from the various Dominions.

          At this time the Cyclists’ training became much more intense, as in addition to the usual courses in musketry, bombing, bayonet fighting and gas, instruction of a highly specialize type was also given in signaling, range-finding, Lewis Gun, topography and tactics.  Drill, which had previously been somewhat sketchy owing to a lack of adequate text books on Cyclists, underwent many changes and a uniform system was finally adopted.  Dismounted drill was closely akin to dismounted Cavalry drill, while mounted drill was an adaptation of the same with the exception that the platoons always rode in files instead of fours.  The words of command, of course, differed from the Cavalry; also they were designated as platoons and companies instead of troops and squadrons; otherwise there was very little difference.

          While the Canadian Reserve Cyclist Company (as this unit was afterwards named), were undergoing this intensive training in England, the Companies attached to the Canadian Divisions in the field were doing anything but the work for which they had previously been trained.  Cyclists, as such, were only of use in open warfare and it was not until the latter days of the War that they really came into their own – but more about that later.

          The Cyclists’ duties accordingly became much diversified – one platoon might be on traffic control, another acting as trench guides, another on sapping, mining and listening posts, while scattered individuals were acting as despatch riders and battalion runners or assisting in engineering work or other specialized duties.  It became increasingly difficult under these circumstances to keep track of individual units until Headquarters decided to form the various Cyclist Companies into an integral part of the Canadian Corps.  When this was finally achieved the new unit was called the Canadian Corps Cyclist Battalion and was commanded by Major A. E. Humphrey, D.S.O., of Chilliwack , B.C.  This amalgamation of companies took place in May, 1916, but the same scattering was in evidence to a certain degree, for the only time the unit was together was when they were out for a rest period at Divion, and this did not happen very often.  "A" and "B" Companies might be on working parties while "C" Company helped construct the Grange Tunnel or be engaged in constructing trenches, dugouts, light railways, saps and barbed wire entanglements.  The Infantry Battalions might be in the line for several days at a time with a short rest period, but the Cyclists would be out under fire for a month to six weeks at a stretch without obtaining any relief.  Bicycles were used only when a change of location was made, otherwise the light railways were used, interspersed with considerable marching.

          Casualties which heretofore had been reasonably light, now began to take their toll and the official figures from Ottawa quoted below make interesting reading from a Cyclist’s perspective.

          Total strength of each branch of the Service in France, their casualties and percentage of such casualties to total strength of each branch:

          In addition to casualties thinning the ranks, there was also another contributing feature.  Owing to the reasonably high average of intelligence prevailing among the rank and file, many were granted commissions in the field and transferred to other units.  For the size of the unit the percentage was unusually high and this is not surprising considering the high type of men composing the various Divisional Cyclist units.  We would not go so far as to say that they were hand-picked, but they were certainly pretty well looked over before being accepted as recruits.  In one platoon alone there were six B.A.’s, two M.A.’s, and one LL.B  

          As previously pointed out, in the early days casualties were not too great a drain and recruits from Canada were arriving faster than the casualty rate demanded.  The consequence was many were transferred from the Reserve to other units.  At one time about 100 men were transferred to Bramshott Camp to be spread around some of the infantry battalions then in training.  These men were so desponded over being separated from their pals in the Cyclists that they buried an old broken-down bicycle with full military honours at a mock funeral.  

          It was during the last 100 days when "Heine" was being pushed back that the Cyclists really functioned as such.  At this time every fourth man carried a Lewis Gun on his bicycle.  The bicycles used were B.S.A.’s and Humbers and they certainly stood the strain well.  Time and again our lads were sent out far in advance of the infantry to keep touch with the retreating enemy and many were the tales of heroism and sacrifice recorded that make us very proud of the unit in which we served.  The Cyclist Battalion cast off their role of Corps handymen and Engineer’s navvies and assumed the character for which their training had fitted them.  The night rides from the Arras front to Amiens acted as excellent conditioners for cycling muscles and the second night in particular, when the Battalion covered 57 kilometres in pitch darkness, was a real test of stamina and discipline.

          Once at the Amiens front, it soon became evident that we were through with coolie labour.  In the advance the Cyclists operated as a link between advanced cavalry and leading infantry and also formed a flank for the Canadian forces while the French forces to the right of the Roye Road were held up by a counter-attack.  In this engagement the Cyclist Battalion formed part of an Independent Brigade consisting of Cavalry, Motor Machine Guns, Armoured cars and Cyclists under General Brutinel.  This Independent Brigade continued to function until the cessation of hostilities.

          When the Canadian Corps returned to the neighbourhood of Arras , it was found that conditions were unfavourable for road work.  However, on August 29 the Cyclists did a spot of infantry work in the line near the Scarpe River .  Here they attacked and captured three enemy trenches near Jigsaw Wood in the face of heavy artillery fire.  This operation was necessary in order to protect the left flank of the Canadian Corps.

          During the advance on Cambrai the Cyclists did considerable reconnaissance work and suffered many casualties, particularly at Villers-les-Cagnicourt where 22 officers and other ranks became casualties in a very brief engagement – seven being killed outright.

          Again, following the capture of Cambrai the Cyclists took up a position to the east of Naves to hold an important bridge-head.  This was done, at the cost of several killed and wounded, under heavy artillery and trench mortar fire.  Several men were killed while on reconnaissance patrols in this same area.

          In the capture of Valenciennes it is officially reported that the Cyclists were the first British troops to go through the town.  Three of them, however, never came out as they were victims of enemy machine guns and killed in action.  A Canadian Cyclist was the first of the allied armies to cross the Bonn Bridge into Germany .

          From the foregoing account of some of the activities of the Cyclist Battalion during "the last 100 days", the reader may obtain an impression of the changed character of the Cyclists’ work from what it was during the long-drawn trench warfare.  That our part in the open warfare was more dangerous is quite true, and the casualty lists prove it.  But no Cyclist would have gone back willingly to the monotonous, if somewhat less hazardous, working party job which was their lot previous to August, 1918.

          On the 25^th day of August, 1918, Lieutenant-Colonel Sir Arthur W. Currie, commanding the Canadians wrote a message which concludes with the following paragraph:

"From the depths of a very full heart I wish to thank all staffs and service – the Infantry, the Artillery, the Cavalry, the Engineers, the Machine Gunners, the Independent Force (consisting of the Motor Machine Gun Brigade and the Cyclists), the Tank Battalions, the R.A.F., the Medical Services, the Army Service Corps, the Ordnance Corps, the Veterinary Corps and the Chaplain Services, for their splendid support and co-operation, and to congratulate you all on the wonderful success achieved.  Let us remember our gallant dead, whose spirit shall ever be with us, inspiring us to nobler effort, and when the call again comes, be it soon or otherwise, I know the same measure of success will be yours."

Moran, John E. (Secretary) Canadian Corps Cyclist Battalion Association 1914 – 1918. Handbook, Toronto , Ontario , November, 1941