Canadian Expeditionary Force Study Group

Love reports that static trench conditions often led to the cyclists being assigned other duties, coming into their own in the massive advances of the last 100 days, during which they suffered heavy casualties.

In Stewart's text "Overseas" the following is reported for the Cyclist Battalions:

As the 1st Canadian Division was forming and training at Valcartier Camp, Quebec it was decided that a cyclist unit should be formed to carry out Intelligence work with the Canadian Expeditionary Force. The first Canadian Cyclist Company sailed for England with the 1st Canadian Division on October 14, 1914 with all ranks which had volunteered for the Cyclist unit from most of the battalions. As it had been decided that all further divisions must carry a Cyclist Battalion on their establishments, the recruiting was handed over and carried out by the Corps of Guides of the N.P.A.M. (Matrix: Non Permanent Active Militia), whose duties were commensurate with the training needs of the Cyclists.

In addition to the training the Cyclists had received under the direction of the Guides in Canada, a much more intensive course was started in England which consisted of musketry, bombing, and bayonet fighting coupled with the highly specialized role of learning signalling and topography techniques, range-finding, tactics and the use of Lewis guns.

Due to the more static nature of the war in the early years, the Corps duties were not those for which they had been trained. They carried out traffic control, sapping and mining, trench guide, listening posts, battalion runners and despatch riding duties.

Owing to the diverse nature of the Corps duties the Cyclists had undertaken, it had become almost impossible to keep track of them, and to that end the various companies were reorganized into Canadian Corps Cyclist Battalions by May of 1916.  For the most part the Cyclists spent from four to six weeks in the lines under intense fire which gave rise to an increase in casualties.

During the last 100 days of the war, the Corps cane into its own. The value of the work they had been initially trained for came into constant use in forming the vital links between the Infantry and Cavalry and keeping in constant touch with the retreating enemy. One unit was attached to the Independent Brigade under the command of Brutinel.  All the above duties coupled with reconnaissance duties, proved more dangerous than the early work they had undertaken. 23% of the Cyclists had been killed and the men soon placed "Suicide Battalions" as their nickname.

Five divisional Cyclist Battalions were formed and It is of interest to note that a Canadian Cyclist was the first allied soldier to cross the Bonn bridge into Germany.

Nicholson's references to the Cyclist Battalions occur here: (Nicholson Details)

Details: (from Stewart's "Overseas")

At the Divisional Level: