Page 19 - DLNnov2014-988
P. 19
Mike Peel received Mike
the followin from Interesting local history cycling piece here from
http://runner500.wordpress.com/page/2/
A friend. Pete
Charles Cox & The Army Cyclist Corps
I first noticed the name of Charles Cox of the Army Cyclist Corps on the WW1
memorial on the Lewisham side of Brockley and Ladywell Cemetery several years
ago. At the time I was reading John Foot’s excellent history of Italian cycling
‘Pedalare! Pedalare!’. This included sections on cyclists in WW1 – including the
amazing tale of the one leggedEnrico Toti, and in WW2 where Giro and Tour de
France winner Gino Bartalli used his cycle to smuggle false papers allowing Jews
to escape from Mussolini’s regime. I was unaware though of their World War 1 British
counterparts, and it got me interested.
The main role of the army
cyclists was patrolling the
coastline. Some units were
sent into active service to
provide reconnaissance and
communications support.
However, they tended to be
ineffective in trench warfare
and spent much time trench
holding duties and manual work.
There is a Wikipedia photo
below of them in the Somme in
1917.
19
the followin from Interesting local history cycling piece here from
http://runner500.wordpress.com/page/2/
A friend. Pete
Charles Cox & The Army Cyclist Corps
I first noticed the name of Charles Cox of the Army Cyclist Corps on the WW1
memorial on the Lewisham side of Brockley and Ladywell Cemetery several years
ago. At the time I was reading John Foot’s excellent history of Italian cycling
‘Pedalare! Pedalare!’. This included sections on cyclists in WW1 – including the
amazing tale of the one leggedEnrico Toti, and in WW2 where Giro and Tour de
France winner Gino Bartalli used his cycle to smuggle false papers allowing Jews
to escape from Mussolini’s regime. I was unaware though of their World War 1 British
counterparts, and it got me interested.
The main role of the army
cyclists was patrolling the
coastline. Some units were
sent into active service to
provide reconnaissance and
communications support.
However, they tended to be
ineffective in trench warfare
and spent much time trench
holding duties and manual work.
There is a Wikipedia photo
below of them in the Somme in
1917.
19
