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Henencourt, France. 1917-05-12. Two members of the 1st Anzac Cyclists Battalion standing, with their bicycles, in front of their barracks. 827 Private Jack Dair Bambury (left) and 830 Private Herbert (Terry) Davies. (Donor E. Townsend)

The British New Army establishment that the AIF was reorganised under in 1916 provided for a company of cyclists for each Division. When they got to France, they were reorganised as Corps troops, with a Battalion for each Corps. There were two ANZACs at this time, hence two Corps. The cyclist battalions were organised like infantry, with four companies of four platoons. When II ANZAC became XXII Corps in 1917, the Australian cyclists of the 2nd Cyclist Battalion returned to the Australian Corps as reinforcements.

The cyclists were mainly used as despatch riders. During semi-open warfare periods in 1917 and 1918, they operated similar to cavalry. A brigade column in an advance would have cyclists attached. They weren't as mobile or flexible as cavalry, but didn't cost as much to maintain either. Ross Mallett

Australia did not have a separate Corps or hat badge for Cyclists. This one is British.

<<< As noted there was no Corps badge for Cyclists but there was a cloth arm badge that served as a de-facto trade badge.

 

1st Cyclist Battalion (New South Wales and Queensland)

  • Served on the Western Front
  • Formed France April 1916 and assigned to I Anzac Corps. 
  • Assigned to Australian Corps March 1918. 
    • 2nd Reinforcements departed Sydney on Clan McGillivray 3 May 1916, 
    • 3rd Reinforcements departed Sydney on Wiltshire 22 August 1916, 
    • 4th Reinforcements departed Sydney on Anchises 24 August 1916, 
    • 5th Reinforcements departed Sydney on Ceramic 7 October 1916, 
    • 6th Reinforcements departed Sydney on Ascanius 25 October 1916, 
    • 7th Reinforcements departed Sydney on Benalla 9 November 1916, 
    • 8th Reinforcements departed Sydney on Orsova 2 December 1916, 
    • 9th Reinforcements departed Sydney on Ayrshire 24 January 1917, 
    • 10th Reinforcements departed Melbourne on Shropshire 11 May 1917, 
    • 11th Reinforcements departed Sydney on Marathon 10 May 1917, 
    • 12th Reinforcements departed Sydney on Hororata 14 June 1917.
Captain Colin Hales of No 1 Cyclist Battalion, AIF, who was killed in action on 20 December 1916. (Donor Mrs M. Hales) 973, Private Leslie A. Trigg, 1st ANZAC Cyclists, AIF.

1st Cyclist Company (New South Wales) [1st Division]

  • Formed Egypt March 1916 and assigned to 1st Division. 
  • Disbanded 2 July 1916 and personnel used to form 1st Cyclist Battalion.
    Egypt, Sinai, Western Front

4th Cyclist Company (Queensland) [4th Division]

  • Formed Egypt March 1916 and assigned to 4th Division. 
  • Disbanded 2 July 1916 and personnel used to form 1st Cyclist Battalion. 
  • 2nd Reinforcements departed Brisbane on Clan McGillivray 1 May 1916.
    Egypt, Sinai, Western Front

5th Cyclist Company (Western Australia) [5th Division]

  • Formed Egypt March 1916 and assigned to 5th Division. 
  • Disbanded 2 July1916 and personnel used to form 1st Cyclist Battalion.
  • 2nd Reinforcements departed Fremantle on Seang Bee 18 July 1916.
    Egypt, Sinai, Western Front
1st ANZAC CYCLIST BATTALION on the WESTERN FRONT
 
Commanding Officer of this unusual unit for most of WW1 was Victorian Maj. Jack Hindhaugh. It has been described as 'the wrong unit in the wrong place at the wrong time--trench warfare was not conducive to cycle charges'. Tasks of the unit included 'directing traffic, unloading railway wagons, harvesting hops for local families, and burying the dead'.
 
Taken at face value, the unit was a complete failure. But only twelve years before--during the Boer War--Australian cyclists had performed well as scouts, some, as shown below, on machines improvised for use on South African railway lines:

Photograph in UK Intelligence Corps Museum
 
The 1st ANZAC Cyclist Battalion never served in the front line as a fighting unit, but it was exposed to regular bombardments by artillery and aircraft. Cyclist detachments, however, took part in the last stages of the war, as the German Army retreated from the trench systems to the Hindenburg Line. Thirteen men were killed in action. The 2nd Battalion (officered by New Zealanders) fared even less well with a loss of 59 dead.
 
[Source on 1st ANZAC Cyclist Battalion is 'ANZACS at War on Bicycles', Jim Fitzpatrick, Royal Historical Society of Victoria of Victoria Journal, Vol. 54, No 3., September 1983, pages 31-38] As seen on Defending Victoria

2nd Cyclist Battalion (Victoria and Western Australia)

  • Served on the Western Front
  • Formed France July 1916 and assigned to II Anzac Corps. Contained two companies of New Zealand Cyclists. Disbanded March 1918. 
    • 2nd Reinforcements departed Melbourne on Barambah 27 June 1916, 
    • 3rd Reinforcements departed Melbourne on Themistocles 28 July 1917 
    • 4th Reinforcements departed Melbourne on Commonwealth 19 September 1916, 
    • 5th Reinforcements departed Melbourne on Borda 20 October 1916, 
    • 6th Reinforcements departed Melbourne on Borda 20 October 1916, 
    • 7th Reinforcements departed Melbourne on Medic 16 December 1916, 
    • 8th Reinforcements departed Melbourne on Orontes 23 December 1916, 
    • 9th Reinforcements departed Melbourne on Omrah 17 January 1917, 
    • 10th Reinforcements departed Melbourne on Shropshire 11 May 1917.
       

2nd Cyclist Company (Victoria) [2nd Division]
Formed Egypt March 1916 and assigned to 2nd Division. Disbanded 2 July 1916 and personnel used to form 2nd Cyclist Battalion.
Egypt, Sinai, Western Front

3rd Cyclist Company (Queensland) [3rd Division]

  • Formed Queensland March 1916 for 3rd Division. 
  • Departed Sydney on Demosthenes 18 May 1916. 
  • Disbanded on arrival in England..
    England
  • Cyclist Training Company
    Formed England 1916.
    England

many details on this page from Ross Mallett's site
Outdoor group portrait of nine New Zealand members of an Anzac Cyclist Battalion, possibly the 2nd Anzac Corps Cyclist Battalion.

 Attached to the bayonet of the man fourth from left in the back row are the regimental colours, which bear the French legend 'Bataillon Cycliste, XX (?) Corps Juillet (?) 1918'. 
Seated in the front row are three officers; in the centre is Major C Hellier Evans, Commanding Officer, No 1 New Zealand Cyclist Company.
 

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