麻豆约拍

Cyclists became popular in the army at the beginning of the 20th Century; they were useful for both speed and relative silence.

The 6th (cyclist) Battalion of the Suffolk Regiment was originally raised by a local businessman, Lieutenant Colonel W T Pretty, who ran a corset-making factory in Ipswich. By the time the Battalion was at full strength it included men from across the county, although more came from Lowestoft than anywhere else.

At full strength in August 1914, they were at their annual training camp at Pakefield near Lowestoft when war broke out. The battalion moved to its war station at Saxmundham, and, until the arrival of other cyclist battalions, it had responsibility to protect the entire Suffolk coastline.

The battalion never went overseas as a unit, but men could volunteer for overseas duty. Many saw action with the regular Suffolks and many members of the Cyclist Battalion were killed at the Battle of Arras in 1917.

The whole of C company, 6th (Cyclist) Battalion joined with the 25th London Cyclists, who鈥檇 been based in Suffolk, when they were sent to India. They remained abroad until the end of the war and saw service in Waziristan and into the North of India.

Those who remained at home were stationed across the east of the county, with groups in Wickham Market, Corton near Lowestoft, Southwold, and Leiston.

Conditions were not comfortable, with the men sleeping on straw beds. One group ended up at the diesel engine-works in Ipswich, their battalion history records them 鈥渟leeping on the oily floors amongst huge machines, with only two blankets apiece鈥�.

Location: Wikham Market, Saxmundham, Suffolk IP17 1BD
Image: 6th Suffolk cyclists training in East Suffolk, courtesy of Mary Trumpess

Show less