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57-778: The Highland Cyclist Battalion was a bicycle infantry battalion of the Territorial Force , part of the British Army . Formed as part of the Volunteer Force in 1860, it became a Volunteer Battalion of the Black Watch (Royal Highlanders) in 1881. In 1909 it became an independent unit and served in the United Kingdom throughout the First World War . In 1920 it was converted as part of

114-630: A bill was introduced to Parliament to allow Militia volunteers to serve in Europe. In the event only three battalions were raised, and these were sent to serve under Henry Bayly . On 12 April 1814 they arrived in Bordeaux , where they were attached to the 7th Division . After the Napoleonic Wars, the Militia fell into disuse, although regimental colonels and adjutants continued to appear in

171-581: A company of cyclists, equipped with a brand of folding bicycle named the Belgica . A regimental cyclist school gave training in map reading, reconnaissance, reporting and the carrying of verbal messages. Attention was paid to the maintenance and repair of the machine itself. In its 1937 invasion of China , Japan employed some 50,000 bicycle troops. Early in World War II their southern campaign through Malaya en route to capturing Singapore in 1941

228-430: A county basis, and filled by voluntary enlistment (although conscription by means of the militia ballot might be used if the counties failed to meet their quotas). It was intended to be seen as an alternative to the army. Training was for 56 days on enlistment, then the recruits would return to civilian life but report for 21–28 days training per year. The full army pay during training and a financial retainer thereafter made

285-409: A feasible alternative to horse-mounted troops; on the grounds of economy, simplicity of training, relative silence when on the move and ease of logistical support. The Dutch and Belgian armies, with extensive flat terrain within their national boundaries, maintained battalion or company sized units of cyclists. The Italian Bersaglieri expanded their established role as fast-moving light infantry through

342-637: A uniform), and after six months full-time training would be discharged into the reserve. The first intake was called up, but the Second World War was declared soon afterwards, and the militiamen lost their identity in the rapidly expanding army. Two units still maintain their militia designation in the British Army , in the Army Reserve . These are the Royal Monmouthshire Royal Engineers (formed in 1539) and

399-489: A useful addition to the men's civilian wage. Of course, many saw the annual camp as the equivalent of a paid holiday. The militia thus appealed to agricultural labourers, colliers and the like, men in casual occupations , who could leave their civilian job and pick it up again. The militia was also a significant source of recruits for the Regular Army, where men had received a taste of army life. An officer's commission in

456-589: The 1st Provisional Cyclist Company . The company was disbanded on 13 April 1916. The 3rd Line battalion was formed at Kirkcaldy in 1915 to provide trained replacements for the 1st and 2nd Line battalions. It was disbanded in March 1916 and the men were posted to 1/1st and 2/1st Battalions and to the Machine Gun Corps . The Territorial Force was disbanded after the First World War, although this

513-502: The 2nd Perthshire (The Perthshire Highland) Rifle Volunteer Corps . HQ remained at Birnam with The Childers Reforms of 1881 restructured the infantry of the British Army into multi-battalion regiments. Each regiment was to have two regular battalions, a number of militia battalions and the various Rifle Volunteer Corps were to be designated as volunteer battalions of the new regiments. The changes came into effect on 1 July and

570-506: The 5th, 7th, 9th, 13th and 14th Perthshire Rifle Volunteer Corps joined from the 1st Administrative Battalion. 20th Perthshire Rifle Volunteer Corps joined when it was raised on 27 May 1869. In 1874, the battalion gained a subtitle as the 2nd (The Perthshire Highland) Administrative Battalion, Perthshire Rifle Volunteers . A government committee of 1878 recommended that the remaining administrative battalions be consolidated and in 1880 these recommendations were carried out. Each corps within

627-620: The Army List . Whilst muster rolls were still prepared during the 1820s, the element of compulsion was abandoned. For example, the City Of York Militia & Muster Rolls run to 1829. They used a pre-printed form with a printer's date of Sept 1828. The Militia was revived by the Militia Act 1852 ( 15 & 16 Vict. c. 50), enacted during a period of international tension. As before, units were raised and administered on

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684-664: The Continuation War and Lapland War . Bicycles were used as a means of transportation in Jaeger Battalions, divisional Light Detachments and regimental organic Jaeger Companies. Bicycle units spearheaded the advances of 1941 against the Soviet Union. Especially successful was the 1st Jaeger Brigade which was reinforced with a tank battalion and an anti-tank battalion, providing rapid movement through limited road network. During winter time these units, like

741-424: The First World War , but their rank and file did not, since the object of the special reserve was to supply drafts of replacements for the overseas units of the regiment. The Special Reserve reverted to its militia designation in 1921, then to Supplementary Reserve in 1924, though the units were effectively placed in "suspended animation" until disbanded in 1953. The term militiaman was briefly revived in 1939. In

798-669: The Highland Divisional Signals. From being the closest of allies in the Crimean War (October 1853 – February 1856), Anglo-French relations had deteriorated to such an extent that by 1859 an invasion of Britain seemed a real possibility. An attempt to assassinate the French Emperor, Napoleon III , by Italian nationalists – the Orsini affair  – had been linked to Britain as

855-826: The Perth Road drill hall in Birnam. The battalion contributed a number of its members to the several volunteer companies of the Black Watch that went out to South Africa to take part in the Second Boer War . For its service, it was awarded the South Africa 1900–02 battle honour . The Territorial Force (TF) was formed on 1 April 1908 following the enactment of the Territorial and Reserve Forces Act 1907 ( 7 Edw. 7 . c. 9) which combined and re-organised

912-581: The Sri Lankan Civil War . During the Russian invasion of Ukraine , electric bicycles were used for anti tank purposes. Militia (United Kingdom) A separate voluntary Local Militia was created in 1808 before being disbanded in 1816. By 1813 the British Army was experiencing a shortage of manpower to maintain their battalions at full strength. Some consideration was given to recruiting foreign nationals; however, on 4 November 1813

969-589: The Swedish Army operated six bicycle infantry regiments. They were equipped with domestically produced Swedish military bicycles . Most common was the m/42 , an upright, one-speed roadster produced by several large Swedish bicycle manufacturers. These regiments were decommissioned between 1948 and 1952, and the bicycles remained for general use in the Army, or were transferred to the Home Guard . Beginning in

1026-730: The Territorial and Reserve Forces Act 1907 ( 7 Edw. 7 . c. 9) which brought the Territorial Force into being, the TF was intended to be a home defence force for service during wartime and members could not be compelled to serve outside the country. However, on the outbreak of war on 4 August 1914, many members volunteered for Imperial Service . Therefore, TF units were split in August and September 1914 into 1st Line (liable for overseas service) and 2nd Line (home service for those unable or unwilling to serve overseas) units. Later, 3rd Line units were formed to act as reserves, providing trained replacements for

1083-591: The bombs used in the attempt had been made and tested in England, coupled with the British Government's refusal to restrict the right of asylum . With the regular British Army stretched in the aftermath of the Indian Mutiny (May 1857 – June 1858), a popular movement saw the creation of the Volunteer Force . Rifle Volunteer Corps were set up throughout Great Britain from May 1859 under

1140-594: The " Ho Chi Minh trail ", avoiding the repeated attacks of United States and Allied bombing raids. When heavily loaded with supplies such as sacks of rice, these bicycles were seldom rideable, but were pushed by a tender walking alongside. With especially bulky cargo, tenders sometimes attached bamboo poles to the bike for tiller-like steering (this method can still be seen practiced in China today). Vietnamese "cargo bikes" were rebuilt in jungle workshops with reinforced frames to carry heavy loads over all terrain. The use of

1197-498: The 1,900 Miles to St. Louis Missouri in 40 days with an average speed of over 6 mph. A proposed ride from Missoula to San Francisco was not approved and the experiments terminated. The first known use of the bicycle in combat occurred during the 1895 Jameson Raid , in which cyclists carried messages. In the Second Boer War military cyclists were used primarily as scouts and messengers. One unit patrolled railroad lines on specially constructed tandem bicycles that were fixed to

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1254-474: The 1970s, the Army began to sell these as military surplus. They became very popular as cheap and low-maintenance transportation, especially among students. Responding to its popularity and limited supply, an unrelated company, Kronan , began to produce a modernized version of the m/42 in 1997. Although much used in World War I, bicycles were largely superseded by motorized transport in more modern armies. In

1311-470: The 1st and 2nd Lines. The battalion was mobilized on 4 August 1914 at the outbreak of the First World War and moved to its war station at East Linton , East Lothian . In 1915 it was transferred to the Army Cyclist Corps . and by July of that year it had moved to St Andrews . In May 1918, it moved to Ireland and was based at Enniskillen and Randalstown where it remained until the end of

1368-707: The 6th (Perthshire) Battalion, Black Watch, to be replaced by three newly raised companies in Fife. In August 1914, the battalion was headquartered at the Hunter Street drill hall in Kirkcaldy and had the following companies: At the outbreak of the First World War , the battalion was in Scottish Command , unattached to any higher formation. It was to be used as mobile infantry, and for work on signals, scouting and similar activities. In accordance with

1425-551: The Coastal Defence Forces so the pre-war total of 208 battalions had to be reduced by 40. This was achieved by either converting certain battalions to other roles, usually artillery or engineers, or by amalgamating pairs of battalions within a regiment. In particular, based on war time experience, the Army decided to dispense with cyclists units and the existing battalions were either disbanded or converted to artillery or signals units. The Highland Cyclist Battalion

1482-573: The Finnish road network. The hastily assembled German Volksgrenadier divisions each had a battalion of bicycle infantry, to provide a mobile reserve. Allied use of the bicycle in World War II was limited, but included supplying folding bicycles to paratroopers and to messengers behind friendly lines. The term "bomber bikes" came into use during this period, as US forces dropped bicycles out of planes to reach troops behind enemy lines. By 1939,

1539-470: The Japanese troops were able to move faster than the withdrawing Allied Forces, often successfully cutting off their retreat. The speed of Japanese advance, usually along plantation roads, native paths and over improvised bridges, also caught Allied Forces defending the main roads and river crossings by surprise, by attacking them from the rear. However, there were one or two cases of Australian troops turning

1596-521: The TVK. During World War I cycle-mounted infantry, scouts, messengers and ambulance carriers were extensively used by all combatants. Italy used bicycles with the Bersaglieri (light infantry units) until the end of the war. German Army Jäger (light infantry) battalions each had a bicycle company ( Radfahr-Kompanie ) at the outbreak of the war, and additional units were raised during the war, bringing

1653-788: The United States Army tested the bicycle's suitability for cross-country troop transport. The most extensive experimentation on bicycle units was carried out by 1st Lieutenant James A. Moss, of the 25th United States Infantry (Colored) (an African American infantry regiment with European American officers). Using a variety of cycle models, Moss and his troops, accompanied by an assistant surgeon, carried out extensive bicycle journeys covering between 800 and 1,900 miles (1287 to 3058 km). In 1896, Moss' Buffalo Soldiers stationed in Montana rode bicycles across roadless landscapes for hundreds of miles at high speed. The "wheelmen" traveled

1710-530: The War Office from that time onwards. Under the reforms introduced by Secretary of State for War Hugh Childers in 1881, the remaining militia infantry regiments were redesignated as numbered battalions of regiments of the line, ranking after the two regular battalions. Typically, an English, Welsh or Scottish regiment would have two militia battalions (the 3rd and 4th) and Irish regiments three (numbered 3rd – 5th). The militia must not be confused with

1767-516: The aftermath of the Munich Crisis Leslie Hore-Belisha , Secretary of State for War , wished to introduce a limited form of conscription , an unheard of concept in peacetime. It was thought that calling the conscripts 'militiamen' would make this more acceptable, as it would render them distinct from the rest of the army. Only single men aged 20–22 were to be conscripted (given a free suit of civilian clothes as well as

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1824-408: The battalion became a volunteer battalion of the Black Watch (Royal Highlanders) . The volunteer battalions were to be numbered in a separate sequence from the regulars and militia with the renumbering taking place over a period of time. On 1 December 1887, the battalion became the 5th (Perthshire Highland) Volunteer Battalion, Black Watch (Royal Highlanders) . In October 1894 the battalion moved to

1881-482: The battalion lost its independent status and became a lettered company. Initially, each battalion took on the number of its senior constituent corps but this left gaps in the numbering system for counties with more than one battalion, so in June a general renumbering occurred. On 13 April 1880, the battalion was consolidated as the 3rd Perthshire (The Perthshire Highland) Rifle Volunteer Corps , renumbered on 15 June 1880 as

1938-682: The cycle as an infantry transport tool continued into the 21st century with the Swiss Army's Bicycle Regiment, which maintained drills for infantry movement and attack until 2001, when the decision was made to phase the unit out. Although the impact of bicycles is limited in modern warfare, the Finnish Defence Forces still trains all conscripts to use bicycles and skis. American Paratroopers have jumped folding mountain bikes in several Airborne operations The Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam made use of bicycle mobility during

1995-420: The end of the 19th century in most armies. The United Kingdom employed bicycle troops in militia or territorial units , rather than in regular units . Essentially this reflected the popularity of cycling amongst the civilian population and the perceived value of bicycles in providing increased mobility for home defence units. In 1887 the first of a series of cyclist maneuvers involving British volunteer units

2052-595: The extensive use of bicycles from the 1890s onwards. Even the Swiss Army found bicycles to be a useful means of mobility in rough terrain where horse cavalry could not be used. The Imperial Russian Gendarmerie used bicycles with outrigger wheels, to mount patrols along the Siberian Railway before and during the Russo-Japanese War of 1905.(see illustration opposite). Late in the 19th century

2109-403: The headquarters moved to Birnam and the battalion was reorganized. The 3rd Perthshire (Breadalbane) Rifle Volunteer Corps was reduced to the former No. 2 Company, the 4th Perthshire (Breadalbane) Rifle Volunteer Corps was formed from No. 3 Company, 3rd Corps (Nos. 1 and 4 companies were disbanded), 10th Perthshire Rifle Volunteer Corps remained with the battalion until disbanded in 1873, and

2166-401: The militia was often a 'back door' route to a Regular Army commission for young men who could not obtain one through purchase or gain entry to Sandhurst . Under the act, Militia units could be embodied by Royal Proclamation for full-time service in three circumstances: Until 1852 the militia were an entirely infantry force, but the 1852 Act introduced Militia Artillery units whose role

2223-519: The necessary physical requirements.' A further contrast was the replacement of several weeks of preliminary training with six months of full time training upon enlisting in the Special Reserve. Upon mobilisation, the special reserve units would be formed at the depot and continue training while guarding vulnerable points in Britain. The special reserve units remained in Britain throughout

2280-699: The old Volunteer Force, the Honourable Artillery Company and the Yeomanry . Upon transfer to the Territorial Force, the 5th Volunteer Battalion became a bicycle infantry battalion. Initially designated as the 8th (Cyclist) Battalion, Black Watch (Royal Highlanders) , in January 1909 it was separated from the regiment and redesignated as the independent Highland Cyclist Battalion . In 1911, four companies were transferred to

2337-463: The past few decades, however, they have taken on a new life as a "weapon of the people" in guerrilla conflicts and unconventional warfare , where the cycle's ability to carry large, about 400 lb (180 kg), loads of supplies at the speed of a pedestrian make it useful for lightly equipped forces. For many years the Viet Cong and North Vietnamese Army used bicycles to ferry supplies down

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2394-555: The rails . Several raids were conducted by cycle-mounted infantry on both sides; the most famous unit was the Theron se Verkenningskorps (Theron Reconnaissance Corps) or TVK, a Boer unit led by the scout Daniel Theron , whom British commander Lord Roberts described as "the hardest thorn in the flesh of the British advance." Roberts placed a reward of £1,000 on Theron's head—dead or alive—and dispatched 4,000 soldiers to find and eliminate

2451-599: The regular forces. Volunteer Corps required recruits to fund their own equipment, however, effectively barring those with low incomes. The militia was transformed into the Special Reserve by the military reforms of Haldane in the reforming post 1906 Liberal government. In 1908 the militia infantry battalions were redesignated as "reserve" and a number were amalgamated or disbanded. Altogether, 101 infantry battalions, 33 artillery regiments and two engineer regiments of special reservists were formed. In contrast with

2508-647: The rest of the infantry, switched to skis. Within 1942–1944 bicycles were also added to regimental equipment pools. During the Summer 1944 battles against the Soviet Union, bicycles provided quick mobility for reserves and counter-attacks. In Autumn 1944 bicycle troops of the Jaeger Brigade spearheaded the Finnish advance through Lapland against the Germans; tanks had to be left behind due to the German destruction of

2565-404: The soldier serving in the militia, those who served under Special Reserve terms of service had an obligation to serve overseas, as stipulated in paragraph 54. The standards of medical fitness were lower than for recruits to the regular infantry. The possibility of enlisting in the army under Regular terms of service were facilitated under paragraph 38, one precondition was that the recruit 'fulfils

2622-617: The tables on the Japanese by isolating cycle troops from their accompanying motorized forces after blowing up bridges over rivers. During the Invasion of Poland of 1939, most Polish infantry divisions included a company of bicycle-riding scouts. The equipment of each bicycle company included 196 bicycles, one motorcycle with sidecar, and nine horse-drawn supply carts, plus three to six anti-tank rifles and standard infantry equipment such as machine guns, rifles, pistols, and hand grenades. The Finnish Army utilized bicycles extensively during

2679-683: The terms of the Volunteer Act 1804 ( 44 Geo. 3 . c. 54). Corps were to be organised in battalions (of eight companies and at least 500 men), companies (60 to 100 men) or sub-divisions (about 30 men). By 1860, the large number of independent Corps led to their merger as consolidated battalions (were a number of Corps existed in a large town or city) or administrative battalions (in more rural areas). Corps in border areas could be included in battalions outside its own county. Administrative battalions could consolidate as and when they chose. The 2nd Administrative Battalion, Perthshire Rifle Volunteers

2736-469: The total to 80 companies. A number of these were formed into eight Radfahr-Bataillonen (bicycle battalions). The British Army had cyclist companies in its divisions, and later two whole divisions became cyclists: 1st and 2nd Cyclist Divisions . Prior to the start of trench warfare the level terrain in Belgium was well used by military cyclists. Each of the four Belgian carabinier battalions included

2793-437: The volunteer units created in a wave of enthusiasm in the second half of the nineteenth century. In contrast with the Volunteer Force , and the similar Yeomanry Cavalry, they were considered rather plebeian. Volunteer units appealed to better-off recruits as, unlike the Militia which engaged a recruit for a term of service, a volunteer could quit his corps with fourteen days notice, except while embodied for war or training with

2850-465: The war. The battalion was disembodied on 3 December 1919. The 2nd Line battalion was formed at Kirkcaldy in November 1914. In 1915 it was at Montrose and in 1916 at Arbroath . In May 1918, it also moved to Ireland and was based at Athlone . In August 1918 it moved to Curragh Camp where it remained. The battalion was disbanded on 3 July 1919. In July 1915, the battalion provided personnel for

2907-459: The years in many armies, they continue to be used in unconventional armies such as militias . The development of pneumatic tires coupled with shorter, sturdier frames during the late 19th century led to the investigation of possible military uses for bicycles. To some extent, bicyclists took over the functions of dragoons , especially as messengers and scouts, substituting for horses in warfare . Bicycle units or detachments were in existence by

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2964-478: Was a formality and it was reformed in 1920. From 1 October 1921 it was renamed as the Territorial Army . One major change with the new Territorial Army had an effect on the number of infantry battalions. The original 14 divisions were reformed with the pre-war standard of three brigades of four battalions each, for a total of 168 battalions. Infantry were no longer to be included as Army Troops or part of

3021-523: Was absorbed into the Highland Divisional Signals in 1920. Bicycle infantry Bicycle infantry are infantry soldiers who maneuver on (or, more often, between) battlefields using military bicycles . The term dates from the late 19th century, when the " safety bicycle " became popular in Europe, the United States, and Australia. Historically, bicycles lessened the need for horses, fuel and vehicle maintenance. Though their use has waned over

3078-455: Was formed on 12 November 1861 with Headquarters at Taymouth by grouping the 3rd Perthshire (Breadalbane) Rifle Volunteer Corps of four companies (raised 29 February 1860), the 10th Perthshire Rifle Volunteer Corps (raised 1860) and the 9th Argyllshire Rifle Volunteer Corps (raised 12 April 1860). In 1865, the 9th Argyllshire Rifle Volunteer Corps was transferred to the 1st Administrative Battalion , Argyllshire Rifle Volunteers. In 1869,

3135-504: Was held. In France, several experimental units were created, starting in 1886. They developed folding bicycles , that could be collapsed and carried slung across the backs of their riders, from an early date. By 1900 each French line infantry and chasseur battalion had a cyclist detachment, intended for skirmishing, scouting and dispatch carrying. In the years prior to World War I the availability of an extensive network of paved or gravel roads in western Europe made military cyclists appear

3192-693: Was largely dependent on bicycle-riding soldiers. In both efforts bicycles allowed quiet and flexible transport of thousands of troops who were then able to surprise and confuse the defenders. Bicycles also made few demands on the Japanese war machine, needing neither trucks nor ships to transport them, nor precious petroleum . Although the Japanese were under orders not to embark for Malaya with bicycles, for fear of slowing up amphibious landings , they knew from intelligence that bicycles were plentiful in Malaya and moved to systematically confiscate bicycles from civilians and retailers as soon as they landed. Using bicycles,

3249-647: Was to man coastal defences and fortifications, relieving the Royal Artillery for active service. Some of these units were converted from existing infantry militia regiments, others were newly raised. In 1877 the militia of Anglesey and Monmouthshire were converted to Royal Engineers . Up to 1855, the Home Office administered the Militia and Yeomanry, until such time as they were Embodied. The resultant ‘confusion and inconvenience’ it caused, from 1854 to 1855, resulted in being administered exclusively by

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