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The Army Cyclist Corps
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World War 1 One ww1 wwII greatwar greatThe Army Cyclist Corps
The Army Cyclist Corps was formed in 1914, absorbing a number of pre-existing cyclist battalions, from the Territorial Force where they had mainly undertaken teh role of coastal patrols. These pre-war units wore their own distinctive unit badges where as the cyclist units raised during the war, all wore the ACC badge. The first cyclist units went overseas in 1915 to France and Flanders and to Gallipoli, undertaking a reconnaissance role with the Army Divisions and taking the number of the Division. The Corps was disbanded in 1919.
Battalions absorbed in 1914.
- 6th (Cyclist) Battalion (Territorial Force), The Norfolk Regiment
- 6th (Cyclist) Battalion (Territorial Force), The Suffolk Regiment
- 6th (Cyclist) Battalion (Territorial Force), The Royal Sussex Regiment
- 8th (Cyclist) Battalion (Territorial Force), The Essex Regiment
- The Essex and Suffolk Cyclist Battalion
- The Kent Cyclist Battalion (Territorial Force)
- The Huntingdonshire Cyclist Battalion
- The 25th (County of London) Cyclist Battalion, The London Regiment (Territorial Force).
- The 5th (Cyclist) Battalion (Territorial Force), East Yorkshire Regiment;
- The Northern Cyclist Battalion (Territorial Force). 10th (Cyclist) Battalion (Territorial Force), The Royal Scots (Lothian Regiment);
- The Highland Cyclist Battalion (Territorial Force).
- 7th (Cyclist) Battalion (Territorial Force), The Devonshire Regiment
- 8th (Isle of Wight Rifles, "Princess Beatrice's") Battalion (Territorial Force), The Hampshire Regiment
- 9th (Cyclist) Battalion (Territorial Force), The Hampshire Regiment.
- 7th (Cyclist) Battalion (Territorial Force), The Welsh Regiment.
Battalions raised during the War
- 1st Cyclist Battalion, I Corps.
- 2nd Cyclist Battalion (Yorkshire Dragoons), II Corps.
- 4th Cyclist Battalion IV Corps.
- 5th Cyclist Battalion (North Irish Horse), V Corps.
- 6th Cyclist Battalion, VI Corps.
- 7th Cyclist Battalion, VII Corps.
- 8th Cyclist Battalion, VIII Corps.
- 9th Cyclist Battalion, IX Corps.
- 10th Cyclist Battalion, X Corps.
- 11th Cyclist Battalion, XI Corps.
- 13th Cyclist Battalion, XIII Corps.
- 15th Cyclist Battalion, XV Corps.
- 17th Cyclist Battalion, XVII Corps.
- 18th Cyclist Battalion, 1st Army.
- 19th Cyclist Battalion, XIX Corps.
- New Zealand Cyclist Battalion, XXII Corps.
- Australian Cyclist Battalion, Australian Corps.
- Canadian Cyclist Battalion, Canadian Corps.
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Dec 2011
Please note we currently have a large backlog of submitted material, our volunteers are working through this as quickly as possible and all names, stories and photos will be added to the site.
Those known to have served with The Army Cyclist Corps during the Great War.
Select a story link or scroll down to browse those stories hosted on this site.
- Pte. Charles William Boulton Read their Story.
- Pte. Sidney Charles Clark 1st Btn. (d.23rd Apr 1917) Read their Story.
- Cpl. Frederick Evans Read their Story.
- James Holroyd Read their Story.
- Sjt. Edward George Hunt 6th Btn Read their Story.
- L/Cpl. Henry Jones
- Pte. John Molyneux 6th Btn. (d.1th Oct 1918) Read their Story.
- Pte. William Powell
- Pte. Richard Henry Webb 4th Btn Read their Story.
- Pte. Thomas Henry Willis DCM. MID. Read their Story.
- Walter Woodcock Read their Story.
If you have any names to add to this list, or any recollections or photos of those listed, please get in touch.
Pte. John Molyneux 6th Btn. Army Cyclists Corps (d.1th Oct 1918)
Private Molyneux is remembered on the Broseley (Shropshire) Memorial and also on the beautifully produced Maw & Company (Jackfield) Memorial, made from their own ceramic tiles, in memory of their employees.Private Molyneux, although born in Staffordshire, came to live with his grandfather in Broseley, he enlisted during the war initially as 7186 with the Shropshire Light Infantry and transferred to the cyclist corps.
Pte. Thomas Henry Willis DCM. MID. Hampshire Regiment
Thomas Willis was my Grandfather, who never talked about the Great War. However a recent trip found me on the Zonnenbeke - Ypres road where Grandad won his DCM. When the driver of the coach announced where we were, a cold shiver went down the back of my neck and I started to sweat. I cannot account for this reaction but my wife Ann asked if I was OK. The feeling continued until we left the road.Grandad started his military service in the Hampshire Regt. During my boyhood he acted as my father as Dad was away during the last year of WW2 and off to Korea in 1950.
Pte. Richard Henry Webb 4th Btn East Yorks Regiment
Richard Henry Webb was my mother's father, he was born in Bermondsey 1st Feb 1896 (to a family with roots in both East London and Hull). He lost his father in 1899, and his mother in 1906, and grew up in the family of his aunt in Hull. He enlisted 7th Nov 1912 with 4th Bn East Yorks Regt and served with Army Cyclist Corps and Royal Horse Guards.On the back of his cycling map he has written the following: "V Corps Army Cyclist", "My Best Friend in France and Belgium 1915-1918", "Landed April 17th 1915", "Ypres 2nd Battle", "R.H.Webb". His Movement Order (in very frail condition) is dated 11 December 1917, and bears the stamps "Poperinghe" "Hazebrouck".
By late January 1918 he was convalescing,I don't know any details of his injuries, in Stamford, Lincs, where he struck up a relationship with Cathie Piggott, my grandmother, just before his 22nd birthday. The relationship started very suddenly, and became serious so quickly that Cathie ditched her current boyfriend just as he had decided to propose to her! They became engaged in May, and were married by licence on 23rd October in Stamford, his address on the Bishop's Licence was "The Parish of Great Bentley, Colchester in the county of Essex".
Dick Webb transferred to the Royal Horse Guards, taking the Service Number 3157, in February 1919, and was disembodied on April 21st. He enlisted with the Territorials at Stamford in 1920, and stayed with them until 1923. He died in October 1936, on their 18th wedding anniversary, when he collapsed with a heart attack at his garden gate, having just been to his allotment to get some vegetables for Sunday lunch. My grandmother noted that the doctor told her "his arteries were like a man of 60, and it would be aggravated by his war service". He left a widow and four children aged 5 to 15. His only son, Arthur, died aged 19 in December 1944 on the Arctic Convoy when his ship HMS Cassandra was torpedoed near Murmansk.
James Holroyd Army Cyclist Corps
My Grandfather James Holroyd of Halifax Yorkshire, served in the Army Cyclist Corps durring WWI in either Mesopotamia or Macedonia. He tried to retrieve his military records but they were destroyed in WWII. I have been trying to at least find some general information on the cyclist corps to have some background. There is one picture of him with his bicycle and I have buttons etc. off his uniform as well as general service medals.
Sjt. Edward George Hunt 6th Btn Army Cyclist Corps
I have some pictures of my grandfather, Edward Hunt in the war. He was in the 6th battalion of the Cyclist Corps.
Pte. Charles William Boulton Army Cyclist Corps
My Grandad Charlie Boulton served in the Army Cyclist Corps during WW1. His date of entry into France was 6 September 1915, and he was de-mobbed from Salonika in 1919.His war records do not survive, other than his de-mob certificate and medal roll index card. My sister has a tiny war diary which mainly has shopping lists from when he was a batman to Charles Garfield Lott Du Cann (father of Sir Edward Du Cann and Richard Du Cann) - the lists always include a lemon so I reckon they always had gin! There is also the record of a sea voyage where they made the tea with sea water, so no great details of battles - only food!
I hope to transcribe the diary and get in touch with the Du Cann family to see if there are any family records there, as Charles Du Cann was a journalist and author.
Walter Woodcock Army Cyclist Corps
Walter Woodcock regimental number: 16829 19 Dec 1916 he enlisted in the Army Cyclist Corps at Chisledon, Swindon aged 17 and 11 months. He lived at 59 The Grange, Bermondsey and was a leather dresser by trade. Unfortunately that is the last record I can find. He was brother to my grandfather, Henry Childs, John (Jack)and Mabel Edith Woodcock.
Cpl. Frederick Evans Army Cyclist Corps
Fred Evans was so keen to fight for his country he first enlisted when he was only fifteen, he was tall for his age and claimed he was nineteen. He was discharged eight months later when his mother reported him as being under age. However, as soon as he was old enough, he enlisted again and served until the end of the war in the Cyclist Corps. Fred was my father.
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