| Northern Cyclist Battalion | |
|---|---|
| Active | October 1908 – 7 February 1920 |
| Country |  United Kingdom |
| Allegiance | British Crown |
| Branch |  British Army |
| Type | Bicycle infantry |
| Size | Up to threebattalions |
| Part of | Northern Command (peacetime) |
| Garrison/HQ | Hutton Terrace,Newcastle-on-Tyne |
| Service | First World War |
TheNorthern Cyclist Battalion was abicycle infantrybattalion of theTerritorial Force, part of theBritish Army. Formed in 1908, it served in the United Kingdom throughout theFirst World War and in 1920 it was converted as part of theRoyal Garrison Artillery.
The majority of the battalion was newly raised[1] atSunderland (later atNewcastle-on-Tyne) in October 1908[2] as abicycle infantrybattalion of theBritish Army'sTerritorial Force. One existing cyclist company at Sunderland transferred from the3rd Volunteer Battalion, Durham Light Infantry.[3] Initially designated as the8th (Cyclist) Battalion,Northumberland Fusiliers, in 1910 the new unit was separated from that regiment and redesignated as the independentNorthern Cyclist Battalion.[4][a]
In August 1914, the battalion washeadquartered at theHutton Terrace drill hall, Sandyford Road in Newcastle-on-Tyne[6] and had the followingcompanies:
At the outbreak of theFirst World War, the battalion was inNorthern Command, unattached to any higher formation.[5] It was to be used as mobile infantry, and for work on signals, scouting and similar activities.[7]
In accordance with theTerritorial and Reserve Forces Act 1907 (7 Edw. 7, c.9) which brought theTerritorial 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 forImperial 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 the 1st and 2nd Lines.[8]
The battalion was mobilized on 4 August 1914 at the outbreak of theFirst World War and moved to its war station atMorpeth.[6] In 1915 it was transferred to theArmy Cyclist Corps.[9] By 1916 it had moved toAlnwick where it remained as part of theTyne Garrison until the end of the war.[6] The battalion was disembodied on 24 January 1919.[9]
The 2nd Line battalion was formed in late 1914 and also remained in England throughout the war. In 1916 it was atSkegness and in June 1918 it was atBurton Constable as part of theHumber Garrison where it remained.[6] The battalion was disbanded on 17 April 1919.[10]
On 4 July 1915, the battalion provided personnel for the10th Provisional Cyclist Company[6] atChapel St Leonards.[10]
The 3rd Line battalion was formed at Newcastle in 1915 to provide trained replacements for the 1st and 2nd Line battalions.[7] It was disbanded in March 1916 and the men were posted to 1/1st and 2/1st Battalions and to theMachine Gun Corps.[6][10]
The Territorial Force was disbanded after the First World War, although this was a formality and it was reformed in 1920. From 1 October 1921 it was renamed as theTerritorial Army.[11]
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 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.[11] 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.[1]
The Northern Cyclist Battalion was reformed at Newcastle on 7 February 1920. Together with the former3rd Northumbrian (County of Durham) Brigade, Royal Field Artillery it formed a medium artillery brigade[b] of theRoyal Garrison Artillery as3rd (Northumbrian) Medium Brigade, Royal Garrison Artillery, soon redesignated as55th (Northumbrian) Medium Brigade, Royal Garrison Artillery:[14]
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