Jump to content
Free downloads from TNA ×
The Great War (1914-1918) Forum

Remembered Today:

6th (Cyclists) battalion Norfolk Regt


Guest KELLYBROD

Recommended Posts

I was just wondering if anyone had any information on the 6th (cyclists) Bn, Norfolk Regt. My greatgrandfather enlisted with them Dec 1914. He did not actually go to France until July 1916. I was curious to know what kind of things he may have been doing in this time period.

Thanks

Kelly

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Kelly,

I had wondered if your g/grandfather was 6th Battalion, as his regimental number is pretty close to my g/uncles!

There were three '6th (Cyclist) Battalions' raised in the Great War. The original 1/6th was composed of pre-war Territorials and was mobilised on the outbreak of war. The purpose of the cyclist's battalions was mainly coastal defence (patrolling) and they also acted as a mobile reserve. The 1/6th spent the early part of the war on coast defence duties in Norfolk.

The 2/6th Battalion was raised towards the end of 1914 and once complete it was sent to Bridlington, Yorkshire, on the east coast. Here it was also employed on coast defence.

A 3/6th Battalion was formed at Norwich. The regimental history does not give any further information on this battalion.

In July 1916, much of the 1/6th and a large proportion of the 2/6th were drafted out to overseas units. The majority of the 1/6th Battalion were posted to 8th Norfolks, whilst much of the 2/6th Battalion went to 1st Norfolks. Other men seem to have lost their 'Norfolk' identity and been posted to various units.

After this, the 1/6th and 2/6th became effectively 'draft finding units with home defence duties'. The 1/6th Battalion went to Ireland, the 2/6th Battalion stayed in Yorkshire.

Hopefully the documents you have will show for definite which - 1/6th, 2/6th or 3/6th - you g/grandfather belonged to, although it seems most likely he was 2/6th. The battalion is not given on my great-uncles 'attestation paper', but is on his medical history and his 'Agreement to serve outside UK' (Army From E624).

I have a few pieces of '2/6th' paperwork - postcards, photos etc, including a couple of photos of my great-uncle with other soldiers. Unfortunately I do not have the ability to put them on this site. If you are able to post your g/grandfather's photo, I'll see if he resembles any of the boys in my photos!

Kind regards,

Geoff

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Guest KELLYBROD

Dear Geoff

Thanks for the information. I am slowly piecing together my great grandfthers war history. The only info I have at the moment is that he was in the 6bn. cyclists. However, I know that he enlisted in Norwich. He also lived there, so I don't know whether that would give me any clues. I am not sure if he was posted away before he went to France in 1916 or not. I had imagined he had stayed in Norfolk as his daughter was born in 1916 just before he sailed for France, but I could be wrong. Hopefully as I get more documentation it will give me a better idea. Unfortunately, I have no photos, medals or anything belonging to him. You never know maybe one of these days his medals or something will turn up. I am amazed that his war records even survived!

Does the fact that he enlisted in Norwich give any clues to which 6Bn cyclists he belonged to?

Regards

Kelly

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Kelly,

I don't think the fact that he enlisted at Norwich particularly helps. The peacetime HQ of the original 6th Battalion was there and no doubt each of the three battalions recruited across the county, including the county town.

I'm surprised that there is nothing on his documents indicating to which battalion he belonged. When I next go to the National Archives I'll have a look at them myself and see if there is any indirect clue, by comparing them to my g/uncle's docs.

My personal 'bet' is on the 2/6th. We know he went to France at the time that battalion sent a number of drafts to the BEF. The fact his daughter must have been conceived in the autumn of 1915 doesn't mean that he must have been SERVING in Norfolk at that time. I don't know specifically what the leave entitlement or arrangements were then, but I would be very surprised if soldiers serving in UK were unable to get back home, if only for an occasional weekend pass.

Geoff

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 2 weeks later...

The 6th Cyclists HQ was actually North Walsham Norfolk, there meetings being held in the Kings Arms Rooms behind the pub. The Col. of the regiment, a Bernhard Henry Leathes-Prior, was a well known local solicitor and indeed his offices still exist in Norwich today. In the Parish church of North Walsham there is a plaque that was put up by the old boys of the battalion on the death of their Col. There role was to cover the coast line from Sandringham to Gorelston. Many of the pill boxes they used along their route are still there. There was also a 2/6th formed later on that became equiped with motorcycles and a Rolls Royce armoured car. And then of course further a 3/6th.

The 6th themselves start out at full strength, this changes after the 8th take a beating on the 1st July 1916, from which point on they provide replacements for the 8th.

I have a pair of their titles back in England. They were your standard territorial title T over 6 over NORFOLK. THe cadets, before they were trained as cyclists, had to wear shorts. I have a photo of a group of cadet signalers sitting in front of the house nextdoor to my parents home in North Walsham.

In peacetime they were part of the same brigade as the 4th and 5th battalions. Their training involved similar activites to those the cavalry had to partake in, just simply on horses. It must have been an interesting sight watching hundreds of men cycling along and trying to drop needles into a jar!

The majority of members would have been good signallers and had knowledge of semaphore, morse, heliograph...etc... and there are also some very good big group shots of the signalling units.

The cyclists were also called to the scene when the Germans dropped the first bomb on mainland Britain on Sheringham in 1915 some time I think.

I would be pleased to help if you think I could with anything specific.

All the best,

Tim

Link to comment
Share on other sites

The Norfolk Regiment had had 4 volunteer battalions which were consolidated into two (4th and 5th) on the formation of the Territorials.

Cyclists had operated in the 4th's predecessor units in the 1890s. By 1900 each Battalion had a cyclist company and they were functioning as a battalion at brigade camps. In 1908 the 6th Bn was formed around this nucleus (4 Officers and 176 ORs). It was a successful and popular battalion which grew rapidly and was presented with its colours on Mousehold Heath in 1909. Locals nicknamed them the "Gas Pipe Cavalry"

The rest of my notes duplicate what has already been said (and this post has gave me much more detail for which I am very pleased) apart from the following.

The Norfolk Regt were known as the "Holy Boys" because during the Peninsular War the Spaniards thought the Britannia cap badge was the Virgin Mary. The 2/6th got nicknamed the "Half-Crown Holy Boys"

The Battalion had a strong Old Comrades Association holding parades and reunions at North Walsham until the 70s. Bn Church was St Nicholas North walsham. The 4th Bn preserved the lineage of the 6th and its WW2 duplicate Bn was the 6th, which was lost in Johore and Singapore

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 3 weeks later...

Kelly,

I said I would have a look at Tom Smart's documents at my next trip to Kew, to see if I could work out which '6th' Battalion he served with....

On my great-uncle's documents, he is shown as 2/6th on both his 'Agreement to serve overseas' and on his medical history (front page). The 'Agreement' form was stamped with a date stamp, which gives the location as Bridlington. The medical history is stamped, towards the bottom of the form '2/6th' etc...

On your g/grandfather's doc, the 'Agreement' doesn't seem to help, as there is no date stamp as such, just a signed date and place. And he completed it quite soon after enlistment.

The medical history has a stamp, same style as on my great-uncle's docs. However, it is very difficult to read even when magnified! I am pretty sure it says 3/6th. (It certainly is not 1/6th.) Is it an easier to read when printed off - I believe you have copies?

Regards,

Geoff

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 14 years later...
On ‎14‎/‎03‎/‎2004 at 22:49, Tim Godden said:

The 6th Cyclists HQ was actually North Walsham Norfolk, there meetings being held in the Kings Arms Rooms behind the pub. The Col. of the regiment, a Bernhard Henry Leathes-Prior, was a well known local solicitor and indeed his offices still exist in Norwich today. In the Parish church of North Walsham there is a plaque that was put up by the old boys of the battalion on the death of their Col. There role was to cover the coast line from Sandringham to Gorelston. Many of the pill boxes they used along their route are still there. There was also a 2/6th formed later on that became equiped with motorcycles and a Rolls Royce armoured car. And then of course further a 3/6th.

The 6th themselves start out at full strength, this changes after the 8th take a beating on the 1st July 1916, from which point on they provide replacements for the 8th.

I have a pair of their titles back in England. They were your standard territorial title T over 6 over NORFOLK. THe cadets, before they were trained as cyclists, had to wear shorts. I have a photo of a group of cadet signalers sitting in front of the house nextdoor to my parents home in North Walsham.

In peacetime they were part of the same brigade as the 4th and 5th battalions. Their training involved similar activites to those the cavalry had to partake in, just simply on horses. It must have been an interesting sight watching hundreds of men cycling along and trying to drop needles into a jar!

The majority of members would have been good signallers and had knowledge of semaphore, morse, heliograph...etc... and there are also some very good big group shots of the signalling units.

The cyclists were also called to the scene when the Germans dropped the first bomb on mainland Britain on Sheringham in 1915 some time I think.

I would be pleased to help if you think I could with anything specific.

All the best,

Tim

a very old thread but there was a very small book printed called "The half crown holy boys" concerning this battalion of which my Grand Father was a member it was produced locally but I cannot find a copy for love nor money!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Create an account or sign in to comment

You need to be a member in order to leave a comment

Create an account

Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!

Register a new account

Sign in

Already have an account? Sign in here.

Sign In Now
×
×
  • Create New...