14654 - Pte. Edgar Lord and the 18th Army Cycling Corps Batallion

[HalleWOI]

Hello, as part of an ongoing research in the lives and service of the men burried in Halle cemetery, I stumbled on private Edgard Lord, 14654. I did not get his service record. However, according to the medal rolls, pension cards, etc. he served in the 18th bn of the Army Cycling Corps and died on the 9th of january 1919. The pension card mentions him being accidentally shot while [...] service. I can't seem to decipher the two words between while and service (see attachment)

My second question is more info on the 18th CCB. I have been looking on the internet and on this forum but didn't get a conclusive answer. According to his war gratuity he would have been enlisted in May 1916. 

So would they be attached to the 18th Division? And mostly used for reconnaissance or actual fighting?

The War Diary ends on the 30th of juni 1918. What is the particular reason for that?

I apologise for potentially silly questions. Thank you very much in advance.

[Allan1892]

Perhaps the attached image will assist you. (image courtesy of Find My Past)

[Allan1892]

Just now, HalleWOI said:

accidentally shot while [...] service

'9.1.19 Accidently killed (shot) while on a(ctive)/service'

This ties in with my post above.

[Allan1892]

Death certificate attached (courtesy of Ancestry)

[Allan1892]

From a previous thread on the forum in 2012:

'XVIII Corps was formed in early 1917 and had its own cyclist bn formed from the cyclist companies of the three divisions in initially under its command. The battalion would have seen service during the Third Battle of Ypres and the March 1918 German offensive. Thereafter it served in the Lens-Vimy sector but was then disbanded when XVIII Corps was merged with and became VIII Corps on 2/7/18'.

The 8th Army Cyclist Corps war diaries are available on the National Archives free of charge. Image 1 below shows the search criteria and image 2 below shows the period covered in the diaries.

[HalleWOI]

Thank you very much for all the help!

[owen4256]

On the 19^th January 1917, the 11^th , 60^th and 62^nd Divisional Cyclist Companies arrived as Pas to form XVIII Corps Cyclist Battalion.  

On the 19^th June 1918 Lt General Aylmer Hunter-Weston was ordered to take over XVIII Corps from Lt General Maxse. On the 22^nd, the VIII Corps Cyclists paraded before Hunter-Weston  and he delivered a stirring speech to the Cyclists assuring them that this was only “au revoir”  and that he fully intended to get back his “own” Cyclist Battalion. On June 24^th, the existing VIII Corps was disbanded but, at Hunter-Weston’s request, XVIII corps was then re-designated as VIII Corps in July 1918.

On the break-up of the VIII Corps Troops, VIII Corps Cyclist Battalion was initially transferred to XIX Corps and remained in Fourth Army as the GHQ Reserve until, true to his word, Hunter-Weston transferred the existing XVIII Corps Cyclist Battalion out of his new Corps and replaced them with the original VIII Corps Cyclist Battalion.         

On the 28^th June, XVIII Corps Cyclist Battalion received orders to move into GHQ Reserve. With the move into GHQ Reserve, the Battalion was no longer part of a Corps and was re-designated simply as XVIII Cyclist Battalion.

 XVIII Cyclist Battalion  war diary continues from 1918 July - 1919 June at WO 95/203/1. Spoiler alert, there is no reference to Lord’s death.

 Lord’s service number indicates he joined the Army Cyclist Corps in April 1918, almost certainly as a transfer in from another unit. Most men joining at that that time were from Second Line Yeomanry units .14561 Clifford Bayman, who seems to have joined at the same time as Lord,  was ex 2/1^st Derbyshire Yeomanry.

 

Best

 

Clive

Edited 3 November , 2022 by owen4256

[HalleWOI]

Thank you very muh for the information!