Description
Title: Cycling To War – The History of the AIF/NZ Cyclists Corps 1916 – 1919
Author: Austin, Ronald
Condition: Near Mint Plus
Edition: 1st Edition
Publication Date: 2008
ISBN: 9780975835340
Cover: Hard Cover with Dust Jacket – 176 pages
Comments: The history of the AIF/NZ Cyclists Corps 1916 to 1919.
When the Australian Cyclist Corp was formed in Egypt in April 1916, it was still unclear as to how successful they would be once they went to the Western Front. Although the British and German armies had successfully employed cyclists during swiftly moving campaigns of 1914, by the time the Australian Cyclist Companies reached the Western Front in May 1916, the war had settled into a campaign of attrition, with both combatants ensconsed in trench lines across northern France.
‘Cycling to War’ looks at the role played by the two Anzac Corps Cyclist Battalions in 1916-17, and the Australian Corps and New Zealand cyclists units in 1918, when during the final months of the war, cyclists were able to undertake their role in reconnaissance, patrolling, in other words the cyclists were mounted infantry.
During the three years in France and Belgium, the Anzac cyclists undertook a surprising array of tasks, fully justifying their existence as corps mounted troops.
Written by one of Australia’s most prolific military historians, ‘Cycling to War’ traces the formation of the units that made up the Australian and New Zealand Cyclist Corps, their frequent reorganizations, and outlines the cyclists’ contribution through the darker days of 1916-17, to the final victories that ended the Great War in late 1918. The book is profusely illustrated with many photos and maps, and the appendices include Honours and Awards, Honour Roll and Nominal Roll.
Includes Nominal Roll
