XVI Corps Cyclists

As an addition to horse mounted troops, Divisions were allocated a cyclist company, all six Divisions in Salonika had cyclist companies. As part of the army reorganisation of 1916 the Yeomanry and cyclist companies were moved from Divisional command to Corps. In August 1916 the 10th, 27th and 28th Division cyclist companies were amalgamated to form the XVI Corps Cyclist Battalion. The cyclist companies performed a very similar role to the Yeomanry, patrolling through the abandoned farms and villages in the Struma valley and observing enemy activity. The cyclist patrols had to live with the constant threat of artillery fire, running into Bulgarian patrols and sniper attacks.

The main advantage of the cyclists over the yeomanry was that they were lower to the ground so harder to spot and less prone to being shot by snipers, however, unlike the yeomanry who could go across country, the cyclists had to stick to the roads and tracks.

Regular supplies for the XVI Corps Cyclists were provided by the 801st company who were also tasked with repairing their bicycles from time to time.

Image - XVI Corps Cyclists on patrol somewhere in the Struma valley.