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janwhin 07-07-2014 03:58 PM

Military Awards
 
Another Amble MM:

Morpeth Herald 2 April 1920:

"Sergt. John Weddell, Northumberland Hussars, has been awarded the Military Medal for bravery on the field of battle. The exact incident which marked him out for a decoration was when on patrol duty in front of Epney, on the Somme front. The townspeople well appreciate his long and faithful service in the army and his gallant action."

Coquet 30-07-2014 09:07 AM

Hauxley Military Medal
 
Have we got John Smailes yet?



Hauxley
Military Medallist - Corporal Jack T Smailes, Northern Cyclist Battalion, has been
awarded the Military Medal for Gallant conduct and good work with the Lewis Gun
on June 5th, 1917. He Also received the Card of Honour for distinguished
service on the battlefiels of Arras on Easter Monday 1917.

Newcastle Journal 11 August 1917
It says Northern Cyclist Battalion but it will be with the Northumberland Fusiliers.

Coquet 30-07-2014 09:28 AM

Possibly been a bunch of guys from Hauxley enlisting together into the Northern Cyclists?:

TWO HAUXLEY HEROES

Recent communication from the front has brought sad news to two houses at Hauxley fishing village, and that news is that two cousins have paid the great penalty. These men are John Robert Taylor son of Mr Ben Taylor, and Lance-Corporal Harry Taylor, both belonging to the Northumberland Fisheries [sic Fusiliers?]. The former was killed in action on Easter Monday and the latter on 19th April. They both enlisted on 12th May 1915, joining the Cycle Corps, and both went out to France in 1916. where they have seen some desperate fighting, to which both fell on the above dates. John Robert Taylor was an athlete, and in the world of sport perhaps he excelled in the art of swimming, for which he held many prizes.
Among the most important of these prizes was the Gray Challenge Cup, which he won at Alnwick about four years ago. He was at that time the best swimmer in a very wide district, and his handicap was seen to when the next year's gala event came off, which was a compliment to his prowess in the art. In addition to this he was a singer of no mean order and his fine bass voice was heard at many concerts in the district. These two heroes were esteemed to a great degree throughout the district.


Morpeth Herald 04 May 1917

leslie 30-07-2014 01:20 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Coquet (Post 4437)
Have we got John Smailes yet?



Hauxley
Military Medallist - Corporal Jack T Smailes, Northern Cyclist Battalion, has been
awarded the Military Medal for Gallant conduct and good work with the Lewis Gun
on June 5th, 1917. He Also received the Card of Honour for distinguished
service on the battlefiels of Arras on Easter Monday 1917.

Newcastle Journal 11 August 1917
It says Northern Cyclist Battalion but it will be with the Northumberland Fusiliers.

The Northern Cyclist Battalion . could have been part of the Northumberland Hussars !! Most Cavalry regiments were Dismounted after the initial failure of their outdated tactics , and reformed into Machine Gun Corps and Cycle Battalions . My self a Hussar . Was very proud to discover that my Grandfather served with NH , in their cyclist brigade in first War . the NH is an affiliated regiment of the Light Dragoons . For interest a lot from the MGC and the cavalry regiments went on to man the Little Willies for runners of the RTR regiments . I will look see if I have info in my NH archives re Cycle Corp.

leslie 30-07-2014 01:33 PM

info not fully correct

leslie 30-07-2014 02:00 PM

1 Attachment(s)
The Northern Cyclist Brigade Was a unit in its own right with no affiliation to NF , DLI. . formed 1908,, Northern Cyclist Battalion
1/1st Battalion: Headquartered at the Drill Hall on Hutton Terrace, Sandyford Road, Newcastle upon Tyne, the battalion moved on mobilisation in early August 1914 to its pre-planned war station at Morpeth. By 1916 it had moved to nearby Alnwick where it remained as part of the Tyne Garrison.
2/1st Battalion: Formed in late 1914 as a second line unit. By 1916 was at Skegness and in June 1918 was at Burton Constable as part of the Humber Garrison.
3/1st Battalion: Formed in 1915 as a depot/training unit. Disbanded in March 1916 and its men posted to the 1/1st and 2/1st, with some going to the Machine Gun Corp

Coquet 30-07-2014 05:30 PM

One of the books I use for sorting out the transitions between the old Volunteer Force and the new Territorial Force (1908 on) is Ray Westlake's "The Territorial Battalions, A Pictorial History 1859-1985"

But he's not clear on this one. In the Northumberland Fusiliers part of the book he states:

Quote:

8th Battalion
An 8th (Cyclist) Battalion was intended for the Northumberland Fusiliers in 1908, but this unit shortly after formation became the Northern Cyclist Battalion. The next 8th Bn. a motor-cycle battalion, was formed in 1939 as a duplicate unit of the 4th Battalion. In April 1941, it became 3rd Battalion Reconnaissance Corps. and Later 3rd Reconnaissance Regiment. Royal Armoured Corps. The battalion returned to the Northumberland's in 1946 and was disbanded in the following year.
Which is wrong for a start as we know there was an 8th Battalion in Kitchener's Army during WW1.

Then, in a separate section on the "Cyclists" he says:


Quote:

The Northern Cyclist Battalion
Formed in 1908 at Sunderland as the 8th (Cyclist) Battalion. Northumberland Fusiliers. the battalion became the Northern Cyclist Battalion in 1910 and served as three battalions throughout the UK during the First World War. The battalion was re-formed in 1920 as 3rd (later 55th) Medium Brigade. Royal Garrison Artillery.

Coquet 30-07-2014 05:43 PM

:)

http://www.coquetandcoast.co.uk/imag...sts_badges.jpg


The label is perhaps wrong - may be they were Northumberland Fusiliers from 1908 - 10, I don't know!

Coquet 30-07-2014 05:50 PM

"Northern Cyclists"
 
I don't think much has survived in regards to paper records in the archives as far as I am aware. Think I tried a search with the National Archives and it produced nowt.

Coquet 30-07-2014 05:53 PM

There are quite a few cyclists on the Alnwick absent voters' list for 1918, or ex- cyclists that have been posted elsewhere.

Coquet 30-07-2014 05:55 PM

Only one Cyclist in Amble on the absent voters' list, and he is in the "Cyclist Corps" which is a different animal.

Coquet 30-07-2014 06:00 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by leslie (Post 4441)
The Northern Cyclist Brigade Was a unit in its own right with no affiliation to NF , DLI. . formed 1908,, Northern Cyclist Battalion
1/1st Battalion: Headquartered at the Drill Hall on Hutton Terrace, Sandyford Road, Newcastle upon Tyne, the battalion moved on mobilisation in early August 1914 to its pre-planned war station at Morpeth. By 1916 it had moved to nearby Alnwick where it remained as part of the Tyne Garrison.
2/1st Battalion: Formed in late 1914 as a second line unit. By 1916 was at Skegness and in June 1918 was at Burton Constable as part of the Humber Garrison.
3/1st Battalion: Formed in 1915 as a depot/training unit. Disbanded in March 1916 and its men posted to the 1/1st and 2/1st, with some going to the Machine Gun Corp

Bet you've not seen that Shoulder Title being worn - I have a couple of post cards, - to follow.

Coquet 30-07-2014 06:08 PM

http://www.coquetandcoast.co.uk/imag..._cyclist_2.jpg


http://www.coquetandcoast.co.uk/imag..._cyclist_1.jpg

Coquet 30-07-2014 06:11 PM

Nothing on these postcards to indicate who they are unfortunately, but the cards were picked up locally donkey's years ago.

Tiny possibility they could even be a couple of Hauxley guys!

leslie 30-07-2014 06:24 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Coquet (Post 4447)
Bet you've not seen that Shoulder Title being worn - I have a couple of post cards, - to follow.

Found a few of the badges over the years , When the Cycles left Hutton Terrace drill Hall sandyford
one battalion went to Alnwick,

leslie 30-07-2014 06:29 PM

From The Long, Long Trail
The British Army in the Great War of 1914-1918,,
Battalions of the Territorial Force

When the TF was created in April 1908, three of these four Cyclist Battalions were established. The fourth was not created until 1913, as explained below. They are listed here collectively, but were independent units. In addition to these, certain infantry regiments also created TF cyclist battalions. And all of these were in addition to the Army Cyclist Corps.


Northern Cyclist Battalion
1/1st Battalion: Headquartered at the Drill Hall on Hutton Terrace, Sandyford Road, Newcastle upon Tyne, the battalion moved on mobilisation in early August 1914 to its pre-planned war station at Morpeth. By 1916 it had moved to nearby Alnwick where it remained as part of the Tyne Garrison.
2/1st Battalion: Formed in late 1914 as a second line unit. By 1916 was at Skegness and in June 1918 was at Burton Constable as part of the Humber Garrison.
3/1st Battalion: Formed in 1915 as a depot/training unit. Disbanded in March 1916 and its men posted to the 1/1st and 2/1st, with some going to the Machine Gun Corps.

leslie 30-07-2014 06:36 PM

http://www.1914-1918.net/armycyclistcorps.html


My Grandfather Alec Johnson originally of spittal was in the Cycle Corps or possible Battalion . I understood he was a Northumberland Hussar . could be wrong . I tried to find his details at Key but could not the documents they had been block reserved by a researcher , even tho only there for a few hours they could not let me see them . which I thought was disgusting .

leslie 30-07-2014 06:43 PM

This they say is a family group of medals plaque etc , NF, and Cycle Brigade

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/WW1-LARGE-...item48626e5aa9

janwhin 30-07-2014 08:33 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Coquet (Post 4437)
Have we got John Smailes yet?

Oops, yes we have got him, but I stuck him under a Radcliffe thread:o And he was NF according to the Morpeth Herald.

Coquet 31-07-2014 10:14 AM

Hauxley Taylors and Smailes
 
Definitely three amigos these Hauxley guys. They must have enlisted together as they have sequential army numbers in the Northern Cyclists Battalion; 1853, 1854, 1855. Casualty rate of 66.6% sadly for them.


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