Seconded to different units

First World War Audio Archive

Seconded to different units

Transcript

Having been mobile troops, we were seconded to different units,

Soldier standing at attention in front of steps.

and we were sent to, by the back roads, from say Amiens to the Somme or something like that so that if there was a break through by the Germans on the French front, it was right on the edges of where the Canadians and the French were almost in juxtaposition, but the French line gave and so they sent some of our cyclists down the back roads, down to the Somme, that way, you see. In other words, by virtue of being mobile we could ride from the front line part down to the back roads and down south and then back in again. But I remember one incident there, where my father

Servicemen riding on bicycles.

was in the... he was paymaster sergeant of the 124th Battalion, and I got permission to... he was stationed at Souchez on the Pimple and I got permission from the commanding officer to ride over to see my father. So I found the (inaudible) dugout, and I asked where I could find my father, and they said, “Oh, he’s in a dugout about two hundred yards up the road and you’ll see a little sign on the board, Paymaster Sergeant.” So I cycled up there and propped my bike up against this sign board and went down the dugout and I got down about four steps, and I was up over my ankles in water. I went down another three steps, and I was up to . . . halfway up my thighs in water. And I said, “Is anybody here?” A voice said, “Who’s that?” And

Soldier standing in front of door, holding a cane.

I said, “Dad, where are you?” He says, “Oh my God, it’s Dick." I said, “Where are you, dad?” He says, “I’m over here.” I said, “What are you doing?” He said, “Having a sleep.” I went over to him and he was lying on a chicken wire bed and there was about two inches under the water. And he didn’t even catch a cold. And he was about 42 years old at that time. He was blown up and buried alive twice at Vimy, but his pals dug him out, not because they loved him, but because he had all their money. That’s the reason he gave.

Description

Mr. Ellis describes how bicycles enhanced the mobility of his support battalion, and describes biking to Vimy to visit his father.

Wilfred Dancy Ellis

Wilfred Dancy “Dick” Ellis was born in Surrey, England, on September 10,1895. Mr. Ellis emigrated to Canada in 1912, joining his parents who had left him in England to finish school. He became active in the local boys club and Home Guard, and finally enlisted in the 4th Division, Canadian Bicycle Battalion, because, in his words, he wanted to preserve his British heritage. This group, nicknamed the “Gas Pipe Cavalry”, was a highly mobile support battalion which could quickly move into reinforcing positions. The events described by Mr. Ellis took place at Vimy. In addition, he was wounded at Lieven on the Lens Front. After the war, Mr. Ellis wrote a Battalion history entitled, Saga of the Cyclists in the Great War, 1914-1918. He was employed with the Bank of Commerce for 48 years and involved with the Canadian Corps of Commissionaires. Mr. Ellis died, aged 100, on August 14, 1996, leaving behind his wife of 75 years, Gladys (nee Loram), and two children.

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