I have occasionally seen photos in DSWA and DOA with the Schutztruppe with bicycles. Does anyone know if the Schutztruppe owned a stock of them or if these were brought to Africa by individuals?
Von Lettow-Vorbeck's autobiography "My Reminiscences of East Africa" (English version), P38.
"Luckily headquarters had brought a few bicycles, and so, in order to satisfy myself quickly by personal observation, I was able to go off at once with Capt von Hammerstein and Volunteer Dr Dressel to the railway station at Tanga where I found an advance guard of the 6th Field Company. They, however, could give no accurate information about the enemy, and so I rode on through the empty streets of the town."
Cheers
Chris
Bicycles in the colonies
- Chris Dale
- Host - German Colonies
- Posts: 1955
- Joined: 21 Apr 2004, 15:48
- Location: UK
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Re: Bicycles in the colonies
I didn´t find currently any further information about official German Infantry-bicycle-units in the Colonies.
Here is one photo, showing a German Field Company and a bicycle driver, but I didn’t really understand the title:
“Official photograph of the Faridkot Sappers, accompanied by a man with a bicycle. Image reproduced courtesy of Richard Sneyd.”
http://www.gatewaysfww.org.uk/blog/rich ... n-campaign
As far as I know the Belgian Congo troops used bicycles during the Great War on company-level. Original Source: http://www.1914-1918.be/armee_belge_en_afrique.php
Original Source: http://www.1914-1918.be/armee_belge_en_afrique.php
Seems to be also the South Africans used Bicycles during the East African campaign?!? Original Source: http://samilitaryhistory.org/vol041dm.html
Nice and informative made webpage about Bicycles in the Great War, but not in Africa!?!
https://bsamuseum.wordpress.com/bikes-at-war-1914/
Here is one photo, showing a German Field Company and a bicycle driver, but I didn’t really understand the title:
“Official photograph of the Faridkot Sappers, accompanied by a man with a bicycle. Image reproduced courtesy of Richard Sneyd.”
http://www.gatewaysfww.org.uk/blog/rich ... n-campaign
As far as I know the Belgian Congo troops used bicycles during the Great War on company-level. Original Source: http://www.1914-1918.be/armee_belge_en_afrique.php
Original Source: http://www.1914-1918.be/armee_belge_en_afrique.php
Seems to be also the South Africans used Bicycles during the East African campaign?!? Original Source: http://samilitaryhistory.org/vol041dm.html
Nice and informative made webpage about Bicycles in the Great War, but not in Africa!?!
https://bsamuseum.wordpress.com/bikes-at-war-1914/
“Day by day and almost minute by minute the past was brought up to date. . . . All History was a
palimpsest, scraped clean and reinscribed exactly as often as was necessary” – G. ORWELL 1984
palimpsest, scraped clean and reinscribed exactly as often as was necessary” – G. ORWELL 1984