Two Wheels to War - a tale of twelve bright young men

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A tale of twelve bright young men who volunteered their own motorcycles for the British Expeditionary Force 1914.

Is very briefly where the book `Two Wheels to War` written by Martin Shelley and Nick Shelley is about. But we will release even more from this fascinating book... The introduction reads as follows:

`Two Wheels to War` is the distillation of our efforts to create a definitive illustrated edition of `Adventurers of a Despatch Riders`, and in so doing to analyse the distinctive role played by motorcycle despatch riders in the 1914 campaign. The book shows how these men – predominantly in their early 20s along with a few older colleagues – decided on the spur of the moment to offer themselves as despatch riders. Within a few days of that decision – and having received no serious training – they found themselves in action in France.

The photograph (below) captured the moment when the 5th Signal despatch riders gathered for their 1914 Christmas party. When we came across it for the first time in the Burney brother’s album, it caught our imagination. The real names noted on the back of this photograph helped us to track down the true identities of the members of the group – and gave us the key to unlock the code with which Watson concealed the identities of all his colleagues.

Even though the Army had made few realistic preparations for their use, the despatch riders generally took a positive view of what they were called on to do. They were selected for their unique combination of skills – proficient motorcyclist, communicative messengers, and the ability to think on their feet. Those demanding selection criteria meant that, for the most part, they came from similar backgrounds. The army allowed friends, and even brothers, to serve together, and as a result, many of them readily bonded into effective teams. The despatched riders quickly made a distinctive contribution to the Signal companies to which they assigned, and we are sure that Watson and his colleagues greatly enhanced the effectiveness of the Signal companies.

The dramatic story of the highly mobile early campaign reflects the chaotic condition that weapons, exposed the shortcomings of years of careful military training. The presence of the motorcyclists gave the Army`s leadership greater control and helped to preserve order in the Retreat and the fast-moving campaign which followed.

We have expanded Watson`s work in various ways. The book features over 60 previously unpublished photographs taken by the despatch riders` own cameras.

Would you like to read the whole story, and admire the exclusive photographs? You can order the book `Two Wheels to War` here.

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