Allow me to introduce you to members of the 1/6th Cyclist Battalion, Norfolk Regiment on training manoeuvres across the county in 1914.

The photographs were taken by W J Brunell, later a First World War photographer, and this is a small collection from a rare album containing 49 images recently acquired by the Royal Norfolk Regimental Museum following a grant from the Friends of Norwich Museums.

We can see officers and other ranks preparing for war.

In cycle formation, on training exercises and trench digging.

(Image: Royal Norfolk Regimental Museum.)

There are NCOs on motorbikes, Rolls Royce Daimlers mounted with Maxim machine guns, the Norfolk Coast Guard, operations in woodland, on dunes and in villages all in north Norfolk.

Regimental Museum Curator, Kate Thaxton, explained the album had originally been presented to Mrs Prior, wife of the 1/6th Battalion’s commanding officer. Col B H L Prior,  by the officers.

Col Prior was the author of a manual The Military Cyclist and had been the prime mover in the raising of the Battalion in 1908.

He had become a champion of military cyclists having seen the effectiveness of mounted infantry during the Boer War.

(Image: Royal Norfolk Regimental Museum)

During the First World War, the 6th Battalion’s role was to cover the coastline from Sandringham to Gorleston with their HQ based in North Walsham.

By October 1914 a second battalion of cyclists, known as the 2/6th Cyclists was fully manned which meant that soldiers in the original battalion, now known as the 1/6th Cyclists could be released for active service abroad. 90pc of them had volunteered for overseas service.

*The museum has managed to name most of the locations but if you can help with any more information on these photographs please email regimental.museum@norfolk.gov.uk and I would also like to hear from you at derek.james2013@gmail.com

(Image: Royal Norfolk Regimental Museum)

(Image: Royal Norfolk Regimental Museum)

(Image: Royal Norfolk Regimental Museum)