Places still available for Ride to the Somme

With this year marking the centenary of the Battle of the Somme people are being urged to join the three day and over 200 mile charity cycle, to commemorate the occasion.

The battle was said to be one of the bloodiest in human conflict and claimed over 1 million casualties over a four month period, it included 15 designated cycling battalions with the Devonshire regiment one of them.

The headquarters of the regiment was located in Exeter and by 1915 Devonshire regiment cyclists were being sent to France and Flanders to fight in the war.

Casualty lists show that many individuals from our region were attached to secondary regiments for a variety of duties. The Devonshire regiments real test came on 18th July 1916 when many were drafted into “A” company of the 2nd Devons.

For those who may have ancestral links to the battle and who may wish to take part in the event out of respect for the fallen soldiers, here is a breakdown of how the event will take place.

Day 1

August 31st 2016: Report to the Somme recruitment centre in London- The Imperial War Museum
Riders will meet and then transfer to Portsmouth for the ferry crossing

Day 2

Head south east towards Rouen. Hills will be kept to a minimum to make the ride as comfortable for as many riders as possible. Riding along the banks of the Seine and through the French forests, the first day will include around 80 miles of cycling.

Day 3

Head north east towards Amiens, the journey will take riders towards the Battlefields of World War One.

Day 4

A circular route on the final day will take riders around as many battle sights as possible. The culmination of the ride will be a visit to the Memorial to the Missing at the Thiepval. This day will see local riders given the opportunity to pay their respects to the Devonshire regiment cemetery.

Day 5
Return to the Imperial War Museum in London.

Riders can enlist at: www.ridetothesomme.org.uk