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Danie Theron certainly used cycles - see www.angloboerwar.com/forum/surname-s/305...rapportgangers-corps

Jo, congratulations on this interesting and well written post. Thank you for including some lesser known aspects such as the role of the bicycle in improving the UK gene-pool (as the Drive-in theatre did for the Yanks 60 years later) as well as co-attributing the commencement of ABW hostilities to scoundrel Milner’s saddle pain.

The use of the bicycle during the Boer War was, as was the case for most means of transportation, subject to restrictions. Below a few permits (partly) pertaining to the bicycle.

EFV - I really appreciate the words of encouragement and am glad you found it of interest.

Thank you for sharing the passes - the 4th one in particular, with its restriction on 'not to be taken outside the outpost line', indicates the extent to which the bicycle was seen as a potential threat.
Dangerous technology, indeed !

A few photographs of bicycles during the Anglo-Boer War ......


A quad-tandem adapted for rails. Courtesy of the McGregor Museum, Kimberley.





A a member of Kimberley Town Guard. Courtesy of the McGregor Museum, Kimberley.





This is what happened to your bicycle if you couldn't obtain a permit.

500 bicycles handed in during martial law, Graaff Reinet. Courtesy of Cape Town Archives Repository.




Residents handing in their bicycles at Graaff Reinet.



..

Neville,

Huge Thanks for sharing those - As much as I liked the 4th one, with several folk standing around with trousers tucked into socks in time honoured cycling fashion, the Kimberley TG one is awesome.

It almost could be a modern portrait.
I especially liked the steely look of determination, or maybe just annoyance with the photographer interfering with his rounds.

As the owner of a Kodak box brownie, Id have to say Bravo to whoever captured that image.

Thank you for helping make a left field topic that bit more real.
J

From "De Oorlog in Zuid Afrika" a magazine published by N.J. Boon, Amsterdam, some photographs of alternative uses of the bicycle during the Boer War. It is interesting to note that the bicycle of today is not materially different from the one in 1900. This is remarkable especially when compared with the development of the car, train or airplane over the same period.

Bicycle Ambulance transporting a wounded. This setup obviously needed a level of pedal-synchronisation on par with the Red Arrows Aerobatic team.


Unit of a Cycle Corps with a Maxim mounted on a tricycle. Without anchor the man in the firing seat would move backwards faster than a French tank.


The Dursley-Pedersen foldable bicycle in two configurations.