New Britain herald., 1917-06-15
'BIG FORCE GUARDS
 ENGLISH SHORE LINE
Invasion by Germany Is Virtually
 Made An ImpossibhIty

Headquarters of British Home De- fense Armies, England, June B.
 Since the beginning of the war the
 coasts of the United Kingdom have been guarded by the British bicycle
 militia or "Cyclist Patrol" and today the cyclists still are on guard against German invasion. But the golden op- portunity for 8 German assault in force upon Britain's shores has now passed. No longer do a few cyclists stand guard alone over important landing places. as they did for many days after war was declared.
 '"The danger of invasion appeared
 very great to us in those days" said the commander of one of the cyclists
 battalions the other days. We had to put forth the most colossal efforts to get our defense organization up to adequate pitch.
 If the Germans regarded an in- vasion of England as fearsome task then, he must regard 1t as a hopeless impossibility now. Where we former ly had only a small detachment of cyclist troops to guard a possible landing place. there are now thou
 sands of trained soldiers living in huts or billets close to hand, with guns, trenches, and dugouts all along the sanddunes, and plenty of support also from aeroplanes. observation bal looms, submarines and coast defense vessels. Tn 1914 the German in- vader would have been opposed large ly by half-trained troops straight ~nSr l ~a1 l>S1~ day he would have to meet men the equal in physique and fighting ability of anything the world has ever seen.',
 The actual work of protecting land ing places has long since been taken out of the hands of the cyclist bat talions, who have become more pure ly coast patrol. Their duties now adays occasionally are varied by the capture of various objects of interest washed up by the tide, such as mines, bodies, wreckage and lifebuoys. The mines are destroyed by guncotton. af fording a few moments of pleasant excitement for the patrol.
 Hundreds of sailors from torpedoed ships have received their first well come to land from cyclist patrols along lonely coasts. Company head quarters contain dozens of accounts of such encounters. always in the stiff official language in which the British army and navy always clothes it's deeds of heroism. Here is such . report from a cyclist, patrol. culled at random from a file at headquarters:
 Sighted small open boat drifting 1 towards shore. This about dawn dur ing blindfng snowstorm. Occupants too exhausted to use oars. Big sec running. Boat reached breakers and overturned. Patrol with assistance from nearest huts summoned by rock cts. succeeded saving all but three who too numbed from exposure to make any effort. One our motor vivors farmhouse. Bodies E three drowned later taken headquarters.''
 On.f dark nights, the patrols ire quently encounter small ships which have gone on sand bars owing to tho lack of guiding land lights. A patrol must take every precaution against some enemy ruse in such case. AS soon as word Is received that ship is approaching the shore, force of reserves Is summoned and takes up a defensive position with machine guns. Then boarding party is sent aboard the vessel to examine her and make a report. Even if there IS nothing suspicious about the vessel a guard is left aboard to, prevent any, municating with hostile agents on shore
 The coast patrols are on duty on