Imperial Valley press., 1917-06-19
.CYCL|ST PATROL
GUARDS COAST
IN MERICAN PLAN FOLLOWED BY
THE ENGLISH.
ARE VERY EFFICIENT
COUNTRY SAFEGU ARDED FROM
INVASION BY TEUTONS.
III Landing Places on Eastern Coast
of England Are Adequate
ly Protected.
.RE VERY EFFICIENH'

Headquarters OF British Home De
Tense Armies, June 1S.-Since the be-
ginning 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 opportunity for a Ger
.rlan invasion But the golden oppor
tunity for a German assault in force
upon Britain's shores has now passed.
o longer do few cyclists stand guard
alone over important landing places,
IS they did for many days after wal
was declared.
"The danger of invasion appeared
very great to us in those days" said
the commander of one of the cyllstS
tattaions the other day. We had to
pot forth the most colossal efforts
to get our defense organization up to
adequate pitch.
"If the Germans regarded an inva-
son of England as fearsome task
then, he must regard it as hopeless
/ limpossibility now. Where we former
ly had only small detachment Of
cvclist troops to guard a possible land
ing place, there are now thousands
Of trained soldiers living in huts or
bilets close at hand, with guns,
Il enches and dugouts all along the
sand dunes, and plenty of support al
So from aeroplanes, observation bal
looms, submarines and coast defense
vessels. In 1914 the German invader
would have been opposed largely by
Ikalf-trained troops straight from
workshops and offices, while today he
would have to meet men the equal in
physique and fighting ability of any
thing 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 battal-
ions, who have become more purely
a coast patrol. Their dueties nova
days occasionally are varied by the
capture of various objects OF interest
washed up by the tide. such as mines ,
ttodies, wreckage and lfe buoys. The
mines are destroyed by guncotton, at d
fording few moments of pleasant eX-
element for the patrol.
Hundreds of sailors from torpedoed
ships have received their first welcome
to land from cyclist patrols along
lonely coasts. Company headquarters
icontain dozens of accounts of such
encounters, always in the stiff Off
cial language in which the British ar
my and navy always clothes its deeds
of heroism. Here is such a report
fro ma CYCLIC patrol, culled at ran
dom from a file at headquarters:
"Sighted small open boat drifting
towards shore. This about dawn du-
ring binding snowstorm. Occupants
too exhausted to use cars. Big sea
running. Boat reached breakers and
overturned. Patrol with assistance
from nearest huts summoned by rock
cts, succeeded in saving all but three
who were too benumbed from exposure
to make any effort. One OF our mo-
tor transports arrived promptly and
took survivors to a farmhouse. The
bodies of the three drowned were later
taken to headquarters"
On dark nights, the patrols fre-
ouently encounter small ships which
have gone on sandbars owing to the
lack of guiding land lights. A pa
trol must take every precautloi
against some enemy ruse in such
: case. AS soon as word is received
that ship is approaching the shore
a force of reserves is summoned ant
t4kes up defensive position witt
machine guns. Then a boarding party
| is sent aboard the vessel to examine
Ler and make a report. Even if there
! is nothing suspicious about the YES
So. a guard is left aboard to preven
| anyone coming ashore or possibly
communicating with hostile agents OF
shore.'s
The coast patrols are on duty OF
practically every mile Of British coas
night and day. A cyclist patrol
: Usually on his "beat" for three hours
I returning to quarters for rest pc
rod, which is followed by the day
routine of physical training, musket
| ny practice, bayonet practice and ma
Ireuvers similar to those followed l
Irregular infantry camps.
| Most of the cylist forces hope on
day to be called acros sthe Channe
1.-THE day for which they look is tn
time when a great mobile force WI
he required in Belgium and German
| to pursue a retreating ard demora
| ized enemy.