Cycling exhibition highlights Kiwi soldiers war on two wheels
A new exhibition opening at Te Arawhata in time for the Grand Départ of the Tour de France tells the little-known story of the New Zealand Cyclist Corps.
ÇA ROULE! – Remembering the New Zealand Cyclist Corps opens at the New Zealand Liberation Museum in Le Quesnoy in July and runs for a year. It coincides with nearby Lille hosting the start of the world’s most famous cycling race on July 5 along with three other stages in the Hauts-de-France region.
Museum Director and exhibition curator, Elizabeth Wratislav, says with cycling fever taking over the Nord it was an ideal time to explore the story of the New Zealand Cyclist Corp.
“They were an unheralded group, but as the exhibition highlights, they made a significant contribution on and behind the frontline. The exhibition shines a light on the legacy of these riders and their little-known story on the Western Front.”
The New Zealand Cyclist Corps was conceived as a mobile unit with a high degree of manoeuvrability and agility. Bikes being more cost-effective and less prone to frights than horses, the Corps aimed to be a modern take on cavalry. Once they hit the muddy Western Front, however, their primary role shifted to one of support, with their work including digging trenches, laying telephone cables, and controlling traffic.
During the Battle of Messines, the Corps played a crucial role in clearing a track through no-man’s land for the Otago Mounted Rifles’ (this time on horseback) advance.
A piece of NZ cycling history
Cycling NZ, which is based in Le Quesnoy’s sister city, Cambridge, has donated a commemorative cycling jersey for the new exhibition.
Designed during the World War One centenary period, it was to be worn by the New Zealand U23 team when riding the famous Flanders one day classic Gent-Wevelgem in 2018.
The names of the 708 members of the NZ Cyclist Corps are included on the back of the jersey.
“Knowing the jersey was made for men of the same age and to ride the very roads the Cyclist Corps covered more than 100 years ago makes it a very poignant tribute,” says Wratislav.
“We are thrilled to be able to include the jersey in ÇA ROULE! The jersey offers a striking contrast to the uniforms worn by the Cyclist Corps and will help visitors consider the experience of the young men as they fought on the Western Front.”
Graeme Hunn, Cycling NZ’s outgoing Pathway Lead, says it is a privilege to share a piece of New Zealand cycling history with Te Arawhata.
“The museum is such a special place for New Zealanders and a reminder of the sacrifices of the past. The design of the jersey links the next generation of New Zealand cyclists with those who fought so bravely on these lands.
“To be able to contribute to the upcoming exhibition, telling the story of the New Zealand Cyclist Corps, is an honour.”
The Exhibition
ÇA ROULE! is opening in the temporary exhibition space at Te Arawhata which has been home to From the Field to the Front, focusing on the All Blacks during the war, since the Museum opened in 2023.
The interactive exhibition follows in the tracks of the Kiwi cyclists, including their involvement in Flanders at Messines and Passchendaele in 1917 and their role in the Spring Offensive and Advance to Victory of 1918.
“ÇA ROULE! delves into the stories of this specialist unit of the New Zealand Expeditionary Force to gain an insight into what it was like to be a member of the Corps.
“We not only remember the riders, but the bicycles they rode and the key part they played. These soldiers’ tales of a war on two wheels reveals an often-overlooked perspective of the New Zealand experience on the Western Front.”