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Despatch Rider: The Experiences of a British Army Motorcycle Despatch Rider During the Opening Battles of the Great War in Europe
A young British soldier who went to war on two wheels When the Great War broke out, the author of this book decided to leave his university studies and join the struggle. What attracted him immediately was the potential to combine his military service with his love of motorcycles and so it was that he found himself one of a select group of motorcycle despatch riders within the 5th Division of the 'Contemptible Little Army' that went to France and Belgium to halt the overwhelming numerical superiority of the advancing German Army. This book, an account of his experiences in the early months of the war, tells the story of a conflict of fluid manoeuvre and dogged retreat. Together with congested roads filled with military traffic and refugees, the ever present threat of artillery barrage and changing front lines the author had to constantly be aware of the presence of the deadly Uhlans-mounted German Lancers-who were always ready to pitch horseflesh against horsepower.
170 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 1915
64 people are currently reading
177 people want to read
About the author
William Henry Lowe Watson
17 books4 followersHe was born at 98 Victoria Street, Westminster, London SW1 and was the second son of the Rev Patrick and Mrs Watson. His father was vicar at Earlsfield in the London Borough of Wandsworth.
He grew to be ix foot five inches tall and was recruited more or less off the street when war was declared in 1914 and was posted to France.
He was in the Signals Company attached to the 5th Division (one of the two Divisions which made up two Corps.
He rose to be a temporary major in the tank corps, was mentioned in despatches and won the DCM and DSO. His DCM was awarded for 'conspicuous gallantry and resource on numerous occasions in carrying messages under shell and line fire, especially on the Aisne and at Givenchy'.
In 1916 he married Ruth Barbara Wake, who was the daughter of Frederick George Arthur Walker DSO, and in 1919 they moved to 35 Denmark Avenue, Wimbledon/ They had one son Patrick. who outgrew his father to become six feet eight inches tall!
His was memoirs, 'Adventures of a Despatch Rider', first published in 1915 and based on letters he had sent home to his parents, became a bestseller.
After World War I was over he worked as a principal clerk, rising to become an assistant-secretary at the Ministry of Labour in Wimbledon.
He died of pneumonia aged only 41.
He grew to be ix foot five inches tall and was recruited more or less off the street when war was declared in 1914 and was posted to France.
He was in the Signals Company attached to the 5th Division (one of the two Divisions which made up two Corps.
He rose to be a temporary major in the tank corps, was mentioned in despatches and won the DCM and DSO. His DCM was awarded for 'conspicuous gallantry and resource on numerous occasions in carrying messages under shell and line fire, especially on the Aisne and at Givenchy'.
In 1916 he married Ruth Barbara Wake, who was the daughter of Frederick George Arthur Walker DSO, and in 1919 they moved to 35 Denmark Avenue, Wimbledon/ They had one son Patrick. who outgrew his father to become six feet eight inches tall!
His was memoirs, 'Adventures of a Despatch Rider', first published in 1915 and based on letters he had sent home to his parents, became a bestseller.
After World War I was over he worked as a principal clerk, rising to become an assistant-secretary at the Ministry of Labour in Wimbledon.
He died of pneumonia aged only 41.
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Displaying 1 - 25 of 25 reviews
February 5, 2018
Not exciting, but informative
The author was a non-combat military serviceman, so his stories aren't as thrilling as others. He does a good job of describing the contradictory nature of war. One moment he is talking about an idyllic town their division is staying in and it sounds like a vacation, but then it will abruptly change when the shells start bursting around them. His letters home also possibly downplay a lot of what is going on, and we're probably also heavily censored for sensitive information. I find the attitudes of the time among the British and the French and Flemish to be particularly interesting. You don't always get much from the civilians' side.
Overall not a bad read, but it takes patience.
The author was a non-combat military serviceman, so his stories aren't as thrilling as others. He does a good job of describing the contradictory nature of war. One moment he is talking about an idyllic town their division is staying in and it sounds like a vacation, but then it will abruptly change when the shells start bursting around them. His letters home also possibly downplay a lot of what is going on, and we're probably also heavily censored for sensitive information. I find the attitudes of the time among the British and the French and Flemish to be particularly interesting. You don't always get much from the civilians' side.
Overall not a bad read, but it takes patience.
January 3, 2021
A very intense account of the events of the first year of World War One.
This book is the diary of a dispatch rider. It's well written and gives some insight into the daily struggle of the British Tommy. It's style is conversation and appears not to be edited. Rather oddly, the author says virtually nothing about the motorcycles he used other than a frequent reference to breakdowns. He doesn't linger over the discomforts of war. It would be interesting to find out what happened to him later. The tone of the book is very optimistic which was another surprise. The photos at the end of the book tell a very different story.
This book is the diary of a dispatch rider. It's well written and gives some insight into the daily struggle of the British Tommy. It's style is conversation and appears not to be edited. Rather oddly, the author says virtually nothing about the motorcycles he used other than a frequent reference to breakdowns. He doesn't linger over the discomforts of war. It would be interesting to find out what happened to him later. The tone of the book is very optimistic which was another surprise. The photos at the end of the book tell a very different story.
January 15, 2021
I have the Kindle edition of this book, which for some strange reason is no longer available or at least the version I bought is no longer available.
Reviewing the content isn't simple, because the writing and flow is sub-par and yet the actual account of events overweighs the lack of literary prowess.
Hidden within a large amount of details about places, divisions, skirmishes and soldiers is a different layer of history. One that is told almost without any emotion at all, by a young man in the middle of events so horrific that we possibly cannot even fathom how scared he must have been. Saying it sounds so trivial, a despatch rider, that doesnt sound very dangerous at all does it. When in fact these young men and boys were sent through the middle of battles, gunfire and often past enemy points to deliver verbal and written messages amongst the command posts.
Hard to even imagine nowadays with all the technology we use in warfare. They were the carrier pigeons of then and the sms of today.
It is very dry reading, but well worth it for history buffs.
Reviewing the content isn't simple, because the writing and flow is sub-par and yet the actual account of events overweighs the lack of literary prowess.
Hidden within a large amount of details about places, divisions, skirmishes and soldiers is a different layer of history. One that is told almost without any emotion at all, by a young man in the middle of events so horrific that we possibly cannot even fathom how scared he must have been. Saying it sounds so trivial, a despatch rider, that doesnt sound very dangerous at all does it. When in fact these young men and boys were sent through the middle of battles, gunfire and often past enemy points to deliver verbal and written messages amongst the command posts.
Hard to even imagine nowadays with all the technology we use in warfare. They were the carrier pigeons of then and the sms of today.
It is very dry reading, but well worth it for history buffs.
February 9, 2012
It's an okay read. It is NOT about motorcycles - if that's is what you are interested in (like me). The author barely mentions the motorcycles he used, or anything about them. It's more of a running commentary of his time as a dispatch during war time, and he happened to be using a motorcycle. That's all. It rambles on a bit at times, and there's a lot of interesting words that you wouldn't see in use anymore. Then there is of course the brutality of the war, although the author has made no major attempt at conveying it. What I gained from this book is an insight to how a war is run - as how many units communicate with each other, and advance or retreat in tandem with 'ze germans' lines.
However, the most eye opening of all is how low-tech the first world war was! Thirty miles an hour is 'fantastic progress' and fourty miles an hour is positively 'flying'..! I rode into work this morning doing 90-100 miles an hour, and that's just good progress to me. How times have changed!
However, the most eye opening of all is how low-tech the first world war was! Thirty miles an hour is 'fantastic progress' and fourty miles an hour is positively 'flying'..! I rode into work this morning doing 90-100 miles an hour, and that's just good progress to me. How times have changed!
June 2, 2012
A very bland read that feels more like a despatch than a memoir. For example, he relates leaving his gun on a hill, going back to retrieve it, evading German cavalry patrols, and nearly getting shot by a British sentry on his return. This could be a great story, but he tells it in literally three short sentences, with barely more detail or description than I just did. It feels like a wasted opportunity for a gripping read.
It was also shocking to see the repeated mentions of shooting German prisoners with apparently no concern that it's a war crime.
The Kindle version was also annoying: it had page numbers left in: a hallmark of a poor quality conversion.
It was also shocking to see the repeated mentions of shooting German prisoners with apparently no concern that it's a war crime.
The Kindle version was also annoying: it had page numbers left in: a hallmark of a poor quality conversion.
March 5, 2015
Most interesting about the motorcycle rider were the people he met, how he ate and the constant moving. Sleep was hard to come by as you would expect. The worst part of the book was trying to make some sense out of the bigger picture as ground was gained or loss. The story about the spies was very intriguing. The best of the book was that it was a first hand encounter from a war year's ago. I think a book like this is hard to come by.
March 14, 2023
A brilliant account of life at the front line in 1914/15 but if it is a World War I blood and thunder approach that is required, this is not the book to provide it. This is because as a despatch rider, even though he is racing around the war zone front lines, he is not directly in the action. However, this is not to say that he is unaware of what is going on nor that he is away from any danger for there are regularly shells exploding around him and snipers trying to shoot him down as he races from one unit to another with the latest arrangements for battle.
Having said all that, it is a thrilling read for, as I say, he is regularly dodging snipers for he even knows where they are and when they are going to take a pop shot at him. Whenever that is he bends well over the handlebars and hugs the petrol tank so as to be less of a target or if the firing is too intense he dismounts and finds the nearest ditch to lie low for some time. As for shells exploding he was fortunate enough to avoid shrapnel from them striking him, unlike some of his despatch rider colleagues who, hit by flying shrapnel were either killed or put out of action. The only other hazard he had to overcome was the lorries and cars of the troops that he had to doge as they raced along the uneven roads ... and sometimes he declared that doing this was worse than avoiding enemy action!
It was 25 July 1914 when Willie Watson decided that, with war imminent, the arrangements for reading at the British Museum for his study at Oxford seemed a less likely objective than joining up to fight for his country. So he and some fellow students duly went through the process of joining the armed forces. He was deemed 'most suitable' for being a despatch rider so he went out and bought a motor cycle and returned home.
In due course he was told to make his way to Chatham and, after a medical examination, he writes, 'within two minutes I became a corporal in the Royal Engineers', adding, 'thrown as corporals at the head of a company of professional soldiers'. And after training in Ireland he was on his way to the front. He was initially billeted at Bavai in northern France and his first, of very many, assignments was scheduled from there and very nearly ended in disaster. He writes, 'A smart change saw me tearing along the road to meet with a narrow escape from untimely death in the form of a car which I tried to pass on the wrong side.' It turned out to be the nearest approach to disaster that he was to experience.
He writes of lots of fun that the despatch riders had, even in desperate circumstances, and how they managed to eat well on their travels, be it from local hostelries, a little bit of poaching, at various "Allies Tea Rooms" or even from the local French folk. And when the riders got together, there was plenty of drinking, not to excess, plenty of laughing and plenty of singing all of which helped the camaraderie of the riders. He did lose some friends along the way but either by good luck or good judgement he remained uninjured himself.
He mentions many of the battle fronts at which he participated including the first battle of the Aisne where he mentions that trench warfare began; at least it was the first time he had seen it. He was later involved at Mons and Ypres and delivering messages around was no easy task for apparently they had insufficient maps so he, and his colleagues, were reduced to finding their own way as best they could!
The book ends with a comment on the despatch riders from the Commander-in-Chief who stated, 'Carrying despatches and messages at all hours of the day and night, in every kind of weather, and often traversing bad roads blocked with transport, they have been conspicuously successful in maintaining an extraordinary degree of efficiency in the service of communications ... No amount of difficulty or danger has ever checked the energy and ardour which has distinguished their corps throughout the operations.' Indeed Watson was eventually to win a DSO and a DCM and attained the rank of Major.
Despite its torrid setting 'Adventures of a Despatch Rider' is an enthralling and entertaining, if sometimes harrowing, read.
Having said all that, it is a thrilling read for, as I say, he is regularly dodging snipers for he even knows where they are and when they are going to take a pop shot at him. Whenever that is he bends well over the handlebars and hugs the petrol tank so as to be less of a target or if the firing is too intense he dismounts and finds the nearest ditch to lie low for some time. As for shells exploding he was fortunate enough to avoid shrapnel from them striking him, unlike some of his despatch rider colleagues who, hit by flying shrapnel were either killed or put out of action. The only other hazard he had to overcome was the lorries and cars of the troops that he had to doge as they raced along the uneven roads ... and sometimes he declared that doing this was worse than avoiding enemy action!
It was 25 July 1914 when Willie Watson decided that, with war imminent, the arrangements for reading at the British Museum for his study at Oxford seemed a less likely objective than joining up to fight for his country. So he and some fellow students duly went through the process of joining the armed forces. He was deemed 'most suitable' for being a despatch rider so he went out and bought a motor cycle and returned home.
In due course he was told to make his way to Chatham and, after a medical examination, he writes, 'within two minutes I became a corporal in the Royal Engineers', adding, 'thrown as corporals at the head of a company of professional soldiers'. And after training in Ireland he was on his way to the front. He was initially billeted at Bavai in northern France and his first, of very many, assignments was scheduled from there and very nearly ended in disaster. He writes, 'A smart change saw me tearing along the road to meet with a narrow escape from untimely death in the form of a car which I tried to pass on the wrong side.' It turned out to be the nearest approach to disaster that he was to experience.
He writes of lots of fun that the despatch riders had, even in desperate circumstances, and how they managed to eat well on their travels, be it from local hostelries, a little bit of poaching, at various "Allies Tea Rooms" or even from the local French folk. And when the riders got together, there was plenty of drinking, not to excess, plenty of laughing and plenty of singing all of which helped the camaraderie of the riders. He did lose some friends along the way but either by good luck or good judgement he remained uninjured himself.
He mentions many of the battle fronts at which he participated including the first battle of the Aisne where he mentions that trench warfare began; at least it was the first time he had seen it. He was later involved at Mons and Ypres and delivering messages around was no easy task for apparently they had insufficient maps so he, and his colleagues, were reduced to finding their own way as best they could!
The book ends with a comment on the despatch riders from the Commander-in-Chief who stated, 'Carrying despatches and messages at all hours of the day and night, in every kind of weather, and often traversing bad roads blocked with transport, they have been conspicuously successful in maintaining an extraordinary degree of efficiency in the service of communications ... No amount of difficulty or danger has ever checked the energy and ardour which has distinguished their corps throughout the operations.' Indeed Watson was eventually to win a DSO and a DCM and attained the rank of Major.
Despite its torrid setting 'Adventures of a Despatch Rider' is an enthralling and entertaining, if sometimes harrowing, read.
February 17, 2019
~I am a motorcycle rider and a US Navy veteran…so, I thought this might be a good change of pace book to read from my normal murder mysteries and Sci-Fi selections. It is a non-fictional, personal account of William Watson’s military service during World War One. Watson volunteered and was a member of the motorcycle messengers. Sadly, this book was not much about motorcycles or motorcycle riding. I still have no idea what bike Watson actually rode during his service. There was some historical information about WWI, but mostly it was about his personal “adventures” while in France. And again, sadly, those adventures were rather tame. It appears that the Dispatch Riders were a bit of an elite group…Watson is constantly telling us of the food that riders were served by adoring French farmers and villagers…and the accommodations they had in hotels, and houses. These were not the same meals and housing the infantry soldier experienced.
~Being that this book was written by a British author, many years ago, and while he was in the military…there is a lot of military terms and British colloquialisms that are hard to understand.
~This book was first published over 100 years ago, unlike some of the classics, it really does not hold up well by today’s writing standards. Put simply; it was slow moving and kinda bland. I cannot recommend it for a motorcycle enthusiast, nor for a history buff…there are other better books available.
~Being that this book was written by a British author, many years ago, and while he was in the military…there is a lot of military terms and British colloquialisms that are hard to understand.
~This book was first published over 100 years ago, unlike some of the classics, it really does not hold up well by today’s writing standards. Put simply; it was slow moving and kinda bland. I cannot recommend it for a motorcycle enthusiast, nor for a history buff…there are other better books available.
January 15, 2021
This is a thoroughly absorbing book. It charts the authors war time experience from 1914 to 1915 as a motorcar dispatch rider. It’s based on the letters written to his mother when the First World War was in its initial and fluid stages, well before the time troops lived in trenches. The author paints a picture of a boys own adventure travelling on two wheels around the now all too familiar villages of France and Belgium. He describes the feelings and attitude of not only the inhabitants of the villages and towns that he comes across but also the transformation from beautiful landscape to shelled and destroyed country. The author only mentions the dead both animal and human briefly which is not surprising given that the book is based on lettered to his mother.
Throughout the book you get the impression that the author is enjoying his war time experiences, all be it that his attitudes start to change towards the conclusion. All in all an excellent insight into the early year of movement of WW1 and a must for those of us interested in social history. The book reminds the reader that civilian life in the early 20th Century was not as it is today with no social support or well paid job prospects for the average person. Well worth the read and will certainly cause much thought to any reader about what was really thought by those who went through those historic events.
Throughout the book you get the impression that the author is enjoying his war time experiences, all be it that his attitudes start to change towards the conclusion. All in all an excellent insight into the early year of movement of WW1 and a must for those of us interested in social history. The book reminds the reader that civilian life in the early 20th Century was not as it is today with no social support or well paid job prospects for the average person. Well worth the read and will certainly cause much thought to any reader about what was really thought by those who went through those historic events.
May 21, 2020
Absolutely Brilliant. There's no words to describe how good this is.
It's awesome, absolutely brilliant, and made me think of taking a motorbike over to see some of the places. And whilst there sit in silence and Thank All those who never came home.
It's awesome, absolutely brilliant, and made me think of taking a motorbike over to see some of the places. And whilst there sit in silence and Thank All those who never came home.
August 26, 2020
Eye opener – very good read
This is a very good example of a book which tells it as it was – life during the first years of the First World War at the front. Well written and to be read in one sitting!
This is a very good example of a book which tells it as it was – life during the first years of the First World War at the front. Well written and to be read in one sitting!
November 27, 2021
Very interesting and out of the ordinary.
Written with directness and honesty a great read.some extremely nice maps
also some very interesting and rare images . highly recommended.
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Written with directness and honesty a great read.some extremely nice maps
also some very interesting and rare images . highly recommended.
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March 23, 2020
Every motorcyclist must read this narrative
My father who was a Royal Engineer in WW1 told me about the Signals Engineers motorcycles in WW1. A truly excellent book.
My father who was a Royal Engineer in WW1 told me about the Signals Engineers motorcycles in WW1. A truly excellent book.
January 1, 2021
This is a classic memoir which I read at one sitting. Beautifully written and observed. I would like to have known what happened to him in later life.
September 10, 2014
This is gripping account of the dispatch riders who delivered messages just behind the lines during World War One. Lots of good English stiff-upper-lipness and casual drinks under fire. The period covers the earliest battles such as Mons and the Aisne, and ends with first Ypres. This makes it especially valuable to WWI buffs since there aren't as many good books about the opening months of the war as there are for later periods.
This illustrated edition has some fine photographs of the early battlegrounds as well as the couriers and their machines.
I wish there had been some more info about the motorcycles. Like many enthusiasts, the author seems to assume that everyone knows as much as he does! It also assumes knowledge about the war itself, since the book was cobbled together from Watson's diary and letters home.
This book won't be of much value to someone just getting into reading about WWI, but anyone with a firm grasp of the early phase of the war will find this a quick, enjoyable read.
This illustrated edition has some fine photographs of the early battlegrounds as well as the couriers and their machines.
I wish there had been some more info about the motorcycles. Like many enthusiasts, the author seems to assume that everyone knows as much as he does! It also assumes knowledge about the war itself, since the book was cobbled together from Watson's diary and letters home.
This book won't be of much value to someone just getting into reading about WWI, but anyone with a firm grasp of the early phase of the war will find this a quick, enjoyable read.
June 23, 2011
The memoirs of Captain William Watson, written in 1915, of his days as a corporal with the Royal Engineers as a motorcycle dispatch rider during World War I. His journey through Ireland and France is fraught with close encounters with enemy fire and the aftermath of battle, combined with extreme boredom, shattered nerves, cold, wet, loneliness, and hunger. The last two feature so prominently in his experiences that he often rhapsodizes about his meals and female companionship when he gets them (describing one particular stew as "epic").
He's by turns wry, witty, unflinchingly honest, and quietly brave. "It is a diabolical joke of the Comic imps to put fog upon a greasy road for the confusion of a despatch rider." I enjoyed getting to know him through what he chose to write about, and, while the geography was sometimes hard to keep track of, I learned a lot about the day-to-day life of an ordinary guy in the War.
He's by turns wry, witty, unflinchingly honest, and quietly brave. "It is a diabolical joke of the Comic imps to put fog upon a greasy road for the confusion of a despatch rider." I enjoyed getting to know him through what he chose to write about, and, while the geography was sometimes hard to keep track of, I learned a lot about the day-to-day life of an ordinary guy in the War.
June 13, 2011
Not a bad read kept me entertained for most of it. The narrative does have a tendency to ramble at times but when it's good it's real good. The author does seem to have a preoccupation with food though.
July 8, 2011
Quick, easy read about being a motorbike messenger with The Allies in France/Belgium during WW I. I really enjoyed the point of view of this non-fighting role that got to witness much of the unfolding strategy.
August 30, 2015
Intensely interesting insight into of the first world war from the British perspective. The early bravado quickly giving way and the uncertainty of war fogging the days. Difficult to read at times, but worth the effort.
July 21, 2011
i wish this book was in paperback. i know two people i would get it for immediately.
August 17, 2011
Getting some perspective on a period of history to which I have not paid much attention.
April 23, 2012
Readable but somewhat rambling narrative of a motorcycle messenger's experiences in the first mine months of the war.
July 13, 2012
A bit of a different view on the First World War, although it did feel quite fragmented at times, possibly owing to the experiences of the writer.
June 11, 2013
Enjoyable read.
May 3, 2017
Fascinating read. Yes there is a lot of talk about food, but the day to day life of a despatch rider is so interesting.
Displaying 1 - 25 of 25 reviews