Black rats postcard

[Anjoucollector]

Good afternoon,

i have found a French postcard showing British troops with cycles in 1914. They are called "les rats noirs" - "Black rats". Do you know what unit it could be ?

Laurent

[Toby Purcell]

“The Black Cats”** was the nickname (surnom) for the 1st London Division of the Territorial Force (auxiliary, part-time soldiers in Britain, since 1908). In 1914 the division was broken up to carry out reinforcement or replacement across the British Empire, but in 1916 it was reformed from its globally dispersed units as the 56th (1st London) Infantry Division in France.

Early in WW1 (during 1914) a cyclist company was added to each infantry division, so I can only conclude that your photograph records this organisational development for the then 1st London Division. These units were technically of the regular army. All of the ‘new army’ divisions raised under Lord Kitchener’s instructions in 1914 also included a cyclist company.

**During WW1 the divisional symbol of the 1st London/56th Division was the sword of the executed rebel, Wat Tyler, regardless of the division’s nickname. In WW2 this was corrected and the new divisional sign was a black cat on a red background (representative of the beloved pet of Dick Whittington, a legendary early Lord Mayor of the City of London).

“GHQ issued Army Order 226 on 21 October 1914, defining the Divisional Cyclist Company. It was now to be considered as an organisation distinct from the battalions from which its men were drawn. Any promotions made by the company’s commanding officer were to be considered as Acting but with the pay of the substantive rank.

Its organisational establishment was to be as follows:

Company HQ
1 Captain, commanding
1 Company Sergeant Major
1 Company Quartermaster Sergeant
1 Artificer
1 Driver for the wagon/cart
1 Corporal Signaller
2 Privates Signallers (1 of which may be a Lance Corporal)
1 Batman (normally a Private)
3 Platoons, each of
1 Subaltern (that is, Lieutenant or Second Lieutenant)
1 Sergeant
2 Corporals
26 Privates
1 Batman (normally a Private)
Attached to company
2 rank and file of the Royal Army Medical Corps (Normally Privates)
1 interpreter officer
1 Batman for officer (normally a Private)
1 Storeman
9 men of the 1st Reinforcement (normally Privates)
Company transport was to be provided as follows (noting that the company’s baggage and supplies were to be carried by the train of the Divisional Mounted Troops, rather than its own transport):

105 bicycles
1 limbered General Service wagon or Small Arms Ammunition cart
2 horses for above”.

[Anjoucollector]

Thank you for your very detailed answer. So, Cats and not Rats, Chats and not Rats. An error in the translation by the French editor.

Laurent

[Toby Purcell]

Originally Posted by Anjoucollector

Thank you for your very detailed answer. So, Cats and not Rats, Chats and not Rats. An error in the translation by the French editor.

Laurent

I cannot say for certain Laurent, but I think that is probably the situation, yes. There was no Black Rats unit in WW1 that I can find. Even in WW2 the only similar association was Desert Rats, whose badge for 4th Armoured Brigade was a black Jerboa (desert rat). However, we do know that there was a Black Cats nickname for the 1st London Division, so perhaps a transposition error is the cause of misunderstanding.