Despatch Rider on the Western Front, 1915–18

The colorful eyewitness-to-history diary of a young man who loved motorcycles—and used these new machines to serve his country in the Great War.

This is the skillfully abridged version of the diary of a First World War motorcycle despatch rider, Sergeant Albert Simpkin, who was attached to the HQ 37th Division. The diary entries, and some longer descriptions of the main actions of the Division, provide a fascinating record of the life of a despatch rider on the Western Front—one day dodging shell holes and ammunition limbers to take his despatches to the front, the next observing the quaint but often courageous lives of the local populace. Throughout the diary are colorful and amusing anecdotes about his fellow soldiers, and critical comments on the strategies and tactics employed by the officers.

“It is worth seeking out and reading and if you are a fan of Great War motorbikes and vehicles this is a must.” —War History Online