THE BUCKSHEE WHEELERS - And Its Foundation
As Remembered By Keith Robins - Press Officer, Buckshee Wheelers
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In late 1941 a certain Sgt. Johnnie Walker of the Palatine Cycling Club in England. was posted to army headquarters in Cairo -Egypt. He tried to find a decent bike to ride round Cairo and enjoy his sport of cycling. He was informed that a certain Charlie Damyon, a member of the West Kent Cycling Club who was also stationed in Cairo, had two bikes. Johnnie met Charlie negotiated and relieved him of one. They decided to go out riding together and Charlie informed him that there was a cyclist called Paddy Roebuck, a Welshman, working at the Marconi factory. He was 60 years old but a good cyclist and so two became three. Then one day they meet a cyclists coming towards the up the Nile Road who happened to be Ken Marshall, an international track cyclist, who later competed in the 1952 Olympics. So three became four.
Now Johnnie was friendly with Paul Irwin a reporter on the Egyptian Mail. He wrote an article in the mail about these “Mad Englishmen who go out riding in the mid day sun”. (very little work was done between 1pm and 4pm Siesta time). This brought several enquiries from other cyclists who came to Cairo on leave or duty so they begged and borrowed bikes to go out for a club ride together, some times on old army bikes.
One day someone suggested that it would be great if there was
a get-together of British cyclists who were serving in the Middle East. So
another article appeared in the Mail by Paul Irwin about this get-together
and anyone interested to contact Johnnie, who was the sergeant to Randolph
Churchill. A date was set. a hall was booked and then Johnnie started receiving
calls from all over the Middle East, in fact he had so many that he had
to change venues three times. The meeting place was the Masonic Hall and temple
in the Middle of Cairo. 180 English club cyclists turned up on leave from
Palestine, Jordon, Libya, Sudan and, of course, Egypt.
It was at this meeting that they decided to call themselves “The Buckshee Wheelers”. At the meeting was one Flight Lieutenant Alex Josie, who had been the Assistant Editor of the UK “Cycling” magazine, before being called for service. Alex wrote an article about this meeting and there was a full page report of this get-together appeared in “Cycling”, labeled from our “War Correspondent”. The editor, H.H. England, and Herbert Goodwin. the Managing Editor, decided to go round the trade to see if they could help these cyclists with bikes and they secured cycles from different makers and arranged for them to be sent out as Military equipment.
Johnnie had a knock on his office door one day and there stood an Army lorry driver. He asked “Where do you want these bikes? I have three lorry loads - 100 Bikes and all BUCKSHEE”. Johnnie was flabbergasted, knew nothing about this and was not prepared for them,. They were deposited in what was known as “Paddies Dugout”. a basement belonging to Paddy Roebuck, plus various other sites in Cairo, before they were distributed to camps all over the Middle East who had English cyclists posted there. This started a series of Clubs being formed, all affiliated to the Buckshee Wheelers, a considerable number in the Canal Zone
The First Race to be organised was a 25 mile Time Trial. Lord Kenilworth who supported cycling sent out £25.00 to buy a trophy (which was a lot of money in those days ). Well one of the lads in the REME made a “Corn Beef Tin” in his workshop, formed from an aircraft propeller. He had it chromed, mounted on a wooded plinth in the shape of a pyramid and it was named the Bully Beef Trophy, (that being the stable diet of the forces in the dessert). The Race started at the base of the Pyramids on the outskirts of Cairo and straight down the road beside the Nile and I do mean straight. 12 & a half miles turn and finish at the Pyramids. Eric Mustill won it with a time of 1hour .26 mins. He normally recorded 1hour 2 mins for this distance in England but a sand storm blew that day. This was 1944 and it has been competed for every year since except 1946.
Many events were promoted after this - 5, 10, and 15 mile Time Trials formed a summer Best All Rounder competition - 25, 30, and 50 formed the winter BAR, and even a 200 Time trial was run and many massed start races round the aero drome circuits. But the biggest event however was the GRAND PRIX de GAZIRA
The river Nile runs through the centre of Cairo and in the middle is an Island called Gazira Island. Now Johnnie was friendly with the chief of Police and asked could the two bridges be closed so the could run a massed start race? “Yes” was the reply so at a meeting that took place to make the arrangements, it was reported that the Head of Forces in Cairo would start the race and Brigadier Christal, Head of the forces in the Middle East. would be asked to present the awards. At the meeting was Paul Erwin, who reported next day with a big headline on the back page of the Egyptian Mail that the Brig was to present trophies. All hell broke lose at army Headquarters. The Brigadier ordered his adjutent to get the Officer in charge of cycling. Johnnie Walker rang the Brigadiers office and said he could come along. That was not good enough - a sergeant would not do – it MUST be an Officer, preferably the Officer in Charge. This was 1944 and we were still at war. We were an organisation for any service personal - Army , Navy , RAF - with no one person really in charge. WE WERE NOTHING TO DO WITH SERVICES. So Johnnie got Flight Lieutenant Alex Jose who thought he was going to discuss with the Brigadier the arrangements. Alex was duly shown into the Brig’s office and he was kept at attention whilst the brigadier laid down the law and it was curtsey to ask permission before publication and why should any one expect Him to attend. After about 20 minutes and the usual army rollicking the Brigadier said dismiss. As Alex got to the door he said what time do you want me on parade? So the event had the approval of the top brass. Over 100 Police lined the route, a member who worked the ordinance depot who made flags produced the racing jerseys. A 10 min. film of the event was taken and shown on Pathe News in cinemas throughout Britain of how our service men were serving their time in the Middle East and a large crowd of forces personnel watched. So the Buckshee Wheelers became the first club to promote a City Centre Massed start Race.
With such high-ranking officers who had agreed to start the race and present our prizes and with someone at Middle East HQ involved, the CO’s and Quartermasters at the different camps did not refuse our requests for lorries to transport us to the camps promoting the event and the bases, be it Army or RAF , provided us with bedding and meals for the visiting cyclists and their helpers because they did not want a reprimand from “Higher- up”. We even had planes provided to take us from Egypt to Jerusalem to have a Hill climb race up Seven Sisters Hill.
In 1946 headquarters were moved from Cairo to the Canal Zone. Special permission had to be sought so to go to Cairo so the Canal Zone became the centre of the “Wheelers” activity with about 20 clubs until we closed our books in 1950.
Now for some Statistics compiled by Harold Scott after scouring
our records:
To be a “Buckshee Wheeler” you had to belong an English Cycling
club, serving in the Middle East. 2158 Members paid one shilling (5pence today
or 5 Ackers Egyptian money ) for life membership and a further 1000+ took
part in the Buckshee events but never actually joined. We had 7 lady members
and 17 unregistered lady members. 60 cycling clubs were formed in the Middle
East and over 600 cycling clubs in U.K. are recorded as having members who
served time in the Middle East.
The membership closed in 1950 but was opened up again in 1955 to allow those who served in the Suez campaign in 1951/5 to join. We had no Rule book as such but events were conducted under those regulations that existed in England. Our archives will eventually end up in the Imperial War Museum.
We had some famous members - Lord Hunt of who oversaw the move out of Palestine in May 1948, then climbed Mount Everest in 1952 - Reg Harris, World Cycle Champion who was injured when his tank was blown up. Several members competed in Olympic and National teams and Reg Randal set a new record for the Lands End to John O’Groats in 2 days 1h 58m. A number of our members became National administrators and officials when they came home. We honoured the people in the UK who assisted us and wrote the reports in “Cycling” and the “Bicycle” of our activities all through the war period by making them Hon Members.
We hold a reunion on the 2nd weekend in October every year when we have our General Meeting and an Evening Dinner when we install the new Pasha (President). The following morning we then Race for the “Bully Beef Trophy” and enjoy a prize giving Lunch.
Some members returned to Palastine (now Israel) to celebrate our 25th year, holding a 25 mile time trial. A party of 50 returned to Israel and Egypt, visiting our old meeting places in Cairo in 1981 to celebrate our 40th year. At our 70th reunion in 2011 sixteen riders took part in the race the youngest being 72 and the oldest 82. It was agreed that club will end and reunions cease when no one wants to ride for the Bully Beef Trophy.
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Our Trophies and Prizes |
The "Bully Beef" Trophy |
SADLY – THE END
The Buckshee Wheelers held their Annual Reunion on the 2nd weekend in October 2018 with only 5 members and 11 guests attending – several members apologized for not attending through either ill health or difficulty in traveling because of their age.
With only one member entering and competing in the Bully Beef Trophy Event, winning all 5 trophies (as one person remarked “that is what you call a clean sweep”), it was decided that this one, our 77th, would be the last.
A sad day for an organization with no rules, 2160 members, and
formed from one man wanting a Bicycle to ride round Cairo delivering messages
for Randolph Churchill.
With the desert to roam
We rode in kit that was tattered and worn
But bikes meant races
To we desert aces
And thus a classic was born
A “Twenty
Five”
Where all would strive
And many came to grief
But for those who prevail
The Holy grail
Is the prize of THE BULLY BEEF