Part two of Steve Wilson’s history of the despatch riders of World War Two focuses on the home front
Despatch Riders (DRs) on the home front were equally active in wartime Britain, a potentially hazardous environment where road deaths peaked in 1941 at 9,916. Bombing and bomb damage, the blackout, the absence of road-signs (and even shop signs bearing a town’s name were painted out), road surfaces which included cobblestones and greasy wooden blocks, English weather, plus from 1943, large numbers of forces’ vehicles piloted by Americans accustomed to driving on the right – all had to be contended with.
Many UK-based DRs were female, Auxiliary Territorial Service (ATS) or Women’s Royal Naval Service (WRNS), to free up manpower for combat roles. Their number included the future ‘Avengers’ star, Honor Blackman. The Senior Service in particular initially recruited from the upper end of the social strata.
The redoubtable Virginia Hussey’s future first husband Lord ‘Bim’ Northampton was a friend of Lady Cholmondeley, who happened to be the head of the WRNS. Aged 18 and lying about previous motorcycling experience, Virginia was soon competent enough to be issued, as a DR at the Admiralty in the Mall, with a …
