Despatch rider

A despatch rider delivers a message to the signals office of 1st Border Regiment at Orchies, France, 13 October 1939

A despatch rider (or dispatch) is a military messenger, mounted on horse or motorcycle (and occasionally in Egypt during World War I, on camels).[1]

In the UK 'despatch rider' is also a term used for a motorcycle courier.

Despatch riders were used by armed forces to deliver urgent orders and messages between headquarters and military units. They had a vital role at a time when telecommunications were limited and insecure. They were also used to deliver carrier pigeons.

  1. ^ "Despatch Riders on Camels", The Motor Cycle, 12 October 1916, p320