Motorcycles In The Military
The
speed and manoeuvrability of motorbikes has been a huge asset to armed forces
throughout the world, with Harley-Davidson, Triumph and BMW all playing their
part.
The other day, I took the chance to watch again that
fantastic movie 'The Great Escape'. As I watched Bud Ekins take the place of
Steve McQueen, to jump the wire fence on his Triumph, I began to wonder about
the role of the motorcycle during wartime, so I did a little reading and was
surprised to find that motorcycles have played a huge part in military history.
Being able to go where other vehicles couldn't, they became the modern day
horses, with one great advantage; some bikes, such as the Enfield 'Flying Flea' or 'Airborne' as it was
also known, could be parachuted from an aeroplane along with troops.
Royal Enfield
also supplied motorbikes to the British Armed Forces in World War 1, with machine
gun-carrying combinations and stretcher-bearing motorcycles being made on
demand. The company even won a contract to supply motorbikes to the Russians,
and when most able bodied men were at war in Europe,
a police force made up of women was issued with 600cc motorcycles.
The
Germans weren't slow in seeing the practicality of using two wheeled transport.
BMW motorcycles were to prove invaluable in North Africa during World War 2. Not having a chain that
could clog with sand, they were so successful that Harley-Davidson were
requested by the US military to copy the machine, which they duly did and
produced the Harley-Davidson XA. With the German war machine insatiable for
motorcycles, BMW flourished during the war years.
The American Army have been using motorcycles since
1913, with a third of all Harley-Davidson machines being produced for the
military in 1917. In the Second World War the company produced 30,000 bikes for
the Russians and also built machines for the Canadians. A total of 90,000
motorcycles were produced during the conflict. The Indian Motorcycle Company
also produced machines such as the 'Scout' and 'Chief' during the war years,
but weren't able to replace Harley Davidson as the motorcycle of choice.
In Britain,
the First World War provided work for the Triumph factory as production was concentrated on the war effort. More than
30,000 motorcycles, including the 'Model H Roadster' were turned over to the
military. In World War 2, the Triumph factory was laid to waste by German
bombs, along with most of Coventry, so
production moved to a site near Meriden, also in
the West Midlands area of England.
Apart from building some 50,000 motorbikes during the war, Triumph also
produced aircraft components.
In 1950, the North Koreans, backed by China, were
able to deploy a 'Motorcycle Reconnaissance' unit equipped with home produced
bikes. Vietnam also saw the use of the military motorcycle, with 'Special
Forces' employing motorbikes during that ill-fated conflict. In 1988, Vietnam
Veterans took to the streets of Washington D.C. to create a two-wheeled convoy
known as 'Rolling Thunder', in order to raise awareness of the suffering of the
soldiers who did not return from the war. This has developed into an annual
pilgrimage to the 'Vietnam
Veterans Memorial'.
'Operation Desert Storm' in 1991 again saw the deployment of
motorcycles, and more recently, the manoeuvrability of two-wheeled transport
proved invaluable in Afghanistan
and Iraq.
When the road ends, the motorcycle keeps on going. When the road doesn't end,
the speed of a motorcycle is unchallenged. Accessibility and versatility have
been key words associated with the role of military motorcycles since the
outset.
Now back to Steve McQueen, who was frowned upon by
his bosses at the studio for spilling the beans about his stunt double, during
'The Johnny carson Show'. When Johnny congratulated Steve on the motorcycle
jump, Steve didn't hesitate in putting the record straight. It wasn't that
Steve McQueen couldn't ride a bike, quite the contrary. In the scenes before
the jump, he rode his own bike as Virgil Hilts, but the German riders couldn't
keep pace with him, so wearing a German uniform, he took the role of a pursuing
German, and through the magic of film editing, chased himself. So the next time
you get the chance to see 'The Great Escape', look out for Steve McQueen
chasing Steve McQueen. The motorcycle chase was actually McQueen's idea. The
original script had Virgil Hilts attempting to escape by train, but when
McQueen said to his director 'Hey John, I've got an idea that will put more
juice into this', a small piece of movie and motorcycle history was born.
About the Author
Alan Liptrot is the founder
of http://www.motorbike-tours.co.uk
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