The WW2 British motorcycle that was delivered in air drop canisters

[editor]

This is impressive stuff!

he Welbike was a British single-seat motorcycle produced during World War II at the direction of Station IX — the "Inter Services Research Bureau" — based at Welwyn, UK, for use by Special Operations Executive (SOE). It has the distinction of being the smallest motorcycle ever used by the British Armed Forces.[1] Between 1942 and 1943, 3,641 units (plus a prototype and some pilot models) were built and, although not much used by the SOE, some were issued to the British 1st and 6th Airborne Divisions and some were used at Arnhem during Operation Market Garden.

Welbike - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

Welbike - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

 

[Bahnhof Strasse]

Very cool, but can see the flaw if they were designed for the SOE, in that anyone pootling around the Dordogne on one would be SOE...

 

[Dogsauce]

Looks like the sort of thing the local neds would be belting round the recreation ground at the end of my road on a few years ago. Do they still do the mini moto thing? I live somewhere posh now so I’m out of touch with such fuckery.

 

[dessiato]

I'm not sure I'd have wanted one. Rushing ahead of your mates to get killed sooner rather than later...

 

[gentlegreen]

That looks like a far better form factor than those silly electric scooters.

 

[pogofish]

That looks like a far better form factor than those silly electric scooters.

Against anything with a Villiers engine, the electric scooter would undoubtedly be the faster and more reliable machine!

 

[marty21]

Very cool, but can see the flaw if they were designed for the SOE, in that anyone pootling around the Dordogne on one would be SOE...

They should have put some swastikas on there

 

[StoneRoad]

Certainly not a means of advancing stealthily ...
- Noisily, maybe !

Just how lightweight and drop-proof were they, I wonder ?

 

[spitfire]

Useful for communications/despatch riders (when they worked) as anyone who has seen A Bridge Too Far knows, the radios no worky!

You too can be the proud owner of your very own Welbike in 1/35 scale.

 

[Artaxerxes]

Oh my god that's so adorably tiny