Was Royal Enfield's Flying Flea really a fighter?

A grim-looking soldier rides a Royal Enfield Flying Flea on a battlefield.

This well-known illustration shows a British soldier riding a Royal Enfield Flying Flea across a battlefield. There is a burning German tank in the background, and war planes roar overhead.

There is an equally well-known wartime photograph of this very soldier and his Flying Flea motorcycle (note his tea mug attached to the motorcycle!).

The illustration shows the shattered tree of a battlefield. But the photograph of the soldier lifting the little motorcycle is obviously posed, meant to illustrate the light weight of the Flying Flea.

And here he is, tea mug, Flying Flea and all.

The photograph was probably shot on a training ground.

So, I wondered: what was war really like for Royal Enfield Flying Flea motorcycles, once they reached the battleground? Not many photos seem to exist of the little Royal Enfield motorcycles being active in the combat zones of World War II.

The answer could be that they just didn't work.

What??? How can that be?

The Flying Flea (formally called the WD/RE by the War Department) is famous because it could be dropped by parachute to embattled paratroopers. Royal Enfield applauded the service rendered by its little motorcycle in the post-war brag book "A Proud War Record," printed to record the company's contribution to victory.

Historical videos do show that Flying Fleas were transported by air (many, apparently, inside gliders, rather than dropped by parachute).

Still from wartime footage of a Flying Flea being loaded into a glider.
Used in many documentaries, this shot probably dates to Operation  Varsity in 1945.

Clearly, the Flying Flea went to war. But what happened after it reached the Landing Zones with British airborne troops?

The Landing Zones may be as far as they got. I'll explain later why this might be so. But first of all, why were the Flying Fleas going to battle in the first place?

Dropped by air, to airborne troops presumably automatically surrounded by the enemy, what good is a motorcycle?

I assumed their only use would be for dispatch riders, to carry messages. But an authority on Royal Enfield military motorcycles disagreed with that conclusion.

"The bike was not intended for dispatch riders, but for the commandos," he wrote.

"The purpose was to be able to move faster to the place that they had to capture. For instance, in Arnhem the dropping zone was a large grassland outside Arnhem. But the commandos had to capture the bridge, which was a couple of miles away. The idea was to move as fast as possible to the bridge, capture the bridge and stay there until the rest of the Army was there. Unfortunately the Arnhem bridge was 'a bridge too far.'"

I have read that Jeeps, landed by glider near Arnhem and specially equipped with machine guns, were to carry out exactly that mission (but were stopped before they could reach the bridge). Were the Flying Fleas supposed to do that too?

Realistic miniature Royal Enfield Flying Fleas move out to attack.

Modelers and war gamers have at least imagined such a scenario. Battlefront Miniatures Ltd. created striking models of four Flying Fleas riding in formation. The caption explains:

"The troop rode into battle upon the lightweight 125cc motorcycles such as the famous Royal Enfield 'Flying Flea.' This motorcycle was so light it could be lifted over obstacles, but so small that it only carried the rider and his personal kit, making one motorcycle per man a necessity."

These models are for use in the company's "Flames of War" game, and the caption doesn't specifically reference being dropped by air or rushing to seize a bridge. In fact, the website suggests the motorcycles would allow a "Blitz Squad"of infantry to keep up with light tanks and deal with troublesome anti-tank guns they come across.

Maybe so. But consider that, in an airborne operation, you'd be paying Air Mail postage to deliver one motorcycle per soldier for that assault squad. Not very economical. One Jeep could hold four soldiers and machine guns too.

Still from Imperial War Museum film "Sixth Airborne Division Prepares for D-Day."
"Military Police attend to their Matchless and Enfield motorcycles."
Police need a full-service motorcycle, with lights, horn and comfy seat.
(Shot June 1, 1944 Copyright IWM  A-70 25-2)

There's another thing that bothers me. When you look at the Royal Enfield Flying Flea you see a complete motorcycle, with full fenders, sprung seat, chain guard, tool kit, tire pump, headlight with black-out shroud and tail light. Even a bulb horn!

It seems a bit much to give to soldiers who are going to use it on a one-way ride to a bridge, dump it in an alley and take up positions. (The assault Jeeps used at Arnhem could have been used later for other duties, such as fetching ammunition or transporting wounded, things the Flying Flea wasn't equipped to do).

Am I wrong? Does anyone know of an account of the Flying Flea in use in the Normandy invasion or at Arnhem?

There is at least one photo of a Flying Flea in use in a combat zone. I'll show you that next time.

But one final note: The blog Arnhem Jim includes a "Detailed List of the Arms and Equipment of a British Airborne Division Circa 1944."

It lists, among thousands of other items, "Motorcycle, Lightweight, Royal Enfield WD RE light ("Flying Flea") or Matchless G3L  (529)."

That's 529 lightweight motorcycles, not counting an additional 704 other motorcycles (Triumph 3SW, James ML or Ariel W NG). Plus an "unknown" number of Welbike scooters.

The paras really were equipped to put a lot of soldiers on two wheels.

Next time: Did the Flying Flea work in battle?

Meanwhile, here's a look at that historical video of a Flying Flea being loaded on a glider for Operation Varsity.