Vicky Turner takes a look at the Welbike - the smallest motorcycle ever used in service by British armed forces
‘With a simple design it was relatively easy and quick to manufacture’
The Excelsior Welbike, or Parascooter as they are sometimes referred to, came about when the British decided they needed a mechanised means of transport that would enable airborne troops to advance more quickly than on foot. At that time, the British had no aeroplane capable of airlifting Jeeps or other vehicles so motorcycles were identified as a sensible solution. What was needed now was a readily transportable version - one that could fit into a standard parachute container 1300mm (51in) long by 38cm (15in) high and 30cm (12in) wide. The intention was to either parachute them in alongside paratroopers or land them by glider. By now, the Allies had witnessed the Germans using air-portable motorcycles during the Cretan Campaign, so they knew that it was within the realms of possibility.
Under an initiative driven by the Special Operations Executive (SOE) based at Station IX near Welwyn in Hertfordshire, Harry Lester, an SOE employee and motorcycle enthusiast, and designer Lt Col John Dolphin devised a prototype that fitt…
