Features
Craig Allen profiles the Lightweight RE Flying Flea motorcycle, a vital piece of equipment which provided mobility to Allied Airborne Troops during Operation Overlord
A modern re-enactor demonstrates the lightness of the bike in a recreation of a wartime image
This close-up of the fuel tank shows the three-speed gear lever and leakproof petrol cap
The BSA Bantam D1 was built using the plans for the DKW bike and bears a striking resemblance to the Flying Flea
The diminutive Welbike is well known among enthusiasts, but there was another two-wheeled Airborne steed, the Royal Enfield Flying Flea. I have always wondered just how useful the tiny Welbike was in service, but the 125cc Enfield was a far more practical machine.
Ironically the bike was originally developed from a German design, the DKW RT100, on behalf of the Dutch.
