An extremely rare two-stroke Welbike built to carry British paratroopers into battle in the Second World War has come up for auction.
The 1942 bike, which was owned and brought back from the war by Lieutenant Colonel Dennis O’Rorke of the British Tank Regiment, will go on sale on November 10 with Iconic Auctioneers and is estimated to fetch between £5,000 and £10,000.
It will be a truly remarkable and moving opportunity to collect a piece of resistance history.
The little 1942 98cc Excelsior Welbike Mk2 was manufactured by Excelsior Motorcycles at their Tyburn factory for the Special Operations Executive (SOE) as a single-use disposable machine that carried British paratroopers into battle at Arnhem.
The little 1942 98cc Excelsior Welbike Mk2 was manufactured by Excelsior Motorcycles at their Tyburn factory for the Special Operations Executive (SOE) as a single-use disposable machine that carried British paratroopers into battle at Arnhem.
Equipped with a Villiers Junior 98cc two-stroke engine, the Welbike was the smallest motorcycle ever used by the British Armed Forces and was the lightest means of transport for troops on the ground.
The single-seat folding bicycle commissioned for production by Station 9, the ‘Inter-Services Research Office’ based in Welwyn, could be folded into a capsule and parachuted in alongside troops.
Between 1942 and 1943, 3,641 units were built (plus a prototype and some pilot models).
Some were delivered to the British 1st and 6th Airborne Divisions, some were used on D-Day and others were used at Arnhem during Operation Market Garden.
But in reality, very few of those bikes were ever used in active service.
Lieutenant Colonel Dennis O’Rorke’s bicycle is believed to have been unused in service, which is why it is presented in such excellent, unrestored condition; It even appears to have the original paint.
September 2024 marks 80 years since Operation Market Garden: it sought to create a route for Allied forces into northern Germany in September 1944.
It is presented in excellent, unrestored condition; It even appears to have the original paint.
Mark Bryan, head of motorcycles at Iconic Auctioneers, says: “This motorcycle is particularly rare as it is not fully restored and as it was 70 years ago when it was prepared for action in the European theater of war.
Lieutenant Colonel Dennis O’Rorke of the British Tank Regiment brought the motorcycle manufactured in 1942 to the end of World War II.
“The bicycles proved to be of limited use, if they landed safely on a road or track next to the troops jumping with them then they could be quite useful, but more often than not they were abandoned on farmland where they were not” . very effective’.
The bike rolled off the production line in November 1942 and has been owned by Lieutenant Colonel O’Rorke since the end of the war. It has remained in his family since his death.
The winning bidder will get the bike (which is virtually complete) along with some spare parts, including a rear fender and some original and reproduction materials.
Budding historians will be interested in the MOD shipping contract number, 294/23/S, but bidders should note that the bike is not registered in the UK.
Considering the touching history associated with this unique machine, it could very well cost upwards of £10,000 when it goes on sale at the NEC Classic Motor Show in November.
Registration for the auction closes on October 9.
Arnhem and Operation Market Garden
The British paratroopers tasked with capturing and holding the bridges at Arnhem faced much fiercer German opposition than Allied intelligence predicted.
In September 1944, Field Marshal Bernard Montgomery conceived Operation Market Garden.
The plan was to hasten the end of World War II by opening new routes in Germany, advancing through the Netherlands towards northern Germany.
Three Allied airborne divisions would descend on Holland and secure territories and bridges around the cities of Eindhoven, Nijmegen and Arnhem, after which the British would advance through the corridor towards Germany.
But the British paratroopers tasked with capturing and holding the bridges at Arnhem faced much fiercer German opposition than Allied intelligence predicted, particularly elite Panzer tanks.
The defeat at Arnhem was costly: an estimated 1,984 Allied soldiers died. In total, Allied forces lost more than 17,000 men during Operation Market Garden.
Members of the armed forces lay wreaths during a ceremony at the Arnhem Oosterbeek war cemetery, Netherlands, to mark the 80th anniversary of the Battle of Arnhem, part of Operation Market Garden.
The Princess Royal meets a veteran during a ceremony at the Arnhem Oosterbeek war cemetery, Netherlands, to mark the 80th anniversary of the Battle of Arnhem.
Despite the defeat, today Operation Market Garden is remembered as the largest air assault in history and one of the most daring Allied operations of World War II.
But most importantly, the operation, and the Battle of Arnhem in particular, is remembered as a proud example of resilience, courage and sacrifice.
It also led to the liberation of a large part of the Netherlands and the saving of thousands of Dutch people who were on the brink of famine in 1944.
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