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I noticed this unusual looking metal tube cage on a stall at the Malvern Militaria event today and, curiosity getting the better of me, I asked the stall holder what it was. He explained that it is known as a "Flying Flea" and that it was used to air drop Royal Enfield motor bikes out of aeroplanes, obviously, aided by a parachute. He went onto explain that the cage hinges open to allow the bike to be placed inside, within the cage.
There's more steal in the Flea then the Enfield!!!...:lol:
A very scarce item for sure. Those would have been opened and kicked aside for no future consideration...
The Flea is the nick name for the bike as far as I know. I’ve always known it as the Royal Enfield Flying Flea or WD/RE and I’ve had about 13 various Enfields in the past and still own 5. The other similar bike is the James ML.
That's correct and if you go searching the internet for it, that's the name you use...Quote:
Originally Posted by Brit plumber
I'm sure that you're right B.P..
My own father did own an ex W.D. Royal Enfield bike in the late 1940's/early 1950's but when he decided that he wanted to sell it he found that nobody wanted it. He therefore decided to break it up for spare parts but then found that nobody wanted the spares either. This was possibly because a lot had been released as surplus by the military post WW2.
My brother, the motorcycle buff, sent me this:
"The Royal Enfield Flying Flea was the paratroop motorcycle, the drop cage was just that, no fancy name.
James, made a similar spec bike for same purpose and drop method, it was known as the "Clockwork Mouse"; ( James ML Military ww2 classic motor cycle ).
S.O.E. at Welwyn* designed the folding mini-bike known as the Welbike, it was dropped in a plywood/cardboard cylinder
* See also: Welrod silenced assassin pistol etc.
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The "Welbike" had a brief reincarnation post war as the Indian "Papoose", apparently.
Thanks to Flying10uk for all the info he provided me with but Unfortunately the Cage was sold....... I managed to contact the dealer yesterday but was sold on Monday, but as strange as things are I received a TXT message yesterday evening regarding another......
I don't have a flying flea but is on the list, the cage as BR points out was a disposable item so I guess not many out there.
Bruce in Oz, the Welbike now demands a high premium, around £10,000 +..........
The only catch is that by the time the 'Welbike" became the Papoose", a lot of parts had been redesigned / improved, thus virtually no interchangeability.
Spoke to a Guy in the Know regarding WD Motorbikes and he said there were some replica flea cages made that had silly price tags, as regards to an original he doubts any exist.
I would agree with bigduke here, considering the state we find WD bikes in, I very much doubt any cages survived. Post war any survivors were probably scrapped or repurposed into steel tubing.
Certainly is the case BP, according to someone we both know he has dug around and asked etc, it seems there are only two known cages to exist one in the IWM and the other a dug up one in theQuote:
Originally Posted by Brit plumber
airborne museum at Oosterbeek.
For anyone wondering the price tag for the one that F10 posted was in fact £1975.........