At the start of the Second World War, the British War Department wanted fast and efficient means of transportation to carry communications across the enemy lines. Conventional motorcycles from Royal Enfield and BSA, while being rugged and powerful, were difficult to transport. So, in 1942, Royal Enfield was commissioned to make the WD/RE — also known as the “Flying Flea” — a small and light motorcycle that could be dropped from the skies using parachutes.
The Flying Flea was based heavily on the German DKW RT100 motorcycle. It was powered by a 126cc two-stroke carburetted engine, had 3 gears, and could reach a top speed of 75kmph. Royal Enfield designed it to be as light as possible; it had a weight of just 59kg! A special protective cradle was built for the motorcycle that could house the motorcycle with the parachute and also absorb the impact on landing. This made it possible to load onto the British Halifax and Lancaster bombers and drop them behind enemy lines.
Over the course of the Second World War, thousands of these Flying Fleas went into combat. Some of their most significant contributions were their establishment of communications during the D-Day landings in Normandy. Where hundreds of Flying Fleas were airdropped to support the troops of Great Britain and the United States. And in Operation Market Garden in Holland, the Flying Fleas helped with the rapid deployment of scouts and communications along the Arnhem Bridge. The Flying Flea was involved in numerous such operations across Europe, where paratroopers wanted quick mobility after airdrops. The contribution of the Flying Flea undoubtedly played a major role in the victory of the Allied powers in the Second World War.
Now decades later, Royal Enfield is bringing the iconic nameplate to its new electric motorcycle lineup. The first product of that series would be the Flying Flea C6 and the S6, with the C6 being inspired by the original 1942 bike and the S6 being its scrambler interpretation. The new bikes are expected to have a range of around 150km and a top speed of 115kmph. Dual-channel ABS is going to be standard, and the motorcycle will be equipped with a circular TFT display with a whole host of functions on offer.
The new Flying Flea will help cement Royal Enfield's reputation not just as a retro motorcycle manufacturer, but also as a brand with heritage moving towards the future, while the old Flying Flea will go down in history and will be remembered as a war hero!
