Morning everybody. A question has been on my mind for a pretty long time by now, but this might be the place that can help me find the answers. I've been researching Armoured car regiments for a while now (Mostly the 11th Hussars.), and I came across this video on youtube where they provide a small example of what the Humber armoured car can provide in the field. But! At a certain point, they mention that the motorcyclists seperate, and return on a later point to flank the target Now, the thing that I cannot seem to determine is to which unit these motorcyclists belong. 1) A member of the armoured car unit. 2) Attached but a member of the Armoured reconnaissane unit of the division. 3) Royal Signals attached to the various units. Video for example: https://youtu.be/qJC2dWdCGGc?t=2m27s Thanks in advance! Kenneth
Thanks for posting the film link. If it's any help, the motorcycles look to be Norton Big 4 sidecar wheel drive combinations. There is evidence that they were used in small numbers by the 'Divisional Cavalry' of the BEF and with the post-Dunkirk vehicle shortages, they continued to be used in this rôle for training in the UK, as well as by specialist motorcycle battalions. They're certainly not Royal Corps of Signals. IWM photograph H18870 shows three such outfits together with a Dingo and is captioned as '27th Lancers - 19/4/1942 ' Judging by the way that they are working together with the armour, my impression is that they are almost certainly part of the same unit.
Thanks for the reply. Indeed they are sidecars. It'll probably be a very early educational film. I presume these tactics would have been used troughout the war? I find this very interesting because I haven't been able to find a lot of information regarding motorcyclists who operate in this manner. There should also be a military pamflet ( forgot the proper code) where they mention a seperate pamflet containing information on motorcyclists attached to Armoured units. Haven't been able to find it though. I assume that they could also guide other units (infantry/armour) to points of attack when they encountered enemy resistance.
I don't believe that these tactics were ever actually used...Motorcycle combinations had become pretty much obsolete by 1943 so this form of attack was probably never seen outside of UK exercises and propaganda films designed to keep morale up.
All the various reconnaissance units went through a lot of changes. In the BEF an Armoured Car Regiment used only armoured cars. Later it was thought that they should be able to not only gather information and form a screen but be able to take and hold key points such as bridges and cross roads. There is an organisation which was only used in the UK which had a troop of three armoured cars, two scout cars, two solo motorcycles and two motor cycle combinations. The scout cars and various motorcycles formed a dismountable portion. Later still an armoured car squadron had the dismountable portion concentrated in an assault troop carried in White 4 X 4. Mike
Do you think that the motorcycle orderlies (ETO 44-45) were tasked with guiding the units behind the armoured cars towards their proper destinations to eliminate any risk of them taking a wrong route?
