Liberator The Harley Davidson Wla In The Second World War

The Harley-Davidson WLA and other American military motorcycles performed crucial roles during the Second World War in the U.S. armed forces and other Allied armies worldwide. Liberator: The Harley-Davidson WLA in the Second World War for the first time tells the full story of how the U.S. Army and Marine Corps and other Allied armed forces used the Harley-Davidson WLA and other American military motorcycles during the war. The book traces the development of the WLA in 1940-42 from the civilian Forty-Five models of 1929-39, describes the evolution of U.S. Army and Marine Corps usage of motorcycles through the motorcycle-borne mechanized cavalry experiments of 1940-41, and addresses wartime use of motorcycles in each major type of U.S. Army unit (mechanized cavalry, armored divisions, infantry divisions, airborne divisions, military police, etc.) and in Marine Divisions, with detailed tables of organization and equipment for each. Moreover, Liberator: The Harley-Davidson WLA in the Second World War describes the use of the WLA, Indians, and other Harley-Davidsons in each Allied army that used them. It especially emphasizes their use by the Soviet Union, which was the largest user of the WLA, receiving more through Lend-Lease than the number used by the U.S. armed services. These countries include:- Soviet Union- Canada- United Kingdom- Australia- New Zealand- South Africa- India- Poland - France - Brazil- Iran- Republic of ChinaAlthough primarily focused on the Harley-Davidson WLA, the book also describes use of other Harley-Davidsons, Indians, and small motorcycles designed for airborne troops, in the U.S. armed services and other allied armies. These other models include:- Harley-Davidson WL- Harley-Davidson "Big Twins"- Indian 741, 640, 344, and 340- Cushman Model 53 scooter - Simplex ServicycleUnique human perspectives on the Harley-Davidson WLA and other American military motorcycles during the war come from the stories of several individual U.S. Army soldiers who fought on motorcycles, and the histories of a U.S. Army military police unit and a Red Army motorcycle battalion. These stories, several of them previously unpublished, are reminders of the men who once rode these machines during the war.This book will be of interest to enthusiasts of Harley-Davidson, Indian, and military motorcycles, and to military historians and preservationists worldwide.

The story of an iconic model in the long history of Harley-Davidson motorcycles, the WLA, which was used by Allied forces during WWII, is told for the first time. Developed for the US Army's mechanized cavalry, it became the leading US military motorcycle of the war. It served the US armed services as a messenger and military police vehicle. The Red Army's motorcycle battalions, reconnaissance units of its tank armies, also used them as their primary vehicle. The armies of the Soviet Union, Canada, the United Kingdom, Australia, France, China, and Brazil also made use of the model and its variants. It is known today as the "Liberator"; discover the history and stories of individuals who rode this icon to war and why the model is now a favorite among civilian collectors.

From a New York Times bestselling author comes the incredible true story of an underage soldier's first love and loss on the battlefields of Bataan and Corregidor—perfect for fans of The Boy Who Followed His Father into Auschwitz and Unbroken. Joe Johnson Jr. ran away from home at the age of 12, hopping a freight train at the height of the Great Depression. He managed to talk his way into the U.S. Army two years later. Seeking freedom and adventure, he was sent to the Philippines. Adrift in spirit, Joe visited a teenage prostitute, and they became unlikely, smitten allies. Yet when the Japanese attacked on December 8, 1941, their hopes of being together had to wait. Joe and his fellow soldiers fought for four brutal months in Bataan and Corregidor, until they were forced to surrender. The boy endured years of horror as a prisoner of war, only dreaming about seeing again the girl he’d come to love. This lyrically written and deeply encouraging saga will remind you that every life can be lifted, forgiveness is the patron of restoration, and redemption is available to all.

The Harley-Davidson WLA is a Harley-Davidson motorcycle that was produced to US Army specifications in the years during and around World War II.

A tale of a lifelong passion for a WWII aircraft that changed the author’s life: “It is almost like an adventure novel except it is true” (Air Classics). This book tells the story of a Dutch boy who grew up during the 1950s in postwar Borneo, where he had frequent encounters with an airplane, the Douglas DC-3, a.k.a. the C-47 Skytrain or Dakota, of World War II fame. For a young boy living in a remote jungle community, the aircraft reached the proportions of a romantic icon as the essential lifeline to a bigger world for him, the beginning of a special bond. In 1957, his family left the island and all its residual wreckage of World War II, and he attended college in The Hague. After graduation, he started a career as a corporate executive—and met the aircraft again during business trips to the Americas. His childhood passion for the Dakota flared up anew, and the fascination pulled like a magnet. As if predestined, or maybe just looking for an excuse to come closer, he began a business to salvage and convert Dakota parts, which meant first of all finding them. As the demand for these war relic parts and cockpits soared, he began to travel the world to track down surplus, crashed, or derelict Dakotas. He ventured deeper and deeper into remote mountains, jungles, savannas, and the seas where the planes are found, usually as ghostly wrecks but sometimes still in full commercial operation. In hunting the mythical Dakota, he often encountered intimidating or dicey situations in countries plagued by wars or revolts, others by arms and narcotics trafficking, warlords, and conmen. The stories of these expeditions take the reader to some of the remotest spots in the world, but once there, one is often greeted by the comfort of what was once the West’s apex in transportation—however now haunted by the courageous airmen of the past.

The Harley-Davidson Source Book is the ultimate curated survey of the ultimate motorcycle. It details the most significant designs and models throughout the Motor Company's history.

Every gearhead bike enthusiast will love this title for its rich history of the legacy brand known as Harley-Davidson. This title profiles some of the company's most iconic models, from the debut 1911 Model 7D to today's sleek and modern VRSCA V-Rod. Readers can immerse themselves in details such as horsepower, torque, transmission types, exhaust systems, wheelbase measurements, and speed. For more info, there is also a spec sheet on each model. The showroom-worthy images of each of these beautiful bikes make this book a must-read for anyone interested in the Harley legacy.

Long before Japanese bombs rained down on Pearl Harbor, Milwaukee was the "Machine Shop to the World." Thanks to the city's large industrial base, factories quickly retooled and mobilized for wartime production. Harley-Davidson produced thousands of military motorbikes, and Falk Corporation churned out gears that turned the propellers on hundreds of ships. Locals sacrificed their lives for the cause--Mayor Carl Zeidler went missing at sea, USS Arizona captain Franklin Van Valkenburgh refused to leave the bridge of his burning battleship and Mildred Harnack joined the Nazi resistance movement and was executed on direct orders from Hitler. Embedded with German and American troops, Milwaukee journalists H.V. Kaltenborn, Louis Lochner and Dickey Chapelle sent dispatches from the front lines. Through past interviews and archival materials, author Meg Jones reveals these and other patriotic stories.