WLA placement in a Infantry Divisional Structure

Military Motorcycles, and Other Military Two and Three Wheeled Cycles, Wanted, For Sale (NO AUCTION or EBAY) and Knowledge Base
Post Reply
Littlewood
Sergeant Major of the Gee
Sergeant Major of the Gee
Posts: 336
Joined: Tue Oct 24, 2006 7:49 am
Location:

WLA placement in a Infantry Divisional Structure

Post by Littlewood » Tue May 23, 2017 1:27 am

Hi guys, this is quite broad but I'm trying to find out were a WLA motorbike would fit in a divisional structure, unit of interest to me is 2 I.D 1944 D-Day ? If I could pick out a unit within this Division so I can correctly have the markings done on my WLA. Also how many WLA's would be allocated to each Division, in particular the 2 I.D Any help appreciated. Thanks James
1945 MB Willy's
1944 M29C Weasel
1945 GMC CCKW353
1945 Gemco 1/4 Trailer
1944 WLA
1944 Ford M8
Radios : BC1306, BC-1000, BC-611F's, BC-620, SCR 528 PE-120, PE-237, GRC-9, SCR499
Generators: PE 210-B & PE-75


User avatar
Johan WILLAERT
G-Colonel
G-Colonel
Posts: 1672
Joined: Sat Feb 14, 2004 2:50 am
Location: Belgium
Contact:

Re: WLA placement in a Infantry Divisional Structure

Post by Johan WILLAERT » Tue May 23, 2017 5:32 am

By the summer of 1944 no WLAs were on the Infantry Division's TO&E... Prior to that date they were and some were still being used in the Divisional HQ (MP Platoon etc...) throughout the end of the war...

If you really want to be sure about the use of the WLA in the 2nd Division, best is to base yourself on WW2 pictures...

Will have to check the Tables dated before 1944... They are also published in book 'The Liberator' by Robert Kim... (ISBN 9780692028759)

He writes:

Overshadowed by the Jeep and other vehicles in a mechanized war that demanded massive firepower and massive logistical support, the WLA almost disappeared from Army and Marine Corps plans. In 1943, the Army dropped motorcycles from the official organization tables of its mechanized cavalry units, armored divisions, and infantry divisions, and the Marine Corps eliminated them from its divisions as well in 1944. Even most military police units ceased to have them as part of their authorized equipment from 1943 onward. Many units continued to find motorcycles useful and retained them until the end of the war, though, mostly in the roles that dated back to World War I.

Military police were especially significant users of the WLA. Motorcycles were highly useful to military police, who needed their ability to move through traffic jams and had less need to carry heavy loads of weapons and ammunition. Records and photographs indicate that military police units routinely had far more than the number of motorcycles authorized on paper.
Dispatch riders also continued to use motorcycles in significant numbers, long after their official elimination, for the same reasons as military police.
The sole exceptions in the U.S. armed forces in using more motorcycles as the war progressed were the airborne divisions. With Jeeps and other vehicles impossible to air-drop in large numbers, two wheeled vehicles of various types, delivered by glider, were widely used in airborne units. They first used bicycles, along with a few motorcycles in each division’s military police platoon, then added over 200 Cushman motor scooters and Simplex Servicycle motorized bicycles in 1944, finally adding 12 motorcycles to the division scout platoon in 1945.
MVPA#14204
Huffman D50546 (1942)
Westfield Columbia MG138969 & MG140418 (1943)
HD 42WLA31854 (1943)
Ford GPW272xxx (1945)
Bantam T3 56433(Est) (1945)
John Wood M3A4 17564 (1943)
Johnston Lawn Mower Co RL35-A 1255 (1944)
BSA Mark V* T136102 (1944)
The Liberator

User avatar
Johan WILLAERT
G-Colonel
G-Colonel
Posts: 1672
Joined: Sat Feb 14, 2004 2:50 am
Location: Belgium
Contact:

Re: WLA placement in a Infantry Divisional Structure

Post by Johan WILLAERT » Tue May 23, 2017 8:23 am

The August 1942 TO&E, for an Infantry Division lists a total of 29 Motorcycles

2 MC for the Divisional MP Platoon
9MC for the Divisional Recon Platoon
18MC in the Engineer Battalion

By July 1943 these had all disappeared from the Tables
MVPA#14204
Huffman D50546 (1942)
Westfield Columbia MG138969 & MG140418 (1943)
HD 42WLA31854 (1943)
Ford GPW272xxx (1945)
Bantam T3 56433(Est) (1945)
John Wood M3A4 17564 (1943)
Johnston Lawn Mower Co RL35-A 1255 (1944)
BSA Mark V* T136102 (1944)
The Liberator

User avatar
Johan WILLAERT
G-Colonel
G-Colonel
Posts: 1672
Joined: Sat Feb 14, 2004 2:50 am
Location: Belgium
Contact:

Re: WLA placement in a Infantry Divisional Structure

Post by Johan WILLAERT » Tue May 23, 2017 9:03 am

This is the only picture I know of showing both troops of the 2nd Division and a Harley WLA...
The bike may or may not be from the Division, but anyway the markings are not clear...
It may also have belonged to a MP unit from the US 3rd Army.

If the bike belonged to the Divisional MP Platoon, according to Army Regulations it would have been marked

2-X
P-5 (or other vehicle number)

Original Caption of the picture below:

The Czechoslovakian Armored Brigade are welcomed by civilians of Pilzen,Czechoslovakia, as they enter the city from Dunkirk.
On the right a group of German prisoners are guarded by troops of the 2nd Infantry Division, US Third Army, 18 May 1945.
SC Photo 317394



Image
MVPA#14204
Huffman D50546 (1942)
Westfield Columbia MG138969 & MG140418 (1943)
HD 42WLA31854 (1943)
Ford GPW272xxx (1945)
Bantam T3 56433(Est) (1945)
John Wood M3A4 17564 (1943)
Johnston Lawn Mower Co RL35-A 1255 (1944)
BSA Mark V* T136102 (1944)
The Liberator

Littlewood
Sergeant Major of the Gee
Sergeant Major of the Gee
Posts: 336
Joined: Tue Oct 24, 2006 7:49 am
Location:

Re: WLA placement in a Infantry Divisional Structure

Post by Littlewood » Wed May 24, 2017 3:40 am

Thank you Johan, that is very interesting information, I hadn't appreciated that MC's has been phased out by 1944 in Infantry Divisions, particularly interesting is the number of WLA the engineers received prior - I wonder what purpose they used them for?

I have the Book you listed so I will look through that, I haven't seen many 2ID pictures in Normandy other than the obvious beaches pics.

On the markings did they have any colours/bands or just Ltrs and numbers?

James
1945 MB Willy's
1944 M29C Weasel
1945 GMC CCKW353
1945 Gemco 1/4 Trailer
1944 WLA
1944 Ford M8
Radios : BC1306, BC-1000, BC-611F's, BC-620, SCR 528 PE-120, PE-237, GRC-9, SCR499
Generators: PE 210-B & PE-75

User avatar
Johan WILLAERT
G-Colonel
G-Colonel
Posts: 1672
Joined: Sat Feb 14, 2004 2:50 am
Location: Belgium
Contact:

Re: WLA placement in a Infantry Divisional Structure

Post by Johan WILLAERT » Wed May 24, 2017 4:14 am

Littlewood wrote:I haven't seen many 2ID pictures in Normandy other than the obvious beaches pics.

On the markings did they have any colours/bands or just Ltrs and numbers?

James
There are very few pictures showing 2ID vehicles in Normandy, with only a few showing MP jeep from the 2ID in Trevieres, Normandy and some jeeps on the D514 road around Vierville on or around 7 June 1944...
There are some showing vehicle markings in Jon Gawne's Brittany book; nut no Harleys...
The POM color bands for 2ID units are described in Ben Major's book, but I haven't seen any photos of them in the 2ID...
MVPA#14204
Huffman D50546 (1942)
Westfield Columbia MG138969 & MG140418 (1943)
HD 42WLA31854 (1943)
Ford GPW272xxx (1945)
Bantam T3 56433(Est) (1945)
John Wood M3A4 17564 (1943)
Johnston Lawn Mower Co RL35-A 1255 (1944)
BSA Mark V* T136102 (1944)
The Liberator

Littlewood
Sergeant Major of the Gee
Sergeant Major of the Gee
Posts: 336
Joined: Tue Oct 24, 2006 7:49 am
Location:

Re: WLA placement in a Infantry Divisional Structure

Post by Littlewood » Thu May 25, 2017 12:57 am

looks like we picked a tough outfit for markings and WLA's. I have Gawne's book here so will carry on with the research.

Do you know if many WLA's are heading to Normandy this year?

James
1945 MB Willy's
1944 M29C Weasel
1945 GMC CCKW353
1945 Gemco 1/4 Trailer
1944 WLA
1944 Ford M8
Radios : BC1306, BC-1000, BC-611F's, BC-620, SCR 528 PE-120, PE-237, GRC-9, SCR499
Generators: PE 210-B & PE-75

User avatar
Johan WILLAERT
G-Colonel
G-Colonel
Posts: 1672
Joined: Sat Feb 14, 2004 2:50 am
Location: Belgium
Contact:

Re: WLA placement in a Infantry Divisional Structure

Post by Johan WILLAERT » Thu May 25, 2017 1:38 am

Littlewood wrote:looks like we picked a tough outfit for markings and WLA's. I have Gawne's book here so will carry on with the research.

Do you know if many WLA's are heading to Normandy this year?

James
We will be taking at least 1 WLC and 1 WLA...
MVPA#14204
Huffman D50546 (1942)
Westfield Columbia MG138969 & MG140418 (1943)
HD 42WLA31854 (1943)
Ford GPW272xxx (1945)
Bantam T3 56433(Est) (1945)
John Wood M3A4 17564 (1943)
Johnston Lawn Mower Co RL35-A 1255 (1944)
BSA Mark V* T136102 (1944)
The Liberator

Littlewood
Sergeant Major of the Gee
Sergeant Major of the Gee
Posts: 336
Joined: Tue Oct 24, 2006 7:49 am
Location:

Re: WLA placement in a Infantry Divisional Structure

Post by Littlewood » Thu May 25, 2017 1:40 am

We are taking 3 WLA's
1945 MB Willy's
1944 M29C Weasel
1945 GMC CCKW353
1945 Gemco 1/4 Trailer
1944 WLA
1944 Ford M8
Radios : BC1306, BC-1000, BC-611F's, BC-620, SCR 528 PE-120, PE-237, GRC-9, SCR499
Generators: PE 210-B & PE-75


Post Reply

Return to “Motorcycles & Bicycles”

Who is online

Users browsing this forum: No registered users and 38 guests