A rare Royal Enfield 125 motorcycle, which was nicknamed the Flying Flea for the role it played in assisting parachutists from Britain’s Red Berets Regiment in World War II is to go on display in Stokesley in June.
The bike will appear at the Classics on Show vintage vehicle rally and will be a star attraction at the show’s NAAFI Café.
The two-stroke, single-engine bike played a vital role in some of the great battles of the war, including D-Day and Arnhem and is now treasured by owner Phil Meadows, of Eston.
The Flying Flea, which was manufactured for the War Office between 1939-1941, weighs just 130lbs and has a top speed of 45mph.
“It is a legendary vehicle and deserves a lot of respect,” said Phil, an enthusiast of all things 1940s.
“As a means of transport it was dropped behind enemy lines by parachute or carried in gliders, to quickly carry messages and signals between airborne and assault troops where radio communications were not in place.
“I look forward to showing it to visitors at Classics on Show who can get up close and personal to this heroic piece of engineering.”
The Flying Flea will be joined on display at Classics on Show’s NAAFI Café by Phil’s wartime Willy’s Jeep, the U.S. Army’s ‘Truck’ which gave birth to today’s Jeep series.
“Everyone of all ages recognizes the original Jeep, if only from films. It was the U.S. Army’s workhorse and together with The Flying Flea they make a heroic duo,” said Phil.
Classics on Show’s NAAFI Café – designed to recall the heady days of the Navy, Army and Air Force Institutes, which ran wartime recreational facilities for the British Armed Forces – is run by the staff, students and friends of Redcar’s Sacred Heart School to raise project funds for Ayensudo Junior High School in Ghana.
Classics on Show – now in its ninth annual edition – is organized by the Rotary Club of Stokesley to raise funds for local Rotary charities.
This year’s show will be held on The Showfield, Stokesley on Saturday, June 15 from 10am to 4pm.
Visitor entry is £6 or £14 for a family ticket. Exhibitors enter for free. Over 500 vehicles are expected at Classics on Show 2019.
For more details visit www.classicsonshow.co.uk
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