The Bicycles of World War II
Over the course of World War II, countless challenges made basic transportation difficult, costly, and dangerous. The need for fast, efficient, and quiet ways of moving people from A to B—despite fuel shortages, damaged roads, and ongoing battles—led many soldiers and civilians to take advantage of bicycles as transport. Troops in some areas became more nimble, refugees used bikes to carry their family and belongings to safety, air-raid wardens could cover more ground on two wheels, and many civilians had no other options available. Gathered below are a handful of images of some of the many ways people put bicycles to use during the Second World War.
Members of the German light-machine-gun bicycle corps wear gas masks while standing beside their bicycles in a lineup in Austria, circa 1939. Note the machine gun attached to one of the bicycles at lower right. #
Original caption: "Headed west through a forest somewhere in France, these French bicycle troops are making their way toward the front, on September 25, 1939." #
