Pima Air and Space Bike

[Miq]

I was visiting the Pima Air and Space Museum near Tucson, AZ this past week and saw this bike display. Thought I'd share it.

The Pima Air and Space Museum is VERY COOL. If you are near Tucson, you should try to see it. Bikes aren't really the thing there, but the planes are insane...

 

[Miq]

Like a real SR -71 Blackbird.

 

[Miq]

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You get the idea, but I haven't even scratched the surface of what they have there.....

 

[Mercian]

Hi All,

the period photo shows USAAF Station 153, which is Framlingham, UK, a B17 base.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/RAF_Framlingham

It's a lot of bikes, but then an airfield establishment could easily be 3000 people. These bikes, when not stolen (a common complaint from the locals after the pubs closed), or privately purchased, were supplied by the British to the US under 'Reverse Lend-Lease', which offset the amount of equipment needed to be shipped from the US to europe, and also the cost of Lend-Lease to the british.

To give you some idea of the number of bicycles involved, the '11th Report to Congress on Lend-Lease Operations', stated that up to July 31st 1943, 140,000 bicyles had been supplied by the British to US forces stationed in the UK. By 1945 this figure would have been many more. This is one reason for the relative scarcity of G519 in Europe, there was little need to ship them here. It may also be part of the reason for manufacture of G519 stopping in early 1944.

Best Regards,

Adrian

 

[Miq]

@Mercian Adrian, thank you for adding so much more detail to this thread!!