In 1919, the British Army used a motorcycle with a sidecar equipped with a Vickers machine gun in operations during the 3rd Afghan War and the Waziristan uprising.
These “Motor Machine Gun Batteries,” numbers 19 and 22, consisted of motorcycles from brands such as Matchless, Premier, Zenith, Enfield, and Clyno, many of which had Vickers machine guns mounted in sidecars. These units also included sections of armored cars, showcasing an interesting combination of motorized vehicles in a wartime context.
The motorcycle, which was not a robust construction by today’s standards, represents how garage engineering and creativity were utilized in times of conflict. The Vickers, the machine gun used, was introduced in 1912, water-cooled and requiring three operators to function: one to fire, another to feed the ammunition belt, and a third to carry extra ammunition and perform repairs.
The Third Anglo-Afghan War, which lasted only a few months starting in May 1919, arose from tensions between British-controlled India and the new Amir of Afghanistan, who sought to reclaim previously claimed territories such as Peshawar.
The use of motorcycles in this conflict illustrates the adaptation and improvisation of the armed forces of the time, which sought to maximize the effectiveness of their resources in a wartime scenario.
Source: Ride Apart | Photos: Reddit – r/shittytechnicals (vitoskito) | This content was created with the help of AI and reviewed by the editorial team