Kim, Robert S. Harley-Davidson WLA. The Main US Military Motorcycle of World War II

The story of an iconic model in the long history of Harley-Davidson motorcycles, the WLA, which was used by Allied forces during WWII, is told for the first time. Developed for the U..S Army's mechanized cavalry, it became the leading U.S. military motorcycle of the war. It served the U.S. armed services as a messenger and military police vehicle. The Red Army's motorcycle battalions, reconnaissance units of its tank armies, also used them as their primary vehicle. The armies of the Soviet Union, Canada, the United Kingdom, Australia, France, China, and Brazil also made use of the model and its variants. It is known today as the "Liberator"; discover the history and stories of individuals who rode this icon to war and why the model is now a favorite among civilian collectors.

It served the U.S. armed forces as a messenger and military police vehicle. The motorbike battalions of the Red Army and the reconnaissance units of their armoured armies also used it as their main vehicle. The armies of Canada, Great Britain, Australia, France, China and Brazil also used the model and its variants. It is known today as the "Liberator": Discover the history of this legendary military motorbike and the history of people who took this iconic vehicle to war and why the model is a favourite among civilian collectors today.