U.S. War Department – författare

The Harley-Davidson WLA was produced to US Army specifications during and around the Second World War. It was an adaptation of an existing civilian model, the WL, the 45 solo type, having a 45-cubic-inch (740 cm3) engine displacement and single-rider design. In 1944, the US War Department published this manual for troops ahead of entering the Second World War. In addition to a basic description of the motorcycle, and how to ride it, this manual contained all the technical information required for identification, use and care of the materiel. It is the essential guide for any owner, giving vehicle maintenance instructions for many technical issues, and no doubt saved many soldiers’ lives out in the field.

After the United States’ entry into the Second World War in 1941, their war department realised that, due to the increasing dominance of air power, their troops would need some help identifying the aircraft active in the various theatres of the war, whether friend or foe. Indeed, determining friend from foe quickly was key to survival.The result was this guide, produced for the US Armed Forces, and intended for concentrated study by their members. It considered all possible angles that the aircraft might be seen from, depending on which particular force was using the manual, and the result is a well-rounded guide to the aircraft that flew in the Second World War, a vital resource then, and a fascinating insight now.