Pancho Villa

[panhead_jim]

In 1914, Pancho Villa purchased a number of Indian Powerplus motorcycles to use in raids during the Mexican Revolution. I'm thinking this must make him the first person in North America to use motorcycles for military operations. I've seen reference to the US military testing motorcycles starting in 1913, but they were not used in "combat" until 1916 during the Punitive Expedition. Anyone know if Pancho Villa was the first? I'm guessing motorcycles may have seen combat earlier than 1914 in Europe?

Pancho Villa - The Original Motorcycle Outlaw

[AFJ]

The British Army used MMC tricycles with DeDion-Bouton engines for despatch work in the Boer War (1899-1901). A Simms quadricycle with similar engine and equipped with a heavy machine gun and ammunition trailer was developed in Britain for that war - not sure is was used operationally.

The British Army formally established motorcycle-mounted dispatch riders in 1912. Canada followed as early as 1913. Indian motorcycles made in Toronto, Canada were part of the first contingent of the Canadian Expeditionary Force to partake in World War 1 - they arrived in England on October 3, 1914. Canadian units of the MMG (Motor Machine Gun) Corps used 1000cc Clyno-Vickers sidecar outfits equipped with a water-cooled Vickers .303 belt-feed machine gun.

AFJ