What a flaming outrage!
Motorcycle display team ordered to hang up their famous White Helmets
THEY are regarded as the Red Arrows of the road, and for 90 years they have performed death-defying feats atop roaring Triumph motorbikes to the delight of crowds at fetes, fairs and shows the length and breadth of Britain.
But now the White Helmets are to be silenced for ever.
The idea for the team was conceived in 1927 to boost recruitment by highlighting the skills of Royal Corps of Signals dispatch riders.
However, the breathtaking human pyramids, leaps through flaming hoops and other high-speed stunts are now deemed to be out of date by Army top brass. The White Helmets are set to make their final public appearance on September 16 at the Preston Military Show – and it seems a reprieve is unlikely.
A Ministry of Defence source told The Mail on Sunday the shows’ impact on Army recruitment is no longer effective, adding: ‘We’re short of soldiers and I’m afraid the people who watch them at events like the Dorset Steam Fair aren’t going to sign up.’
Understandably, veterans are furious at the decision.
Colonel Chris Blessington, a White Helmet captain in the mid-1960s, said: ‘It’s outrageous that it’s coming to an end. The team have been going for 90 years and are known around the world.
‘The White Helmets are as relevant today as they ever were. It does have a lot to do with good old-fashioned character-building and spectacle.’
The Army pays the salaries of the 22-man team, but they rely heavily on sponsorship to perform 100 shows a year.
Would-be riders, who still all come from the Royal Corps of Signals, go through a rigorous selection process followed by a six-week training camp. During that time they learn everything about the team’s modified 750cc Triumph Tiger bikes.
The Six-Bike Fan pyramid, shown, left, during training in 1955, is a real show-stopper. The bikes travel at walking pace for a lap of the arena, held together purely by brute strength. ‘Everyone has a job to do and should one fail it could collapse,’ said current team leader Captain Jon McLelland. ‘It really demonstrates the courage, trust and strength of he riders.’