A friend here in Germany just bought another bike, this time an M20 and we are not sure what he really has. The paperwork says it was registered in 1939 and the frame and engine are listed as “M20 XXX” with no suffix for year etc.
The frame itself has been very obviously restamped as M20 XX -presumably done in Germany to satisfy the registration office. It was imported into Germany in 1983, deregistered in 1985 and been laid up ever since except for a jaunt around the farmyard in 2007.
With the paperwork being a bit of a mes it’s not obvious to me what exactly this bike is. Is it WD or a civvy with later engine, why the sidecar mounts on rear frame etc..etc.
The engine is actually stamped WD and the number if from 1940 with crank breather on the left but also a timing cover with breather.
It’s got a few other bits that are inconsistent (as far as I know), eg. concentric carb, long dynamo,
Everything seems to have been painted green with traces still on the gearbox and rear sprocket etc.
Very little play in levers suggests it hasn’t been used much. Also rear fork where the stand fits is not worn and doesn’t appear to have been repaired at all and the girders also appear to be OK
Tank with cutaway for Volkes.
Headlamp struts are rather long making it somewhat high but they don’t look homemade but they don’t look like those on the WD model pictures I’ve seen.
Extra grease nipple on right lower side of steering head.
Rear rigid frame with fold down pillion footrests and fitting for sidecar? Front frame does not have any sidecar fittings (front down tube and under saddle).
Handlebars and levers - Are these right for year?
Can anyone shed a bit of light on what this is? 
Cheers
Pete
email (option): petercomley@web.de
Hi Peter..This one would take a while to work out. It appears to be the front half of a military bike (no sidecar lugs) with (if it has one sidecar lug only) the back half of a civilian bike ,or, possibly, one of the back halves from a military contract that had sidecars fitted (comparatively, there aren't many of those). If it has sidecar fittings on both sides at the rear that would be a postwar replacement frame section as used by the Army.
The front mudguard, lower headlamp brackets handlebars and levers are not original.
The timing cover is a later post 1947 one (which explains the 'double' breathers) and the tappet plate with the piled arms would only be correct if it was an early bike (39/40). Dynamo is post war also, as is the voltage regulator. The magneto is either a post war BSA one or from another wartime model (Norton or R.E.being the likely candidates) The horn looks like it might be a post war 'military' Klaxon but that is not entirely clear from the photos. Petrol tank rubbers are misc. European I would say.
Primary chaincase outer is a post war one and the sumpguard and lower chainguard are missing. Upper chainguard appears to be home made.
The rear carrier looks like a modified Norton item and the pillion seat is incorrect.
The rear mudguard appears to be a late war 'non ribbed' one but again this is not clear in the photos. However, that would match the late 'cut off 'type petrol tank. I see it has no steering damper fitted...That was only omitted for one production year...I think 1943 but I would have to check that to confirm.
It also has the 'slider' type pannier bag carriers which I believe were either Matchless and/or late war items...again I'm not sure which without checking.
Pannier bags are obviously after market...
The bike does carry a high content of military parts so certainly started life as a WD bike I would say...Quite which year is anybodies guess though!...Perhaps the missing steering damper assembly is the clue...Ian
email (option): ian@wright52.plus.com
Hi Ian
Thanks!!
A real Heinz 57 as my dad used to say. 
If you think of anything else we would be eternally grateful, as ever!
Cheers
Pete
email (option): petercomley@web.de