I hope John won't mind me posting these, but had an opportunity last week to photograph this very original 1943 WD James ML in the sunlight 
This little ML has been sympathetically and partially restored, the saddle cover and front and rear mudguards preserving the original finish and markings..........
Now John will correct me if I'm wrong, but this bike was found by a French farmer lying abandoned in a field near Caen during 1944 not long after the D-Day landings............he "liberated it", removed it back to his farm where he removed the wheels for use on a cart............the remainder of the bike was thrown up into the roof of a barn where it remained thereafter, gathering dust..............
It was later discovered and sympathetically restored, leaving the original front and rear mudguard markings which are Royal Artillery..............is it me or is the entire front mudguard coated in gas-detector paint ?
This little bike is a genuine D-Day veteran.......what tales could it tell ? Between JT, Pete Brown and me we have 4 ex-WD ML's......and we know of many others........from a production figure for the WD of less than 6000 the survival rate seems pretty damn good today...
Actually four positions John! Off.T.H.L Ron
email (option): ronpier@talk21.com