I've been round a neighbour's house and was asked to take a look at a picture of her Dad on a bike during the war. His name was Frederick Allen and he's seen here on the WD Royal Enfield with his mate Arthur Barritt on a 350cc DKW 2 stroke. The picture is dates June 1945 and those buildings are definitely in Gloucester Docks.



Fred was an apprentice who worked for Feilding and Platt in Gloucester, he went to sign up for the army but was told he was too valuable where he was working and was not allowed to join up, so he was in the home guard. I pointed out that his bike says NFS so it looks like he was a fireman..?? I've found a website about Feilding and Platt during the war and it was in Gloucester Docks. They also had there own Home Guard and Fire service.

Here are some links to pictures of their Home Guards etc.

http://www.fieldingandplatthistory.org.uk/images/uploaded/originals/28_05_2013_11;50;20AM1.jpg

http://www.fieldingandplatthistory.org.uk/images/uploaded/originals/A_WILLIAMS_Home_Guard_at_Fieldings_c1940.jpg

http://www.fieldingandplatthistory.org.uk/images/uploaded/originals/A_WILLIAMS_Home_Guard_c1944.jpg

email (option): horror@blueyonder.co.uk

Very nice pictures Horror. And for added information, Fred's bike is a WD/CO and without the side check springs on the forks and a Clearhooters horn fitted, I'd guess it's a 1942 bike.

Ron

email (option): ronpier@talk21.com

email (option): wd.register@gmail.com

Fred's uniform is different to Arthur's, are they both Fireman's uniforms? How come he's on a WD bike in the NFS..?

email (option): horror@blueyonder.co.uk

I'd say Fred is wearing an NFS uniform and his mate has a 'Fire Brigade' uniform.
Bikes were still being produced for other essential services....Gas, Water, Electric, Police, GPO, Home Office Etc Etc. As well as the WO. Also some bikes were deemed surplus to the original designation and were sub-sequentially transferred to these units. Ron

email (option): ronpier@talk21.com

The chap behind is wearing a greatcoat....and sheepskin lined flying boots !

'FXA' is a Kirkcaldy series issued March 1939 -on. I wonder what the story is behind the 'Deek' ? Registered and stored for the duration and then brought out towards the end of hostilities before being taken on for 'essential user' duties ?

It has no headlamp mask nor sign of ever having one. I can't imagine that it has seen six years of wartime use.

Yes Rik, I did comment to my neighbour, wondering how that bike got here. Maybe they were too ashamed to ride it during war time... or maybe stored while the owner was fighting..?

The Fielding and Platt website is really good, with voice memos and picture of the war. I sent a link to my neighbour, Tami, and she's found pictures of her Dad Fred, doing tug of war etc on the site and pictures of his sister.

http://www.fieldingandplatthistory.org.uk/category/topics

email (option): horror@blueyonder.co.uk

Listen to vioce memo no.4 from Walter Organ who was also an apprentice during the war about not being allowed to join the army.

http://www.fieldingandplatthistory.org.uk/page_id__77.aspx?path=0p4p28p

email (option): horror@blueyonder.co.uk

I really shouldn't look at sites like that. It's wonderful that the information is being saved but I just get depressed.

How did our rulers manage to get it so wrong that we threw all that potential away ?

email (option): 79x100@gmail.com

DKW of various engine sizes were readily on on sale here in the late 1930s from Pride and Clark for one outlet