Looking at these machines, which I guess are early(ish) war judging from the valanced mudguards, oil presuure release valv etc. What are the circular objects in the vicinity of the gear change lever - not all quite in the same place? Can't think I've seen these before, or did I miss the discussion? Dunc.

I suspect that you're looking at the retaining plate for the early type rubber footrest rubbers.

Formation sign is the 4 Corps elephant and the '31' Arm of Service serial is likely to indicate 4 Corps Signals prior to the end of 1940.

Not sure I've seen this picture before.

I agree with Rik, I think its the big washer on the end of the footrest, looks like its been bent upwards is some minor prang.

The difference in colour between the black rear number plates and green tail lamps is quite clear.

Front number plates "DR" for Despatch rider I assume but what does the "B" or is it "8" signify?

And what is painted under the rear number plate on the nearest machine?

Rob

email (option): robmiller11(a)yahoo.co.uk

One bike has DRB 8...Another DRB 23..Are these examples of civvy registration numbers from a consecutive batch of numbers?...Ian

email (option): ian@wright52.plus.com

Could be contract C5610?

Here is a similar front number plate marking, there could be a small gap between the "DR" and the "A" and in this case the "8" looks like its been chalked on?

Rob

email (option): robmiller11(a)yahoo.co.uk

Duh!! Why didn't I spot that? Regarding the front number plates, is it possible these are civvy plates and are impressed bikes? The sign written bit on the rear mudguard being the batch's original supplying dealer? The 'RB' would be Nottingham, anyone know the name of any of the local dealers along the lines of 'B**lys', the only thing I would be confident with is the last scroll letter 's'. The same lettering can be seen on the second machine.

Probably not a civilian registration but a section and individual machine identifier. If it was a local authority registration, it would be Derbyshire rather than Middlesex.

Here is a DRA :-



I suspect DR - A Section or DR - B Section plus machine ID.

Snap

Hodges & Taylor has the unit serial 41 with the top white Corps Bar as "Supply Column RASC" in 1940 but changing to Corps Signals by 1944.

So does that make this second picture a bit later, after the change, or would an RASC unit have a "DR" section?

Rob

email (option): robmiller11(a)yahoo.co.uk

Rob, I think only R.Sigs would have had a DR section - RASC used the machines mainly for other functions and background colour appears to be standard HQ black, as used by R.Sigs until the blue / white came along.

I couldn't find a corps '31' in my scans of the Movement Control Home Forces document of June 1941 but it does appear as Corps Signals in the BEF 1 Corps booklet.



It seemed reasonable to me therefore to conclude that the '31' was in use prior to the post-Dunkirk security revision of AoS serials - Jerry had all the identification information on those. Did they then re-introduce some serials prior to 1944 ?

I notice in these pictures that the C numbers seem to be missing from the right hand side of the tanks. Was it normal practice to have the number just on one side when the division marking was in place?

Allan

email (option): allanmatchless@yahoo.com

It was normal practice on all the pre-war bikes to only have the census number on the nearside (pavement side) but it took me about ten years to realise the fact. It isn't documented anywhere but examination of preserved early-war fuel tanks has shown that this was indeed normal.

Here a few forum photo that shows that just one side had a tank C number while on the other side of the BSA there is a C number on the font number plate.

You might have to refresh the page to see the new photo.

Henk

email (option): ahum@quicknet.nl

That's very helpful, Henk. Thank you!

Best wishes, Allan

email (option): allanmatchless@yahoo.com