These two postcard size photos show M20 motorcycles,but they are not clear enough to make out the cap badges or shoulder flashes,tank numbers are clear enough to read,and there is some type of insignia on the petrol tanks and front guards,the two bikes in the top photo are also on the left hand side of the bottom photo,the one all so has what looks to be a white painted speedo (on both photos). Photo below has on the left the same two bikes as the above photo.

The cap badge looks like Royal Engineers.

The only unit that officially used a colour other than white for the arm of service serials though was Royal Signals who used red over blue / white and one of the images does seem to show a horizontal colour split. I'd also expect signals to have worn lanyards for posed photos like these.

Is there no chance of zooming in on the formation sign of the third man from the right in the back row ?

Hi Steve,

Great photos thanks for posting them. You keep finding them, how do you do that?

Henk

email (option): ahum@quicknet.nl

Hi,Rik/Henk,this one is more close up,they have pannier bags fitted so could be 1941 or later?,the tyre is worn on the left hand bike,the building in the back ground has its windows half bricked up.They are off ebay uk,have got another one coming from Germany with a clear tank number (M20)will put it on here when it arrives.

Cheers Steve. It's so nearly possible to read the detail in these....but not quite !

They have shoulder titles and a mixture of early pattern and 1940 battledress so I'd be inclined to agree with 1942 onwards. One chap has a circular formation sign on his sleeve. Maybe GHQ Home Forces who were responsible for training establishments and depots. The mixture of ages (with quite elderly NCOs) might suggest something like that. I do think that the cap badge is RE though.