Last week there was a lot of commotion about a BSA WM20 in a war-time photograph . The current owner of the bike recognised the census number of his own bike in the forum picture, and so we had a first case of a surviving motorcycle which also appears in a historical photograph!

Encouraged by this discovery, I had a closer look at my war-time Royal Enfield WD/CO photographs. I made a list of the “readable” census numbers in the pictures, then I calculated the corresponding frame numbers and compared these with all the entries in my Register (I am the Registrar for the War Department Royal Enfield models). And hey BINGO, I also found a match!

The war time Royal Enfield photograph first appeared on this forum in 2013. The bike has census number C5107301, which corresponds with frame number #9101. This is a contract C/12425 motorcycle, delivered to the War Office in London on 22/06/1944. Does anybody recognise the rider’s uniform or the barracks in the background?



The current custodian of the bike is Pierre from France. The fact that the bike turns up in France could indicate that it had been in use with the post war French Army. Hundreds of contract S/1546 bikes, plus a substantial amount of contract C/12425 bikes went to France after the war, and were used in the post war French Army until the 1950’s. Most of the ex French Army bikes can be recognised by some typical French rebuild stamps and data plates. This engine has none of these.

Another possibility could be that the bike was exported to France shortly after the war, once it was demobbed from the British Army (where it can only have been used between June 1944 and November 1945, when the British Army sold off all its Royal Enfields).

It could of course also have been a more recent import… Maybe Pierre can add something about how it came to France, and where and when he found it?




Any additional information is of course always welcome!
Jan

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

Jan, it looks as if his shoulder titles are 'Royal Corps of Signals' with the blue / white Arm of service strip below but he seems to have no formation badge.

Still wartime with the blackout mask on and long shadows...Late autumn of 1944 ?

Thanks for your comments Rik!

Have just been thinking... Most probably not an ex French Army bike, as it still has matching numbers. The French Army motorcycles mostly went through one or more rebuilds, where engines and frames were all mixed up.

Jan

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

The frame and engine bits were bought in England in August 2019. This is then not an example exported to France at or after war time. The seller was holding a stand at Founders Day, Stanford Hall. We were attending the "Bullet 70" event organized by the Royal Enfield Owners' Club and the Sunday autojumble organized by the VMCC was not to be missed. The idea was to acquire the bits for a complete rebuild project involving me and my elder son who had suggested a common project to be started with his 30th birthday. It was essential to get matching frame and engine numbers so that a dating certificate from the REOC can allow a registration in France. The frame had been sprayed but was rusted, and lumps of brazing were vibrating within the tubes. I opened to tubes to pull out the lumps. The engine is under rebuild. Gone big end was fortunately not a problem as I had a brand new rod, bush and pin to fit. Crankshaft bearing outer races were a different story...
Along the years, I had collected two other engines + two gearboxes. The best parts of the gearboxes will be used to refurbish one to fit. Fortunately, many engine parts are still available, although not cheap.
The project is to rebuild a motorcycle able to carry its load of luggage for long distance touring. Years to come will tell...

email (option): pierre.martin-enfield@orange.fr

Pierre, so that's the bike you bought, how fantastic! I thought you were either very brave or foolhardy when I saw it at the time but now I see your wisdom!
REgards, Mark (REOC Home Counties Branch.)

Hello Jan,

The BSA was not "the first case".

That was a Norton WD16H in 2010, see my remark on previous thread.

Nice to have found an RE version as well!

Cheers,

Rob

email (option): wd16h@telfort.nl

Hi Jan, reading with interest the story of the RE. I sold the engine and frame to Pierre last Founders Day and delivered it to him on a trip over to France late last year.

I have information about it’s recent history which may lead to finding out a bit more about it’s past.

I can be contacted on 0755 1122364 and will be happy to share what l know with anyone that may be interested.

Regards Chris Savage

email (option): csdsavage@icloud.com

Just spoke to Chris on the phone. We'll try to find the previous owners of this bike. To be continued…

Jan

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