BSA and Norton in desert location,Noton has petrol tank C number with arabic version below,BSA has only the arabic number on its front number plate,BSA also has a side mounted air cleaner just visible under some back packs.
Hi Rob,there are twelve photos taken at the same location,but only the one with the troops in the truck show cap badges which are not very clear,two Indian soldiers stand out side the building which is the same one as in three of the motorcycle photos,the Norton petrol tank number is 43952?? which may give a clue to year/contract,the BSA number translated from arabic numbers is i think 4344365.
Census number C43952xx would have been from Norton WD16H contract C7353.
Based on the number and assuming consequetive numbering with production the bike is possibly made in the second quarter of 1941.
Unfortunately, more precise information has not been found upto now.
Quite a number MC's of this contract can be found in the African desert, but also in any other theatre of the war.
Being the largest contract (17000 machines) they went everywhere.