Hi
Was looking at technical section on electrics and note the above light was introduced in late 1940 / early 41

It seems it was replaced by differing lens assy’s during its time in service but what I would like to know is what rear number plate it was used with

Any one got information or photos on this fag light & no plate used in service
Br
Jo’b

email (option): jonnyob1@googlemail.com

I had a fag end lens
on my Enfield CO till oddsey Last year , Thieving git who took it

email (option): warbikes@geemale dit con

There was no need for a number plate as the registration (census number) was painted on the tank. However the very last pattern at the end of the war and post war did have a number plate illumination aperture as number plates must have started to be fitted again. Ron

email (option): ronpier@talk21.com

So for Royal Enfield - no number plate - Bare mudguard

I’ll keep on hoping for an m20 shot too

Many thanks
Jo’b

email (option): jonnyob1@googlemail.com

It’s a shame to hear that Andrew

Someone clearly knew what it was

I can’t understand that mentality in any shape or form

Job

email (option): jonnyob1@googlemail.com

I'm very surprised that you're not aware of this John. In my previous post, I showed a Matchless G3 and CO.

Here is an M20, G3L, 3SW and Velo MAF(Miller BO lamp).......I have others!The :relaxed: Ron

email (option): ronpier@talk21.com

Thanks Ron

What ever way I looked at the photo I thought they were both same brand -
With an October 41 bike - a fag end light would be appropriate it seems

Thanks for additional shots

Br
Job

email (option): jonnyob1@googlemail.com

John, when you say "Both same brand" If you are referring to the Miller aspect. These are extremely rare and only ever fitted to Flying Fleas, Velo MAF's and the few Miller equipped G3L's. Ron

email (option): ronpier@talk21.com

Ron as you are aware I have a Royal Enfield rear number plate with Fag End Tail light mounted on it. The fixing bracket has been specially bent to follow the curve of the fixing. I acquired this in the early 1970s from a breakers stock of parts and have no reason to believe it is not original as the breaker had an enormous stock of parts from ex WW2 machines.

Keith, I dare say any bike that left the factory with a number plate might have had a fag end attached to it or simply left in place when a BO lamp was fitted to the mudguard. The theme of this thread I believe relates to bikes that left the factory after number plates where deleted. Ron

email (option): ronpier@talk21.com

Just to be clear what a "fag end" tail lamp is. Most of the pictures above you can see its an LV6/MT2/WD MC/T1 tail lamp but you can't see the aperture size. I thought it was only a fag end with the tiny red lens size?

Rob

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

I think you're right Rob...It would be hard to have a better description of the smaller lamp...I don't think that one will get EU approval for modern conditions...:laughing: ...Ian

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

Yep I would agree but they seem to all have collected the slang "Fag End" Ron

email (option): ronpier@talk21.com

Then there are the versions with and without the rubber seal ! so at least 4 variations on the theme..

email (option): richardpurkiss@hotmail.com

The lenses with the illumination slot carried on during the war on the strap on artillery tail lamp's used on 25pdr's and 17pdr's, it shone (shined?) on the disc below the lamp which was painted white.

Rob

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

I've got one of those Rob.
And now I see that the spiders have been shitting on my ammo box......Bloody things! Ron

email (option): ronpier@talk21.com

I'm at the stage of putting electric stuff togeather ready for my next 20 stages lol, I have a late 44 m20 so what number plate would I have and shape and tail light , I have a cheap Indian repro looking thing I got with the box of bits but it looks to big compared with the Orginal looking ones not far off . Also have a truck rear light with a single fitting that looks the same and sells as Orginal lights on eBay for the unknowing ebayers.

email (option): chriscool@sky.com

Hi Chris a late 1944 M20 shouldn't have a number plate at all, the correct spec is the tail lamp shown by Ron earlier in this thread.

But your problem is the same as one encountered by all of us in the UK, legally you have to have a number plate with illumination.

Your choices are

1. An early war number plate with appropriate early lamp.
2, A late war spec lamp with a removable number plate over the top.
3. Anything (legal) you fancy, it will be technically be wrong anyway so do what you like, the bigger the lamp the safer you will be in todays traffic.

On my M20 I went for option 2, but I could rarely be bothered to remove the number plate at shows.

On my Big for I had decided to go for option 1, but I haven't completed it yet and id doesn't resolve the problem of a rear facing red light on the sidecar.

Rob

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

I've even found different types of the 'glowing nail' covers;





RAF vs Infantry?

Cheers,
Sven

Hi Sven

Your lower one looks the same as mine, I've been trying to decide what colour it is, and mine has a small patch of blue on it in one place on top of the base colour?

Just looked inside and its definitely blue, but if these fag end lights are mid war aren't RAF vehicles supposed to be green or brown at that time?

Rob

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

Hi Rob,

As I'm no RAF and war painted dated expert I can;t give you the answer.
The blue-ish color of the cover I have does match with the 8" RAF headlamp I bought from Ron several years ago, so I'm a bit confused about the dating of these covers.

Sven

['but I haven't completed it yet and id doesn't resolve the problem of a rear facing red light on the sidecar...']

Could that be fitted on the chassis like the floodlight or under the back of the sidecar body?...Ian

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

Did the Big 4 have a rear facing red light on the sidecar? The earlier ones had a standard Lucas 1130 forward facing side-lamp. Mine being a later one had this style which has a small red rear facing tell tale which could easily be taped over. Ron

email (option): ronpier@talk21.com

I rescued one of these from a scrap pile once, thought it may come in useful, but no end of soaking/de-rusting and I cant get the shroud off. Don't want to use heat fo fear of melting the lenses (which are in perfect condition).

email (option): richardpurkiss@hotmail.com

Going back to Johns original question about wartime number plate use it really depends on location, in the UK and many other places the serial number on the petrol tank was the number plate, sufficient to identify the machine for the enormous amount of paperwork involved in using any Military Vehicle but also in the event of accident.

But there were places such as Egypt & Palestine where number plates were used in duel languages to comply with local traffic regulations, the Republic of Ireland received some British Military specification machines which presumably had to be retro fitted with number plates, and there are probably others too such as Australia where an enormous mobile Army was created in 1942?

I have a cut down motor cycle tail lamp which has now been robbed of useful components, which could be a wartime motorcycle or truck conversion, or it could have been altered in the late 1940s when the British Army changed to the new Registration system "00ZA00"?

Rob

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