Hi Craig,
I have some additional information about your WM21.
- Your BSA WM21 with frame number WM20 2966 was fitted with engine number WM21 2966 (according to the BSA administration). I don't know how you came up with 102151, but that is definitely not the right number.
- Your BSA was indeed part of contract C7370, which consists of: WB30's, 500CC standard BSA (most likely M20's) and 212x 600cc Dutch pattern BSA's. All this information is on the back of the original factory ledger (I think you already have a copy of this).
- The BSA with frame number WM20 2966 indeed left the BSA factory on 30-05-1940.
O&M is right in suggesting that the 212x 600cc Dutch pattern BSA's were originally destined for the Dutch Army. The Dutch Army had ordered at least 392x BSA WM21's which were never delivered because of the German invasion and occupation of the Netherlands. These WM21's were ordered from the 1st of April 1940 till the 5th of Mai 1940. I have found documents in the Dutch National Archive about this.
The BSA factory had several Dutch Army WM21's ready for delivery at the end of Mai but they were unable to deliver them to the Dutch Army. The British Army, in need of motorcycles due to the shortages caused by Dunkirk, were eager to buy the Dutch pattern WM21's. In short: your WM21 was never used by the Dutch army but was redirected to the British War Office. Some photo's (and even a piece of film) show these WM21's in use by the British Army.
I am currently assembling my WM21, which was delivered to the Dutch Army in March 1940. My WM21 would have looked almost identical to your WM21, except for the Dutch Army number, stoplight, pillion seat, bulb horn, rear view mirror, front mudguard reflector and rear mudguard reflector (all these items were fitted to the WM21's in the Netherlands).
Below a few photos of the assembly of my WM21.
Regards,
Bastiaan
email (option): wdmotorcycles@gmail.com
Hi Craig,
If your framenumber is original and if it's WM20 2966, then your bike was fitted with engine WM21 2966. I have checked this in a copy of the frame and the engine BSA factory books. It's very clear, no question about it.
Besides that valanced rear mudguard your BSA was fitted with the very rare valanced front mudguard as well. It took me a very long time to find an original 1.
I have just installed all the instruments in the panel for my WM21.
If you have any questions, let me know. Maybe I can help you.
Good luck with your restoration!
Regards,
Bastiaan
email (option): wdmotorcycles@gmail.com
There are a substantial number of differences between the 1939 / '40 machines, even the WD versions let alone the Dutch, and those which came later. It goes well beyond mudguards and fuel tanks. Most of the Dutch machines were taken over by Germany and ended up all over Europe, damaged, abused and modified.
In the UK, I've seen no evidence in my delves into the archives of spares purchases for M21 engines. The logical explanation is that if mechanical repair was needed, replacement 500cc engines were fitted. With the Brtish Army's insistence on off-road capability and standardisation too, it is unlikely that the valanced front guard and a hand change fuel tank survived in use much beyond the summer of 1941, as standardised production came on stream...Recruits were not being trained to use hand gear changes.
Unless you have a real fascination with the Dutch contracts, it may not only be easier, but more accurate in terms of the bike's service life to build it as a 'rebuild machine' with a new census number featuring later parts, as was carried out in the REME rebuilds from 1943 or so onwards.
I did a step by step photo shoot of fitting one of those if anyone wants it? ( I have four of the fiddly things) Ron
email (option): ronpier@talk21.com
@Rob: I see you did a deep dive in to the BSA factory ledgers. I did the same last year, just to find out how many BSA's were actually delivered to the Dutch Army. I fully agree with your experiences, the ledgers are a bit chaotic from Jan 1940. I could not exactly determine how many BSA M21's were delivered to the Dutch Army, unfortunately. But just a tip: compare the factory ledgers from the 'engine' books with the 'frame' books. For example: the range of number with frame WM20 2966 in the frame book is a bit confusing, with many double entries. In the engine book it is very clear but with a lot double entries missing. I have the advantage that I have a lot of files from the 'Staatsbedrijf Artillerie Inrichtingen' from the Dutch National Archive. In these files it is stated for about 80% of the M21's, how many were ordered and when they were delivered (and in most cases to which Dutch Army units they were dispatched).
@Rob: very helpfull those photo's for the fitment of the internal twistgrip! I have a question about that. I see you are fitting the rubber directly on the metal tube, but according to the partslist a 'throttle twist grip patch, partnumber 27-9453' should also be fitted. Did you use that 1 as well or not? I would like to know, as I still have to fit mine on my WM21. See below for the part in the 1939 partslist.
@Rick: You are right , there are a lot of differences between the Dutch Army WM21's and British WD machines. I have found a very nice, badly worn example in(not fully original anymore) Czech Republic last year. I have imported it to the Netherlands,. It is a matching frame/engine KM21 from the first contract which went to the Dutch Army.
email (option): wdmotorcycles@gmail.com
Hi Bastiaan. I only put four of my series of six pictures in my last post. Indeed there is a brass cover (shim stock), before the rubber. On this one I held it together with insulating tape as I found previous grips tended to slip. Ron
email (option): ronpier@talk21.com
Hi Pete. The pictures I've shown are of one of my WD C10's. This picture on file shows the cable exit and the drilling for the pivot pin for the slider channel. Maybe Bastiaan or someone can give you measurements for an M20 bar (if that's what you are working on?) Otherwise you can probably work it out from the length of the channel and the amount that the end stud protrudes.
I have two C10's and two Royal Enfield's with these pesky internal pull twistgrips and I've also fitted two more to RE's that I restored for friends. One of which had the outer sheath constructed as part of the twistgrip tube, which made it even more fiddly than usual, as I was working blind to get the brass sliders located in their spiral grooves:persevere: Ron
PS the early M20's also had a twistgrip on the clutch side for the mag. This one works with just one operating brass slider.
email (option): ronpier@talk21.com
22/11/39 25
23/11/39 35
24/11/39 30
25/11/39 35
1/3/40 25
4/3/40 30
6/3/40 25
8/3/40 14
15/3/40 20 or 21
19/3/40 30
20/3/40 48
21/3/40 44
22/3/40 41
15/3/40 2
18/3/40 25
20/4/40 30
22/4/40 21
23/4/40 21
25/4/40 9
26/4/40 1
27/4/40 14
28/4/40 1
29/4/40 20
30/4/40 8
1/5/40 25
2/5/40 13
3/5/40 13
4/5/40 18
5/5/40 1
9/5/40 18
The last date of despatch I can find without a second entry for the War Office is 22/4/40 the first date with 23/4/40, which is interesting because Germany didn't invade the Netherlands until 10/5/40, the frame numbers are more random and don't necessarily follow in line.
I wonder how long it took for a machine to leave the factory and arrive at a port in the Netherlands, presumably they would be carried in lorries or trains to a port where Customs would check the paperwork, its possible that several days worth could build up there before loading onto a ferry or freighter?
Rob
There is a very logical explanation for the small batches of BSA M21's which left the BSA factory.
Initially (in 1939), the "Artillerie Inrichtingen" didn't have enough personnel and space to receive all the motorcycles which were ordered at the BSA and BMW factories. The Artillerie Inrichtingen made a contract with the Dutch factory "Werkspoor" near Utrecht. This factory had enough space and personnel to unpack the BSA motorcycles from their wooden crates (M21's and G14's) and prepare them for a run in period. The Artillerie Inrichtingen composed a detachment of drivers which would do the running in of the motorcycles. This detachment was stationed at Werkspoor. I have spoken to a guy who's father was part of this detachment. He told me that his father really enjoyed this job, he was paid to drive brand new motorcycles around the Ijsselmeer! Every BSA needed to make at least 500 KM, this was requested by the Artillerie Inrichtingen. The oil was exchanged after the 500 KM at Werkspoor, the bikes had a final inspection and were picked up directly by DR's from the unit which would be equipped with the motorcycles. Werkspoor factory emphasized to Artillerie Inrichtingen not to have large batches of motorcycles delivered to the factory as this would frustrate the whole process of making the motorcycles ready for Army service. See the photo below, to get an idea of how it looked like at Werkspoor. Photo is taken in 1 of the main hall's of the factory at Werkspoor. You can see BMW's in front and in the back BSA G14's with attached sidecars (2 out of 3 types of the sidecars were made and fitted at Werkspoor). I have a large amount of copies of correspondence between Werkspoor and Artillerie Inrichtingen. This information gives a really detailed image on what was going on at Werkspoor, f.e. when batteries were installed, how much Werkspoor personnel was paid for preparing the motorcycles, the amount of missing parts, etc.
email (option): wdmotorcycles@gmail.com