Last year I bought a 1941 WM20 in bits. It had some parts missing but mostly all there. I was lucky to find the engine bottom end was all new and the barrel had been re-bored and came with a new piston, oddly no rings or wrist pin, (these I have sourced). It also had new valves and guides and new clutch centre. All this was covered in a thick dirty grease when I got it.
I also bought a 1952 Triumph TRW sidevalve from the same source and in bits as well. This came with the original engine missing quite a lot of parts but included another engine which again has all new internals. The rims and spokes were missing but all of the hard to find tinware is present.
Anyway, the point I am meandering to is, a tax disc holder was found in one of the boxes containing tax discs from the early 1970's from Singapore. I am assuming military vehicles were sold off when the MOD pulled out of the country around that time.
My 86 year old Father in Law visited us for a few days last week and I was telling him this story. It turns out he was posted to Singapore in the 1950's and rode a WM20 and a 350 Norton mainly on escort duties during the time he was there on his National Service.
I am sure there were a lot of WM20's out in Singapore at the time so he must have rode a few of them. My 1941 model has a data plate showing 40 BASE (Singapore) with an overhaul in 1957.
I have done quite a lot of work although another project has held me up for a while. Frame, forks painted and assembled, mudguards painted and rear wheel done. Just need to finish the front wheel and I will have a rolling chassis. I hope to have her running this year.
