Picked this photo up at Stoneleigh, I have a feeling I have seen it before somewhere?, nice inscriptions on the reverse, what is the bike and does the trailer/handcart have a Military designation/purpose?

Rob

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

AJS 350 model 36/26?....Ian

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

My guess is a Blue Star from around 1936??

The trailer reminds me of a wireless station hand cart???

Ron

email (option): ronpier@talk21.com

I'm beginning to wonder about the Free French connection, here is a similar cart in use with the Home Guard, and the machine gun in the original picture has been suggested to be an early Maxim rather than a vickers.

Rob

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

The stamps and captions are a bit confusing, aren't they ? The typed and deleted "Free French" caption has a much earlier date, almost as if it was done on a blank sheet which was later printed on ?

The gunner's jacket is odd...Civvy ? The helmet looks like one of those half-shiny dark brown Mk2s that seem to have been home front / Home Guard and which, because they tend to be 1939 dated, had many people convinced that the BEF used shiny brown helmets too.

It's a fascinating picture, although it begs a few questions (some of which have already been raised).

My far-from expert eyes lighted upon the machine gun, which isn't a Vickers, nor is it a Maxim. In fact, looking at the mounting, I don't think it's an actual gun at all, but a mock-up. The mounting looks to me as if it wouldn't last more than a few seconds of continuous firing. In the field belt-fed machine guns usually had two operators: one to load and guide the ammunition belt and keep a general all-around watch out, and the shooter. The mountings were considerably heavier than what is pictured.

I think it's a fascinating publicity shot, designed to raise morale.

Allan

email (option): allanmatchless@yahoo.com