Hi All, I’m trying to track down any information about my BSA WM20, which I believe dates from 1944. It has a frame number of 111356, a military number plate of 983 MAU, and a post 1961 plate: 769XUB. It also has, I’m told, a tank number (C5552056). Thanks in advance for any information, or any clues as to where to look next, cheers, Duncan (Scotland)

email (option): ThomasDrich66@gmail.com

The xxx MAU number is not military. It was a Nottingham series issued 1961 (Sold by Dawsons perhaps ? )

XUB as a prefix was issued by Leeds in 1956 but I don't believe they got as far as using them as a suffix so probably issued as an age-related number before the LVLO closed and because the original number had been lost.

Thanks Rick, I appreciate your help, Thomas

email (option): ThomasDrich66@gmail.com

The next step is probably for someone to look the frame number up in the "Key Cards" . If it's there, it will show the post-war Vehicle Registration Number and the date struck off charge and where sold. I'd guess a Ruddington sale. There may even be a copy of the sale catalogue somewhere.

WM20 111356 was delivered under contract S5209 for 12000 machines commencing WM20 104818. Delivery contracted at 2000 per month commencing July 1944 but probably from early September. The WD Serial C5552056 ties with my calculation too.

Here's a picture of the BSA contract S/5209 assembly line. This is how your bike would have looked like when new:



In the KeyCards we can see that the bike has been in use with the post war British Army until February 1961, when it was sold off.



A high res scan of the complete card is available from Lex for a modest sum.

Also in the KeyCards we can see that the post war military ERM registration number was 11 ZC 27. Here's a picture of a sister bike, to give you an idea how your bike looked like during its post war career:

email (option): wd.register@gmail.com

Duncan, if someone has a Ruddington catalogue for early 1961, then it may well be that your bike is in there.

Current locations / users of vehicles were erased and updated in pencil on the Key Cards so only the last user is visible. In this case, BVD (Base Vehicle Depot) Egginton.

Egginton Derbyshire was a large RAOC depot and effectively your machine finished its service life, as most did, as "Reserve Stock". Fortunately, the Russians never came and it was sold off from storage. There is no way of knowing if it had ever left the U.K. Vehicles were shipped back and forth to BAOR after the war so it's possible, but will likely remain an unknown.

This is fantastic Rik, really appreciate your help with all this, this’ll give me an idea of next steps, cheers again, Duncan

email (option): ThomasDrich66@gmail.com

Jan did most of the hard work above ! :grinning:

Thanks to Jan !!

email (option): ThomasDrich66@gmail.com

Email sent, I have a lot of catalogues, but could have been at other auctions than Ruddington too.

Cheers,

Lex

email (option): welbike@outlook.com