Can anyone tell me if there are any records for ex-Home Office vehicles that can be accessed? I understand that ex-Military/Army motorcycles had Key Cards etc. giving details of service use. I have an ex-AFS (Auxiliary Fire Service) Matchless motorcycle and I am trying to trace it's history. So far I have discovered that it was never actually issued to an AFS Unit and spent the first ten years in storage before being sold at Ruddington in 1969. Any help or advice would be appreciated.

email (option): dave.stapleton626@virgin.net

A quick update on my post above: I have just been informed that these AFS Motorcycles did in fact have Key Cards, similar to the Army ones, so any info on these would be most welcome.

email (option): dave.stapleton626@virgin.net

a lot AFC motorcycle and vehicle ie the green goddess fire engines were kept in reserve because the cold war

Hi Dave

I haven't heard of the AFS Keycards before, but I guess all government departments kept records, otherwise what would civil servents have to do all day


But if someone has told you they exist then they must have seen them???

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

hi dave,just googled afs motorcycles and turned up some info mainly in scotland about their afs which became nfs (national fire service) lots of info on particular stations ,even down to registration numbers of bikes kept and riders nimes,or at least fire crew names also came across this hope the link works, http://www.ajs-matchless.com/topic.asp?whichpage=2&TOPIC_ID=8973&FORUM_ID=25&CAT if not youll find it,contained therein a phone number for a guy who has info and is collecting info no01420 84842 good luck cheers rick

email (option): richardholt@rocketmail.com

Hi Rick

Thanks for that, I have seen that post on the club forum and have been in touch with Les. Although he has some good records he is not aware of key cards either? I appreciate the info and interest.

Dave

email (option): dave.stapleton626@virgin.net

i thing they ran civilian registration numbers so would have had the old style log book they might have been registered localy to where the were taken on service looking at the green goddess fire engines they all look like they have a number plate relivent to their age the letters of the registration may be able to tell you where they were registered and maybe an owner might have the old style log book

Roger

Your quite right about the civilian registrations however, mine own example was never issued to an AFS Unit/Station, after delivery it remained in storage until it was sold at a Ruddington auction. As it was first registered in August 1959 I assumed there was a batch of registration numbers set aside for such vehicles for use by the Ministry? As for the old style logbooks, I have been told that they did have these but the Ministry of Supply destroyed them on behalf of DVLA (or what ever it was back then) when they were sold at auction and very few AFS motorcycles have them these days. It would be nice to find out if an official document , such as a key card, was issued to each motorcycle as well whilst they were in Home Office use/storage.

email (option): dave.stapleton626@virgin.net

Hi I have an ex Home Office 1955 AFS BSA B31 which I bought about 40 years ago from Wells Motorcycles in Romford, who bought a job lot of B40s and B31s at Auction. I have the disposal chit and did have the original log book which showed the Secretary of State for the Home Office as the previous owner. Unfortunately after many house moves, I have lost the log book. When I bought it, the BSA had 2000 miles on the clock. It now has 16,000. It had and still has a civilian reg number. There is a virtually identical machine at Costwold Classics in original state right now.. Hope this helps
James

I have an ex home office B40. From what I have managed to find out so far, they purcased between 200 and 500. Some were issued to the AFS, some to the CDC (civil defence) and some were immediately mothballed ready for post holocaust transport (how BSA managed to convince the government this was a good idea is anyones guess). Mine is from the reserve stock with no evidence of a badge on the tank. For nine years these were checked over and started once a month and ran for five minutes.All the B40s were registered CYY ???C. The lowest I've found so far is 18c, the highest 398C. Any one else here own one?
Cheers, Mick.

Hi Mick,I remember seeing about twenty of these for sale at White city motors
facing the greyhound stadium in Manchester about 1970.They were priced at £40.00
and had about 20 miles on the clock.All consecutive numbers and all C (1964)
registered.This company specialised in ex WD vehicles,mainly Morris Minors,
Travellers and Bedford crewbusses.As i was only 14 at the time ,they were out of my price range but they were well worth the money,they looked brand new ,not a scratch on them.They weren't there long.
Cheers Rick

email (option): richardholt@rocketmail.com

Hi Mick,a bit of info on registration numbers
http://www.govminors.mmoc.org.uk/articles/service.html
second paragraph
cheers Rick

email (option): richardholt@rocketmail.com

Hi Mick,found this photo of the dealership,not very good,centre left shopfront
with compound to the right,with one car on it
http://www.flickr.com/photos/89394157@N02/8575355927/lightbox/

email (option): richardholt@rocketmail.com