I bought this picture of a twin port Ariel on E bay, can anyone tell me the year and model?

It was described as Home Guard but the Officers Cap badge looks more like RA or RE and the markings on the car, ambulance or van in the garage behind him appear to be regular army.



Allocation of Central Census numbers shows the block of numbers 4328558-4332565 to be reserved for L.P. (local purchase) Various types (which may include cars and trucks). In Rob Van Meels version of this book he mentions the following 2 bikes.

4328979? Rudge 500cc
4328988 Triumph T100

The book "Images of War" by Gavin Birch shows some other bikes from this block.

4328733 BSA?
4328756 Ariel Combination

Rob

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

I would estimate it to be 1938-39. I do beleive that a dealer in Polegate had a couple for sale earlier in the year, (IKBA) with honours applies

TTJohn

email (option): Jomichael@aol.com

From what we can see its a 1938VH, It could be 1937, but it looks like it has enclosed rocker boxes. 1939 would have the outrigger fork springs and smaller front brake. The thick cyl base flange denotes a 500, along with the single plunger big bore petrol tap.
Cheers, Mick.

email (option): mick@motorbikemike.org.uk

You've probably been through Cole looking for formation signs, Rob ?

Cap badge looks like RA to me.

Could it be the cat of 9th Anti-Aircraft Div ?

South Western District on a square instead of an oval ?

Has the '53' got a GHQ bar above it ? '53' was one of a sequence issued to Eastern Command in 1940 for Coastal defence units but I can't find a sign with a white background that fits.

I quite agree that it all looks 'regular' rather than HG

How do ye know such things

Am always amazed by the information here

Job

email (option): Jonnyob1@googlemail.com

Thanks Mick & John, so if this is late 1940ish, post Dunkirk that would make this Ariel at least 2 year old at the time this photo was taken, either an unsold new bike or second hand?

It looks like a neat military paint job, not a lean it against the wall and spray the lot effort.

Rik, you are right and Cole was very little use, I hadn't considered 9th AA Division but it could be. I read somewhere that AA Command vehicles had their arm of service number on an eliptical shaped background but the picture isn't clear enough to show that.

However the background colour split behind the 53 almost looks diagonal? which might mean RASC, and there is no reason why a RA Officer couldn't be parked in front of a RASC vehicle.

I imagine that is a pretty nice bike to ride, I wonder if they detuned it or geared it down?

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

John, I know little but I'm quite good at balancing lots of books on my knees. - only this time I've been careless on the formation sign and can't quite work out why I looked for GHQ formations. Bar above is Corps - I know that !

Rob, the Home markings booklet for 1941 gives '53' on red/green diagonal as 'Corps Ammunition park ' - I agree with your view on the split colours.

The Amn. Park would be a logical place for an RA officer, I'd think.

That leaves us with the question - which corps ? - 8 Corps District would still let us have the partridge if I'm reading Cole correctly.

One thing that I have noticed when researching the signs on the Big 4 outfits with the provost unit in Southern Command which also appear in Birch is that some of these corps signs were pretty badly painted post-Dunkirk.

I suppose the system was quite new and if stencils were not available then they were hand-painted with varying degrees of skill.

I've since discoverd that the Big 4s were with 4 Corps but that running elephant can look more like a headless chicken. The Dunkirk period 3 Corps fig leaf is also extremely variable. When it was stencilled, it was sometimes reversed.