I was wondering if anyone has any history (wartime or post war)or any other info about my bike. Frame and engine numbers are both WM20 122639 and it was first registered in the UK in 1996 as 169UXL.
Post war Registration 73 YD 36
Wartime serial C5891739
Contract C7218
S/O MOS Rudd HAL/1/58 4.5.55
Which means it was sold off at a Ruddington auction on the 4th May 1955
Interestingly the last confirmable (matching frame number and serial) M20 in the keycards is WM20 122648 which is currently in Israel.
And according to "Madden and Orchards" BFMC, contract C7218 was reduced from 10,000 to 5,870 machines due to the end of the war occuring, which would make the last military one WM20 122687, yours is very near the end possibly even delivered after the war.
If what I remember is correct, then at a production rate of approx. 1500 per week(?) then it has to be in the last day of production?? Assuming a 7 day working week = approx 214 per day. 122687 minus 214 = last day production started at around 122474. So yours, mine (122565)and the middle eastern one only just qualify for WW2:-).
Now stands back and waits for those more well informed to chime in with the correct info :-).
Thanks a lot for the information. I hadn't realised it was such a late bike! Would it be possible to get a copy of the details from the key cards to put in the bike's history file?
Hi Rob,
Could it be that you can help me too?
My machine has frame and engine nr.90394. Contract n° 23/S 1048 Catalogue 34. She has been sold in a 1947's auction in Naples (Italy).
Can you provide Wartime nr C ....? Is that possible to know in which Division she has been assigned, or any other information? Thanks in advance
Daniel
PS: the color inside the primary chain carter is light tan. Seems to be the original one. Being sold off in Italy, she probably was in North Africa before
Hi Rob,
Could it be that you can help me too?
My machine has frame and engine nr.90394. Contract n° 23/S 1048 Catalogue 34. She has been sold in a 1947's auction in Naples (Italy).
Can you provide Wartime nr C ....? Is that possible to know in which Division she has been assigned, or any other information? Thanks in advance
Daniel
PS: the color inside the primary chain carter is light tan. Seems to be the original one. Being sold off in Italy, she probably was in North Africa before
Hi Daniel
WM20 90394 would have originally had the serial C 5123794.
Your frame number is not in the keycards which is what you would expect from a machine sold off in 1947 in Naples.
So unless you can find some original markings under the paint its very unlikely that you will discover any wartime history.
Do you have any other information about WD motorcycle or vehicle auctions in post war Italy?
The only information I have about post war auctions is that they were handled by the A.R.A.R. (Azienda Rilievo Alienazione Residuati - more or less: Institute for the takeover and alienation of the war surplus). Created in 1945, acted till 1957 through 152 warehouses spread throughout Italy. When the Insitute has been dismissed, their archives have been collected at the EUR - Rome.
Sorry I cannot help you more.
Thanks again
Kind regards
Daniel
