I am restoring my Ariel WNG as a bomb disposal bike with red mudguards. However, despite trauling the web I have not been able to locate and war time photos of a BD bike. Any help with photos or markings would be much appreciated. Cheers JT

Hi John,

I also tried to find pictures of bomb disposal motorbikes in the past, but didn't found them. If you would find some, could you share them? (also having an Ariel for restoration).

Thanks,
Sven

email (option): svendevroe@hotmail.com

Guys,I also have more than a passing interest in bomb disposal and I have sound contacts at the the RE museum in Chatham, and have a meeting next month there and will ask if I can search the archives for markings war time I have a book on memoirs of a war time BS officer somewhere the name of the book escapes me for now however Post war BS vehicles were always marked by red wings on large and small vehicles and mudguards on on Mcs, if I recollect correctly the book only shows photos of Tillys

email (option): warbikesAT GEE Male .com(think about this)

Not specifically motorcycle, but this is the only reference that I have to markings for BDS vehicles. It would seem not unreasonable to scale down the letters and apply them to a motorcycle

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Thanks chaps, very helpful. Cheers John

More by luck than anything, I came across a picture on-line showing WM20 C4343657 in service with an RE BDS unit.

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The 'BDS' marking referred to in the ACIs has been applied rather crudely to the headlamp glass above the opening in the manilla paper mask. In fact, it's so irregular that I wonder if it was painted back to front on the inside of the glass. On a later bike, it would be logical just to apply it to the steel mask.

It looks as if there is a colour change on the guard tip, so it could well be signal red.

It may be worth contacting the website author and asking if a higher res. scan is available.

http://chantrellposter.com/biography

Early Norton 16 rear mudguard tail, BDS?

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Nice picture Rik...I'm at a loss to explain why he is wearing fishing waders though.... ...Ian

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

I assume that they were regularly digging out below the water-table. Waders would seem a good idea in those conditions.

Thanks Rik, very interesting. Looks like his goggles are hanging over the bars and there is a tank marking behind them just above the C number. Ant thoughts? JT

email (option): cruiserchooser@hotmail.co.uk

Fishing waders - standard m/bike equipment in the thirties into the fifties - before anything modeern - like barbout suits and things.

I bought a sq4 many years ago and the old boy who sold me it - gave me his waders - he swore by them.
Tried them through a winter - nearly bloody froze to death!

John, I'm inclined to agree with btb that the marking is simply the BSA transfer.

I've struggled to find much about BDS markings. They were RE but were under War Office control. Some areas were combined under Bomb Disposal Groups but they seem to have fallen under Area Commands.

I wonder if you could use an area command formation sign ?

There is one listed in Hodges and Taylor for NW Europe 21st Army Group which appears to be 984 on a blue square with the Army Troops white forward sloping diagonal bar (/), I presume this should be on both sides of the tank from that period but you could put the 21st Army group shield on one side if you wanted to.

Rob

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

In the sixties I was provincial commander of a Civil Defence volunteer Bomb Reconnaissance Squad, a typical Cold War organisation. The volunteers (most had a military background, I was in the Engineers, or were ammo collectors...) got an intensive training at the army Explosive Ordnance Disposal Service. Part of the training was the dismantling of a 250lbs Mark IV GP bomb, that now rests in a museum.
When I started the restoration of my M20 I wanted to put EOD on my bike, but someone on this list told me that "BDS" was more appropriate in this case. So I put that on the red tip of the front mudguard....

How's the rebuild progressing Hans?...Ian

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

Thanks for the photos

looks great was the front fender painted? do you have more photos?

Cheers steven in ottawa

email (option): Goodbell@ripnet.com

PM sent !

I have an exploded diagram, JT, but of course it's illegible.

email (option): Fergusanckorn@icloud.com

Shouldn't that be an "UN-exploded" diagram Ferg.......?