Now that a W/NG that saw service in Burma has arrived I will need to consider how to badge it. There are many regiments that saw Burmese service between 44-45. Would all regiments have used motorcycles or only a certain kind?
How about machine gun regiments, or field regiments or artillery regiments or all of them?
Where to go for badging examples once a regiment has been chosen?
Thanks,
Wade
In an earlier post, you mentioned that the bike appeared to have been asembled with 'out of contract' spares so you have a pretty free hand.
British motorcycle markings of this period are, regrettably, pretty boring as the use of 'Formation' (Divisional etc.) signs had been discontinued.
In general, all parts of the British Army used motorcycles fairly extensively. That said, you'd have to research carefully before suggesting that the Chindits for instance took any with them !
Motorcycles in general were used for communications by the headquarters of pretty well all units, whether infantry, artillery or engineers etc.
The largest users in a division were probably the Corps of Military Police and the Royal Signals, with at Corps level, extensive use by RASC for marshalling convoys etc.
There are very very few photographic examples of motorcycles displaying markings in the Far East and to the best of my knowledge, no surviving records of any differences from armies elsewhere.
XIVth Army in general would have had plenty of motorcycles and perhaps more likely to display a formation sign.
I stumbled across this article a while ago....it seems that US Airforce formations in India and Burma had access to WD motorcycles and painted them any colour they felt like !
Hi wade.
My late father in law Tom Despatched in Burma on an m20.
I have a couple of photos of him on a bike but although I can get the tank number, I can't see any unit markings on them yet. Still looking though, you never know what might turn up.
He was with the Kings Own in the end after a daylight crossing over the changi river left only two of them alive in his squad. Fought through the jungle and house to house through Rangoon to liberate the airport. Told me some great ( and not so great ) tales of what went on so my bike will mirror his, in respect of the men who were there.
Be nice to know what number your bike is, you never know .......could be his
Any chance of seeing the photos, Darren ? Attributable photos of motorcycles in the Far East are few and far between. Perhaps understandably, the official photographers were looking more at other aspects. In NW Europe, the huge armies in one place must have made the transport much more visible.
Perhaps the worse the terrain is the more regularly you would have to replace your vehicles, after a couple of months of dragging a motorcycle through a swamp it would have to be returned hundreds of miles for a refit and you would be issued with a replacement so markings may not have been used very much?
I have a set of pictures of an M20 I think in the far east, follow this picture to my photobucket page and you should be able to see the others.
That's a hell of a story, Darren. It would be difficult for your father-in-law to top that life experience! This bike is a W/NG so it wouldn't have been his ride, although he may have walked by it or even had a spin on it in the day. Anything is possible.
Thanks for the interesting thoughts Rik and Rob. Always good to have extra bits of information.
Hi Rik,
I will have a ring round the family and see if I can get a few together and get them on here.
And Wade. He was an awesome chap who told me much of his experiences
Darren
