This fantastic colour picture of Ariel W/NGs being put together in the field
was just posted on the Ariel Club Forum.

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The fact that these machines are being assembled in the field and very likely from spares supplied with a Contract, likely goes a long way to confirming that if you have a W/NG with numbers that fall outside of the confirmed dispatched numbers then the machine was possibly assembled in the field. Note the wrapping paper on the wheel and also lying about.
Wade

email (option): iron_ariel@yahoo.ca

What an interesting picture...

Although it is understood bikes were rebuilt/overhauled in forward workshops etc. it is quite surprising that they were assembled from new spares in the type of environment shown...Ian

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

Yes I have blown the picture up as much is is viable and it looks like all new paint on the inside of mudguards and paper labels on other parts. Hardly the ideal environment to build bikes. It looks like you could get hit with a roof tile at any gust of wind.
Ron

email (option): ronpier@talk21.com

I hope they made sure all the numbers matched. wouldn't want anyone going into battle with a non original bike.

email (option): deadsheds[at]yahoo[dot]com

Yes Ken, what would the rivet counters say
That looks like a field in Normandy on the 70th D-Day anniversary

email (option): horror@blueyonder.co.uk

That's one great photo ! Either Italy or possibly France 1943 - 44 ? (judging by the building style and beautiful blue sky)........

Bikes look to be 1942 - 43 W/NG's with pillion and pannier kit, still in KG No.3, complete with alloy timing covers........

They are clearly new bikes, but I'm not certain that they are being built-up from new spares.......this would have been done at a Base workshop or depot.......

Other points to note are fuel tanks bearing factory-style "C" numbers and the bike on the right having a contract plate on the rear guard...........you wouldn't get either of these on new stock parts......

Another point is new wheels would not have been supplied with tyres fitted.....and as we see a partially-wrapped wheel here complete with tyre in place I suspect the answer lies elsewhere........

My thoughts are that these are, as stated, brand-new machines but part of a normal contract.........now, these were normally delivered complete and ready to use but there are several recorded cases of units overseas receiving new machines from shipping crates which were partially-disassembled to fit within said crate.......wheels complete with tyres were often packed alongside the bike and the forks and front mudguard often detached to reduce the size of the crate..........I have a picture of a Norton 16H packed in a crate for overseas shipping in a similar state.............during the later stages of the war shipping space was at a premium therefore if anything could be reduced in size to maximise the volume carried within a ship's hold or transport aircraft then this was done...........

This is the original information and caption associated with the photo -

" THE CROSSING OF THE GARIGLIANO RIVER BY THE FIFTH ARMY, LAURO, ITALY, 19 JANUARY 1944
part of "MINISTRY OF INFORMATION SECOND WORLD WAR COLOUR TRANSPARENCY COLLECTION" (photographs) Made by: War Office official photographer
Motorcycles being assembled at a forward REME workshop by the 56 Infantry Troop Recovery Unit, Royal Electrical and Mechanical Engineers "

EDIT - the image as it appears on the IWM site is reversed -

http://www.iwm.org.uk/collections/item/object/205188808

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

Well I was at least right on Italy and the date !

Still think these are new machines in semi-disassembled state from storage/transportation and being fully-assembled/prepped prior to issue..........hence the already applied C-numbers and contract plate visible..........

Thanks for the info btb

The reversed image is on this site, along with other interesting pictures, most of which we have seen before. Ron

http://speedtracktales.com/2013/11/09/remembrance-sunday-2013-motorcyclists-at-war/

email (option): ronpier@talk21.com

I sent a mail to IWM some years back telling them it was reversed. I managed to post a slightly larger image on the WW2talk forum. I thought that I had on here too, but the search system can't find it.

http://ww2talk.com/forums/topic/35107-allied-motorcycles-id/?hl=garigliano#entry427893

I'm firmly of the opinion that these machines are simply being reassembled from shipping crates. During his pioneering research for 'British Forces Motorcycles', Steve will also have seen that quite a number of the Ministry of Supply contracts included addtional payments for crating a proportion of deliveries for overseas shipment.

Losses to shipping and the brave and often forgotten Merchant Navy crews (more than 30,000 lost their lives) meant that shipping space was at an absolute premium and had to be made the best use of.

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Thank you Rik ! THAT was the image I was on about !