Got this sent from John here, and is interesting, insofar that I thought Flea's were all sold just after thewar, but this bike must have been retained till 1955!!
Here's what John writes:
"I have just bought a very tired flea and I am sending you pictures of the petrol tank. The last date on it is 1955. I intend to kill the rust and keep the tank as it is because the history of the bike is all there. The frame no. is 11115, engine no.V7374. The tyres were Dunlop dated 1944 but are rotted so cannot use them, a great shame.
Have more pictures if you would like to see them. I do not know how to post pictures on the BSA forum, I always ask Ron to do this for me, so if you think people on the forum would like to see pictures of the tank etc, please do post them up, yours, John."
And the picture, more will follow hopefully!
Cheers,
Lex
email (option): welbike@welbiXX.net (think about this!)
Here's some more pictures John sent to me;
"Some more pictures of the Flea, showing dates on petrol tank, foot brake
return spring attached to silencer clamp, exhaust box that appears to be
galvanised, (is cadmium, Lex) and the leather strap for wiring on the cross bar underneath the petrol tank, and the two dates and tread pattern on the tyres.
Thanks for posting these pictures for me and I hope someone else restoring a flea will find them usefull, yours, John."
email (option): welbike@welbi**.net (think about this!)
Re. postwar use, Jan just told me, they kept most of the last contract in army stores after the war, will look it up again, my memory is not what it's supposed to be! (easier if he answers it himself!)
Cheers,
Lex
[/quote]
Gentlemen,
It's all in my Report, pages 4-38, 4-39, 6-47 and 5-12 to be precise...
Quote from page 4-38 and 4-39:
Post war evolutions
From April until June 1947 a “prototype crate for carriage and dropping of three 350 cc. Matchless motor cycles” was tested by the Airborne Forces Experimental Establishment (A.F.E.E.). The test report (dated November 7th 1947, source: National Archives) stated that “The motor cycles were 350 cc. Matchless and were modified for crating by provision of folding handlebars, foot rests, brake pedal and gear change pedal. For clamping the cycles in the crate, trunnions were attached to the frame, one pair just forward of the rear axle and another pair on the forward engine mounting bracket; these trunnions formed part of the motorcycle ski equipment. ...
The crating consisted of a floor which had three channels to take the motor cycle wheels. Attached to the floor was a crash pan of similar design to that used with the jeep and trailer crating. A main suspension frame at the centre of the crate was made of channel section steel, the sides and ends of the crate being a triangulated tubular steel structure. Two channel section steel girders were placed across the top of the crate and fastened to the side members, thereby forming crutching pads.”
Two dropping tests were made. The conclusion was that “It is considered that the general design of the crate is satisfactory but detailed improvements are necessary for the successful carriage and dropping of three 350 cc. motor cycles.”
A 1949 test report by the Army Airborne Transport Development Centre (A.A.T.D.C.) describes “the possibility of including 350cc Motor Cycles in Tactical Glider and paratechnicon loads” (The paratechnicon was developed around 1948-1949, by the RAF. It was a metal container, dropped by 8 parachutes, to land both men and heavy equipment (up to 6.000 lbs). The hinged bottom of the container could open during the drop to expose three cylindrical, inflated shock absorbers. These deflate when they hit the ground, cushioning the landing.):
“There appears to be no difficulty in arranging tactical loads so that all airborne units can fly in sufficient motor cycles for their operational requirements.
...
There is no requirement for modifying the handlebars of the 350cc motor cycle in order to carry it in gliders or paratechnicons. The policy of utilising standard unmodified Army equipment for airborne roles should be strictly adhered to. With the introduction of paratechnicons the practice of developing special equipment for parachuting motor cycles is rendered obsolete.
The 350cc motor cycle (a Matchless G3/L, ed.) occupies very little more space than the 125 cc. The problem is therefore merely one of weight. The loss of payload involved in carriage by air of the 350cc in lieu of the 125 cc is equivalent to one fully equipped soldier. In an airborne operation at Brigade strength this means a loss of approximately 30 men. Against this must be weighed the low mechanical efficiency of the 125 cc lightweight motor cycle, its poor performance and comparatively high maintenance requirements. In addition, if the operation is prolonged, the replacement problem would involve the use of airlift required for more essential stores.
The 125 cc Motor Cycle as used by Airborne Forces during World War II has very little value in the tactical role. It is notoriously unreliable and the low powered engine restricts cross country performance so that the machine is virtually confined to the use of roads or tracks. The minimum size of motor cycle suitable for military operations is one of 350cc capacity. The retention of the 125 cc lightweight cycle is therefore considered unnecessary for airborne or any other military role.”
It looks as if this report definitely closes the curtain for the WD/RE in its airborne motorcycle role... The 1.500 WD/RE motorcycles that had been registered within the new post war registration number system (see also page 6-47) will have been put up for sale now...
Quote from page 5-12:
And there is a rumour that the post war military registration number blocks 00 YA 01 until 12 YA 40 , and 85 ZB 80 until 88 ZB 52 (approximately 1.500 numbers) would have been allotted to “Motorcycle Royal Enfield” and “Motorcycle, 125cc, lightweight, Enfield WD/RE” respectively. This would mean that not all the Enfields were sold off after the war. This theory could be confirmed by a 1949 test report by the Army Airborne Transport Development Centre (A.A.T.D.C.), see also page 4-39.
Quote from page 6-47:
The post war military registration numbers
As explained on page 5-12, there may have been two batches of war time Royal Enfields that have been used in the post war British Army. If this theory is correct, these motorcycles used post war registration numbers 00 YA 01 until 12 YA 40 , and 85 ZB 80 until 88 ZB 52 (approximately 1.500 numbers). This theory could be confirmed by a 1949 test report by the Army Airborne Transport Development Centre (A.A.T.D.C.), see also page 4-39.
Regards,
Jan
email (option): wd.register@gmail.com
I never thought to read it up in Jan's report
There are two leather straps listed in the parts list, so I guess one could go under the tank. I was lucky enough to find an original strap with a load of Flea spares I bough a while back. It was still attached to the front down tube. I dowsed it in leather oil to make it supple again and naturally installed it where it can be seen.
It is strange about the tank badge, as I doubt the army would have been bothered to fill the recess and holes, so maybe that operation was deleted on the last batch?
Ron
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email (option): ronpier@talk21.com
My recently-acquired Flea (a 1943 model from the first contract but not delivered to the WD at Cambridge until Sept 1944 - probably from WD storage according to Jan) was not civvy-registered (in Norfolk, not a million miles away from Cambridge) until 1957 !!! I have the old buff log-book and it simply states "Government Vehicle Previously" so was clearly used and retained by the military post-war...........
It is important to note that certain things remained either in use or in store long after the end of WW2...........and with the Flea remaining on the scale of Airborne equipment into the post-war period, the Army retaining glider's and indeed the Glider Pilot Regiment until the early 1950's, it was possible that certain kit was retained in-store and/or for training for possible air-landing deployment up to then.....as for dropping Flea's by parachute in their purpose-designed cradle this probably ended following the end of WW2 although glider-carriage and deployment remained......
My Flea had some civilianisation but also retained a fair bit of the original SCC No.2 brown paint beneath the top coat of green........it too, featured aluminium and the original leather straps (x 2) for the lighting wire and cables, one on the front down-tube and one on the frame top rail...........it also retains the original pair of (tiny) wiring clips on top of the rear mudguard at the carrier securing points..........
As for my 1943 James ML, this too wasn't civvy-registered until 1953, 10 years after being built and the old log book simply stated "Ex-WD - Rebuilt"......