Press photo taken in Normandy of an RAF WNG. d6ac9.jpg"/>

Is it possible to hazard a guess at the location. It seems to me to be early on after DDay given the extended exhaust fitted to the vehicle behind. Does anyone have any information on the dates and operation of the first airfields in Normandy. I know that the one adjacent to the Radar Station at Douvres was active within a very short time of the landings. JT

John, a date on the photo would be helpful. There were a number of Advanced Landing Grounds in the British / Canadian sector.

My Dad was with 11 Air Formation Signals who were working from airfields and he landed towards the end of June. The Mulberrys were still not working thanks to the big storm and they landed from LCTs (a 15cwt from the LCT next to him went off the ramp into a crater and didn't come up again).

His first base was B8 at Sommervieu

http://www.forgottenairfields.com/france/lower-normandy/calvados/sommervieu-b-8-s1111.html

B1 at Asnelles might be the most likely location for this photo.

https://www.google.com/maps/d/u/0/viewer?mid=1fGU9V7kaQjk_mhT5GCVsCQapQdw&hl=en_US

Thought you might be interested to read what Peter Brown had to say about this photo.

Fantastic photo. So much going on.
Clearly the RAF motorcyclist is giving directions to units as they arrive close to an airfield assembly area, which would be the place where all the men and vehicles would go first having just come over various landing craft. They would then be briefed and then sent off to specific sites
The tac signs for each aspect eg Ammunition, Petrol/Oils/Lubricants, Administration etc all point the same way but I suspect later on up the road they would divide into their various areas/designated locations.

The truck could be a RAF command post vehicle. It may have recently landed as the extended exhaust pipe at the back is still fitted although this might be a permanent feature to duct away exhaust fumes when it is set up as a command post and running its engine to charge its batteries.
The troops certainly look as though they have just arrived as they are carrying their full marching order.

Interestingly the bike has no panniers and still carries its tax disc.
Peter Brown

Some interesting points by Pete. All these RAF W/NG's are early pre pannier frame models and supplied from contracts around 1941-42. The next and last contract was at the end of the war. I don't think the RAF felt as much need for panniers as the army. Ron

email (option): ronpier@talk21.com

Ron, this is a great photo which I have seen before. Do you know where or when it was taken? It looks like a British RAF hanger in the background but that does not seem logical? JT

Just noticed that the serial numbers on the petrol tanks in these 2 photos are very close. If that is a hanger in the background on the second photo it might well be a captured airfield in Normandy. Carpiquet Airfield in Normandy perhaps? JT

Is the chap, sitting on the right side in the background wearing a pith helmet...

Yes he is Hans! I think that pattern is called the Wolseley helmet. The pith helmet was still being worn in the East during the war. Or maybe he's just eccentric and wearing his Granddads from the Bore War.

I think it's a row of houses in the background of the field workshop picture.
Here's another shot of a D Day period Ariel W/NG. Ron

email (option): ronpier@talk21.com

Ron, this new photo with the 2 chaps sitting on the WNG was taken at Dunsfold which is the airfield where they now make Top Gear. A nice photo from 1944 taken after D Day. JT

Here's another Ariel, maybe a well-known photo
I can't remember where I found it an what the caption was...

The photo posted by menno of the Ariel on the beach was also in Motorcycling 13th July 1944,but is very poor quality but does have a caption.The photo with the signs has had the shoulder patch erased by the censor,there is also a structure of some kind behind the lorry and also part of a sign on the ground near the RAF signs.

Steve, this photo has been published before but I have not seen the caption from the magazine before. If you look on the side of the petrol tank it appears that the beach group anchor badge has been painted on like the one shown in the recent photo of the Matchless G3L on the beach. Interestingly it has also been fitted with a tax disc holder like the first photo so I assume these were fitted to RAF bikes and were for a pass of some kind? Does anyone have any examples of WW2 passes issued to DR's? JT

Hi John

Here is an example of an RAF Defence of the Realm disc, I had thought these were only needed in the UK as a wartime replacement for the road fund disc, but maybe it took a little while after D-Day for the paperwork to catch up?

Rob

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