Hi all

It is quite sometime since I last posted on the forum - glad to know you are still here!

Question and not my usual relating to the WM20!

The BSA C10 in military service. Can anyone illuminate me on this bike which I know had limited military service barring some despatch duties and training. I have come across one which has a WC10 engine 1483 and frame WC1714 but neither fit into the accepted Steve Madden sequence for contracts.

Any ideas/thoughts would be appreciated.

Regards

Andy

email (option): tizzard39@gmail.com

Good to see you on here again Andy

Nice bike the C10 - I like the look of them a lot

Hopefully someone here can help you with where it was sent

I have details of WC10 in Ireland somewhere - they were shipped for use by the irish government Dept of Post & Telegraphs.

I can check their numbers for you - maybe they are close

Br
Job

email (option): jonnyob1@googlemail.com

Engine 1483 was fitted into frame 1714 at the factory and despatched to Hills Garage, Bexley Heath on 14th Sept 1939. The Tank finish was Silver. Ron

email (option): ronpier@talk21.com

Ron Pier

Engine 1483 was fitted into frame 1714 at the factory and despatched to Hills Garage, Bexley Heath on 14th Sept 1939. The Tank finish was Silver. Ron

email (option): tizzard39@gmail.com

Hi JOB

Nice to be here….

I am on the trail of one which is WC engine and frame but outside Madden,s contract information. Any advice on delivery would be great.

Andy

email (option): tizzard39@gmail.com

The BSA 'W' prefix is a slightly odd thing as it was not in the sequence of previous letters and was introduced for all models for the 1940 model year produced from September 1939. As late as February 1940, WM23 models were being sent to Denmark and in fact one was sent to South Africa in August 1940.These were certainly not military spec machines...The 'W' prefix doesn't solely indicate a War Office machine or specification, although perhaps it was initially intended to be.

No other manufacturer used the 'W' to replace a previous year letter prefix so it is hard to ascertain what the thinking was.

A 250cc is unlikely to have been 'impressed' even if unsold at the dealers. They advertised for 350cc OHV and 500cc SV.

Andy as Rik explained the 'W' prefix was used by BSA for the 1940 model and subsequently used until 1945. There were well over 4000 WC10 frames used where only 1354 were used for military C10's - 35 Admiralty C12's and 530 specially prepared C11's for the high commission India. Some were ordered by the GPO and a few went to the dept of Post Dublin. The rest (well over 2000) all went to the civilian market in the UK and several other countries around the World.

I'm afraid the one you're looking at is a fake and even still has its civy tank badges fitted. It deserves to be restored in it's correct Black and Silver livery. Ron

email (option): ronpier@talk21.com

Hi all

Thank you all for your most interesting and informative replies. As I communicated to Ron I had a feeling about it as I do not know the marque could not really call it. I will continue looking for something new/old if you get my gist!

Indebted to you all.

Kind regards

Andy

email (option): tizzard39@gmail.com

PS John. I make it just a dozen supplied to Dublin Post and Telegraph and despatched in either June or October 1941. Ron

email (option): ronpier@talk21.com

Hi Ron
I have registration numbers with frames associated with 31 of these bikes but will need to double check
The frames vary from 4 digit to 3 digit numbers & going to when they originally were issued with road tax/ fund discs - vary in years from 1940, 1941 & 1944
Next time I’m in Dublin with time I have a number of ledgers I have highlighted I need to rexamine
I admit my logging of these bikes which were not M20 were fairl brief look overs before I had to get the last flight back to Heathrow

Jo’b

email (option): jonnyob1@googlemail.com

I must admit John, my viewing on this particular subject was also brief. I only saw the final block of about 12 bikes in 1941. But there might be others individually interspersed throughout the the whole 4000 bikes. I'll look closer and note down all the details if you want. Ron

email (option): ronpier@talk21.com

Hi Ron
I’ll send you what I have noted records on later to you

Out & about just now

Job

email (option): jonnyob1@googlemail.com

John I've taken a longer closer look.
I've found one bike supplied to the Dept of Defense, Dublin and 15 to Dept of Post and Telegraph. There are about 12-15 more to Erne Motors in Dublin. Any bikes in Dublin with a 3 figure frame number must be ex WO London as they used consecutive numbers from 101 to 1451.

I'll send you my list with frame/eng numbers and dates of despatch. Ron

email (option): ronpier@talk21.com