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Re: Ariel W/NG Contracts

John I make yours from Army contract S6287 in 1945 (Census number C6195018) Yours falls within the last 2000 before the contract was canceled.

Ron

email (option): ronpier@talk21.com

Re: Ariel W/NG Contracts

I have just picked up on the posting by Keith re the contract W/ng numbers, I have XG20758 so appears to be about 200 after the end of this contract, however it is below the next mentioned contract records any views welcome chaps.
kind regards

email (option): woolnough@mchenry.plus.com

Re: Ariel W/NG Contracts

Richard 20758 appears to be the 258th bike from 3000 under contract C10477 in 1942. Some were sent to RAF and RN. Ron

email (option): ronpier@talk21.com

Re: Ariel W/NG Contracts

The 3000 machines were intended to be split 1500 RAOC Chilwell (C4589426 - C4590925) and 1500 RASC (C1308302 - C1039801).

There is a pencilled note dated 11/8/1941 in RAOC records "Probably 422 for RAF Depots"

It looks as if Chilwell received their first deliveries on 11/10/1941 and the last of their 1500 on 19/12/1941 so presumably the RAF allocation were from the RASC batch and were from the first 1500 frames....although it's not actually stated how the frame numbers were allocated.

Re: Ariel W/NG Contracts

thanks for your info guys, would any of this help me to get a [near enough] army number should I wish to put same on the tank?
kind regards

email (option): woolnough@mchenry.plus.com

Re: Ariel W/NG Contracts

Richard I calculate it to be C4589683. But according to Rik's observations 422 of that first 1500 for the RAOC might have gone to the RAF, but I doubt anyone will ever know. Ron

email (option): ronpier@talk21.com

Re: Ariel W/NG Contracts

These early Ariel contracts are difficult and any with RAOC / RASC splits are poorly documented. It looks to me as if the RAOC deliveries did not occur until after the RAF diversions....so my best guess is that they were from the RASC allocations and weren't sent to Ashchurch as originally ordered. The RAOC were something of sticklers for numbers matching serials...

The RAOC machines were probably XG 22001 - 23500...meaning that any lower numbers were RASC or RAF....If RASC then the serial was from the C1038302 - 1039801 range.

By chance, an image of one appeared on Facebook today.

Ariel-C1038999

Re: Ariel W/NG Contracts

Indeed, John's bike comes from contract S6287 (an Army contract), census number C6195018. Despatch date 11/06/1945. Here's a picture with a close number:

619

Clive's bike comes from Army contract S/4554, census number C5493405. Despatch date 30/06/1944. Some pictures with close numbers below. Bikes from this contract were clearly used during the liberation of the Low Countries:

10
11
12
13

And these are stills from some rare colour footage of a despatch rider training camp:

1
3

Jan

email (option): wd.register@gmail.com

Re: Ariel W/NG Contracts

Gentlemen,

I was wondering, was this info useful to you?

Jan 🧐

email (option): wd.register@gmail.com

Re: Ariel W/NG Contracts

"Gratia non solum maxima, sed etiam parens omnium virtutum."

“Gratitude is not only the greatest of virtues, but the parent of all the others.”

Cicero

email (option): wd.register@gmail.com

Re: Ariel W/NG Contracts

Oh yes ! thank you! now trying to digest it all :grinning:

Re: Ariel W/NG Contracts

Thanks Jan , that is really helpful. The photos too will be very useful in my restoration challenge. My late dad told me he thought the bike was a 1943 model he bought it in 1952 but I never saw it on the road.

email (option): cliveoliver@hotmail.com

Re: Ariel W/NG Contracts

Very much so , Thank you Jan

email (option): cliveoliver@hotmail.com

Re: Ariel W/NG Contracts

I am very grateful for your support. My delayed response is because I am currently travelling and have patchy access not a lack of gratitude.

email (option): cliveoliver@hotmail.com

Re: Ariel W/NG Contracts

"Ignoscito siepe alteri, nunquam tibi"
"Forgive the others, never yourself"
😐

You were also asking for the catalogue numbers Clive. Specifications of these bikes varied, according to the contract number. That's why every contract number had its own specific parts catalogue number. The parts catalogue number was printed in purple ink on the cover of each parts list. If a bike from your contract needed spare parts to be ordered, they had to take the parts list with number 16 on the cover to check the ID numbers of the parts.

email (option): wd.register@gmail.com

Re: Ariel W/NG Contracts

Thanks again. I did order a illustrated parts book from Draganfly for Xg 47251-51250, it had a code PB44_9,

But they've sent a PB44_11 saying the earlier one is superceded by this PB44 _11 covers xg44251-47250, it shows Contract S5514 /17/1 issued Nov 44.

The bike is in "baskets" at the moment and I m checking through the bits . The steel primary and inner case are not true With rippled edges, I'm not sure i can be correct them or if there is a specialist who could ?

I understand steel was only used for a couple of years 1943 44 ? . So I was wondering if it would be worth tracking down alloy versions for the rebuild. I think they have casting codes E9/731 and E9/600 ?

email (option): cliveoliver@hotmail.com

Re: Ariel W/NG Contracts

Just to expand a little on the Catalogue References, the system applied to all WD vehicle contracts and appears to have commenced in the early 1930s. It began at Cat. Ref 1 for each manufacturer and continued consecutively across all models and types. By the end of the war, the large suppliers were well past 300 but not in the case of motorcycles.

In addition to being noted in the master lists, it was shown, along with the contract number on the brass 'contract plate' affixed to the vehicle and stamped on all accompanying vehicle literature. The advantage presumably over simply using the unique contract number was that workshops and units only needed to keep a list relating to the manufacturers of the vehicles they dealt with and not the whole War Office inventory. Additionally, it provided a double-check that the contract number had been read correctly.

It allowed for the issue and use of the correct Spare Parts List, Driver's Handbook and Maintenance Manual. In practice, with the major War Office motorcycles, apart from the changes between Matchless G3 and G3L, it was more a case of evolution and the Spare Parts Lists rarely kept up anyway.

The rivet-counter's route involves a set of vehicle literature, early examples of which will bear the contract number, Cat. Ref and a number denoting the type of publication ( /1 for the Spare Parts List, /2 for the early Driver's Handbook).

There are actually only very small differences between these 1939 / 1940 Norton publications other than the covers and rubber stamps. After REME was brought into existence, the Driver's and Maintenance Manuals changed types and reference again.

IMG-1247

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Re: Ariel W/NG Contracts

Thanks Rik

email (option): cliveoliver@hotmail.com

Re: Ariel W/NG Contracts

Jan,
Apologies I have only just seen your post. Many thanks to both you and Ron, the information was very helpful. My bike was on the Isle of Man. JT

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