Photo from the USA,could be taken in North Africa or Italy.

Thanks for this Steve. I think this is only the second picture I've seen of an RAF WD/CO with a serial number. The RAF serial numbers are not recorded, but with help from a guy in an RAF museum who has some post war records which relate to war-time vehicles still in use after the war. I think I might have my correct number?
Also with the correct font...Thanks to Jan. Ron

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This is the other image I have. Ron

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Interesting picture Steve, thanks for sharing!

There was one large WD/CO RAF contract: C/14219 (2.826 motorcycles, deliveries from 08/01/43 until 15/12/43). Until today we had only found one single war-time picture that shows an RAF WD/CO with “readable” census number in the typical Royal Enfield transfer font: RAF 116809 (see above). But I also found six Royal Enfield RAF census numbers in post war auction catalogues: RAF 116800, RAF 116919, RAF 116924, RAF 116938, RAF 118142 and RAF 118260. If we consider that contract C/14219 was for 2.826 motorcycles, I think we can assume that the RAF census numbers block for this contract must have been approximately RAF 116000 until approximately RAF 119000. This new picture confirms my theory.

These are two factory photographs of a C/14219 WD/CO.



There was also a contract S/7844 (800 motorcycles, deliveries from 02/01/45 until 06/07/45. Production stopped after 350 bikes, the war was over by then). And there is also an unknown number of Army WD/COs that have been transferred to the RAF.

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Jan what about the two Royal Enfield numbers that Geoff has recorded?:-

Frame 18660 with RAF serial number 123619 ( this frame is the one after mine) So with pot luck I used the previous serial number.
and Frame 18802 with serial 124131.

I have a notion that the RAF vehicle serial numbers were allocated to the next vehicle received. whether it be a car, truck or motorcycle? In that respect it would be impossible to formulate a sequence.
Ron

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I've found some pictures I'd forgotten I had. Nice to see some with panniers and pillion. Ron

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I don't understand the RAF numbering system… I will summarise what I have discovered so far:

I think that for this study we have to consider that there were two "sister contracts”:
There was one large Ariel W/NG RAF contract: C/S14218 (09/04/42 demand date, 1.800 motorcycles, deliveries from 15/01/43 until 23/12/43).
And there was one large Royal Enfield WD/CO RAF contract: C/S14219 (09/04/42 demand date, 2.826 motorcycles, deliveries from 08/01/43 until 15/12/43).

I've got some war time pictures with W/NGs with random RAF census numbers (most probably transferred from Army contracts), but I also have several war time pictures showing different RAF Ariel W/NG motorcycles with "close" census numbers: RAF 94707, RAF 94834, RAF 94838, RAF 94863, RAF 95029, RAF 95092, RAF 95764 and RAF 95835. This looks like one block of numbers to me (something like RAF 94200 - RAF 96000).

We’ve also found some RAF WD/CO photographs with random numbers and pannier frames, which suggests that these bikes were transferred from an Army contract. And we’ve got the two pictures above, with census numbers RAF 116745 and RAF 116809. But I also found six Royal Enfield RAF census numbers in post war auction catalogues: RAF 116800, RAF 116919, RAF 116924, RAF 116938, RAF 118142 and RAF 118260. If we consider that contract C/14219 was a contract for 2.826 motorcycles, I think we can assume that the RAF census numbers block for this contract must have been approximately RAF 116000 until approximately RAF 119000.

But then Geoff Fletcher found these entries in the RAF archives:
RAF123619 was a WD/CO with frame number 18660
RAF124131 was a WD/CO with frame number 18802
RAF123617 was a WD/CO with frame number 18830
So it looks as if there has been a second block of numbers for the Royal Enfield RAF contract C/S14219.

On the other hand, Geoff also discovered that “RVT105, Commer” with frame numbers 8662 - 8811 (150 numbers) were issued with census numbers RAF 118584 - RAF 118733 (150 numbers). This block clashes with RAF123619 (WD/CO with frame number 18660)!

Conclusion: I don’t know! 🤔

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As is sometimes the case Jan, Artistic license prevails! Ron

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