WW1 Military Motors - 1916 set x 50 cards

[Lancashire Fusilier]

Before moving on to a new topic, here are a few final Phelon & Moore ' P & M ' motorcycle photographs.

The first shows an R.F.C. ' Flight Sergeant ', his sleeve insignia consisting of a twin aircraft propeller with a ' star ' at it's centre above his triple Sergeant's chevrons, riding an R.F.C. P & M motorcycle combination, with aircraft hangers in the background, both men are wearing the early R.F.C. ' Maternity ' uniform jacket.

LF

IWM This image is reproduced strictly for non-commercial research and private study purposes as permitted under the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988, as amended and revised.

[Lancashire Fusilier]

An RAF Captain ( 2 cuff bands ) riding an R.A.F. Phelon & Moore ' P & M ' motorcycle, which was maybe used as a general ' runaround ' at the Aerodrome, as the P & M is missing it's headlight, acetylene generator, horn and number plate.

LF

IWM This image is reproduced strictly for non-commercial research and private study purposes as permitted under the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988, as amended and revised.

[Lancashire Fusilier]

These last Phelon & Moore posts today show some restored examples, plus some excellent information and prices from a ' P & M ' sales catalogue.

The first photograph, is a nicely restored Phelon & Moore ' P & M ' 3.5 hp motorcycle sidecar combination showing some excellent details and features of the P & M.

The ' AF ' number plate letters are for an early Truro/Cornwall registration.

LF

This image is reproduced strictly for non-commercial research and private study purposes as permitted under the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988, as amended and revised.

[Lancashire Fusilier]

Some nice information contained in a Phelon & Moore sales brochure for their P & M ( The Perfect Motorcycle ) 4 speed 4.5 hp ' A ' Model.

LF

This image is reproduced strictly for non-commercial research and private study purposes as permitted under the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988, as amended and revised.

[Lancashire Fusilier]

2

This image is reproduced strictly for non-commercial research and private study purposes as permitted under the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988, as amended and revised.

[Lancashire Fusilier]

3

This image is reproduced strictly for non-commercial research and private study purposes as permitted under the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988, as amended and revised.

[Lancashire Fusilier]

4

This image is reproduced strictly for non-commercial research and private study purposes as permitted under the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988, as amended and revised.

[Lancashire Fusilier]

The matching ' P & M ' sidecar.

LF

This image is reproduced strictly for non-commercial research and private study purposes as permitted under the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988, as amended and revised.

[Lancashire Fusilier]

Last but not least, a series of photographs of very nice example of a restored Phelon & Moore ' P & M ' 1917 498 cc. Royal Flying Corps ( R.F.C. ) motorcycle sidecar combination.

LF

This image is reproduced strictly for non-commercial research and private study purposes as permitted under the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988, as amended and revised.

[Lancashire Fusilier]

The ' HT ' letters on the number plate are for an early Bristol registration.

LF

This image is reproduced strictly for non-commercial research and private study purposes as permitted under the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988, as amended and revised.

[Lancashire Fusilier]

3

This image is reproduced strictly for non-commercial research and private study purposes as permitted under the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988, as amended and revised.

[Scalyback]

Post 4684 the two ladies and one gent are not just "working" on a wheel but are are truing the wheel. I highly skilled job, nay art form. The wheel is in the jig to be turned. keying the spokes, alters the tension and brings the rim into line. You work side to side and in and out in one go.

As always LF do keep up the good work. One has been ever so slightly busy!

[Lancashire Fusilier]

Post 4684 the two ladies and one gent are not just "working" on a wheel but are are truing the wheel. I highly skilled job, nay art form. The wheel is in the jig to be turned. keying the spokes, alters the tension and brings the rim into line. You work side to side and in and out in one go.

Scalyback,

Many thanks for the feedback, and the important information on the ' truing ' of the motorcycle wheels, and now that you have pointed it out, I can appreciate the skill that was needed in adjusting the tension on each spoke to ensure the wheel's rim was in line and not ' out-of-true ', I have also edited that particular post.

Regards,

LF

[Lancashire Fusilier]

Woah! LF.

What a charming young lady.

I think I'm in love ......

Dai,

I found a nice full-length photograph of the RFC Despatch Rider seen in post #4661, showing excellent details of her uniform.

Regards,

LF

IWM This image is reproduced strictly for non-commercial research and private study purposes as permitted under the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988, as amended and revised.

[Lancashire Fusilier]

Here is a nice 1913 dated painting of a female Despatch Rider transporting an Army Lieutenant-Colonel ( 3 cuff bands ), in a motorcycle sidecar combination.

1913 pre-dates many of the women's army units, so I am not sure of the Army unit to which the Despatch Rider belongs, nor the uniform she is wearing, any ideas ?

The motorcycle could be one of several makes, however, we can be sure of the actual location depicted in the painting. We know it is central London, from the ' General Omnibus Company ' red London bus, and in the background, is the famous ' Romano's ' Restaurant formally located at 399-400 The Strand, London WC2. The highly fashionable ' Romano's ' restaurant was founded by Nicolino Alfonso Romano in the late 1880s, however, the building/restaurant was unfortunately destroyed in the WW2 London Blitz, and the site is now the location of the Stanley Gibbons stamp shop in The Strand.

I am not sure if the artist gave the motorcycle an ' L ' lettered number plate thinking that ' L ' was for London, however, the ' L " number plate letter is for an early Glamorgan registration.

LF

This image is reproduced strictly for non-commercial research and private study purposes as permitted under the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988, as amended and revised.

[Lancashire Fusilier]

Romano's Restaurant 399-400 The Strand, London WC2, the facade of which is depicted in the background of the painting shown in the previous post. The building was destroyed during the WW2 London Blitz, and is now the location of the Stanley Gibbons Stamp Shop in the Strand.

This photograph, was probably taken after Romano's closed.

LF

This image is reproduced strictly for non-commercial research and private study purposes as permitted under the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988, as amended and revised.

[Lancashire Fusilier]

A 1923 reference to ' Romano's ' Restaurant 399-400 The Strand, London W.C.2.

LF

" Afterward, I take them all to Romano’s restaurant for dinner to give Lorenzo a feel for an Anglicized Italian restaurant with an international flavour. Of London’s restaurant’s few have a more distinctive character and atmosphere than Romano’s. The founder was Nicolino Alfonso Romano, affectionately called The Roman who died in 1901. He had been head waiter at the Café Royal in 1870s and out of his savings he bought a fried fish shop in the Strand and converted it into his restaurant. Romano’s has become a London institution and famous throughout the bohemian world as a resort of characters, literary journalist and theatrical and sporting notables. It has a façade of butter coloured magolica tiles and the bright and comfortable dining room is handsomely decorated in Moorish style. One side of the room is covered with a series of painted panels beneath glass and framed in Moorish shape showing a series of views of the Bosphorus all very blue and sunny looking. Sofa seats and wide arm chairs stand beneath the paintings and on another side of the room is a great alcove with Moorish arches

Romano's Restaurant

The cuisine prides itself on its specials of chicken curry, sauté de beuf and two key dishes filet de sole tabarin and chicken a la Lombarde. The menu tonight consists of Germany (a soup made by adding yolk of egg to white consommé), Mousseline de Homard Grand Duc (Lobster mousseline), Becasse au fumer (woodcock) with Salade Japonaise, biscuit Glace aux Avelines (iced sweet brought to the table on the back of a swan cut out of a block of ice is a pretty conceit). We also partake in the 1875 brandy which is famous.

‘Just so you know’ I say ‘King Edward when the Prince of Wales had his own private room and cutlery here…’ "

[David Filsell]

This thread is just a gift that just keeps giving!!

[Lancashire Fusilier]

This thread is just a gift that just keeps giving!!

David,

I am pleased that you are continuing to find this Thread interesting, I am learning so much from each and every post, it is very rewarding.

Regards,

LF

[Lancashire Fusilier]

Back on 21st August 2015 in post # 3892, I incorrectly identified an Anti-Aircraft Lorry when responding to a question from Kevin.

From photographic evidence, the types of Anti-Aircraft Lorries typically seen on the Western Front early in WW1, we originally a handful of converted L.G.O.C. ( London General Omnibus Company ) B-Type London Bus chassis, followed by Thornycroft J-Types and the American Peerless Lorries, all mounted with 13 pounder Anti-Aircraft Guns.

I had been unsure about a pair of photographs from the Imperial War Museum photo archives which showed an Anti-Aircraft Lorry mounted with a 13 pounder Gun belonging to No.11 Anti-Aircraft Section, Royal Garrison Artillery, photographed in 1915 somewhere on the Western Front.

The Lorry in the photographs, is heavily camouflaged with foliage and tree branches which obviously hides many of it's features and also the tell-tale radiator grill design is also hidden.

It clearly was not a Thornycroft J-Type, and at first glance, it looked like an American Peerless Lorry also known to have been in service on the Western Front early in WW1.

However, by comparing several key features of this particular AA lorry with several other types of lorries, I was very surprised to find that it was in fact an American ' Packard ' Anti-Aircraft Lorry which was very rarely photographed on the Western Front, although I had seen several photographs of the American Packard Anti-Aircraft Lorry in service in Salonika.

Based on the IWM photographs, it must have been that at least one or possibly just a very few American Packard Lorries were mounted with 13 pounder Anti-Aircraft Guns and sent to the Western Front very early in WW1, and then as larger quantities of Thornycroft J-Type and Peerless Lorries became available for delivery to the Western Front, the ' Packards ' were withdrawn from the Western Front and transferred to Salonika, as a result of which, several photographs exist of the American ' Packard ' Anti-Aircraft Lorries in service in Salonika during WW1.

As yet, the attached two photographs of a ' Packard ' Anti-Aircraft Lorry mounted with a 13 pounder 6 cwt Gun on a Mk I High Angle Mount, belonging to No.11 AA Section, R.G.A., are the only ones I have seen of an American ' Packard ' AA Lorry in service on the Western Front.

I shall firstly post these two important photographs again, and also another version of one of the photographs with notations which identify the key features of this ' Packard ' AA Lorry.

LF

IWM This image is reproduced strictly for non-commercial research and private study purposes as permitted under the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988, as amended and revised.

[Lancashire Fusilier]

An American made ' Packard ' Anti-Aircraft Lorry mounted with a 13 pounder 6 cwt Gun on a Mk I High Angle Mount, belonging to No.11 AA Section, R.G.A. ( Royal Garrison Artillery ).

Note the elongated side-shield attached to the gun cradle, designed to protect the right-side of the gunlayer from being struck by the recoiling gun.

LF

IWM This image is reproduced strictly for non-commercial research and private study purposes as permitted under the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988, as amended and revised.

[Lancashire Fusilier]

An American made ' Packard ' Anti-Aircraft Lorry, with the notations showing some of the ' Packard ' British AA Lorry's identifying features.

LF

IWM This image is reproduced strictly for non-commercial research and private study purposes as permitted under the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988, as amended and revised.

[Lancashire Fusilier]

In addition to being sent to Salonika, the ' Packard ' AA Lorries were also sent to Palestine.

LF

[Lancashire Fusilier]

2 photographs of American made ' Packard ' Anti-Aircraft Lorries mounted with 13 pdr. Mk.4 Guns on Mk.I High Angle Mounts, seen in action in Salonika.

LF

IWM This image is reproduced strictly for non-commercial research and private study purposes as permitted under the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988, as amended and revised.

[Lancashire Fusilier]

Seen from a different angle, the same AA Lorry as shown in the previous post, shows the various ' Packard ' features as detailed in post #4747, additionally, the very clear view of the lorry's radiator design confirms it to be an American made ' Packard '.

LF

IWM This image is reproduced strictly for non-commercial research and private study purposes as permitted under the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988, as amended and revised.