Motorcycles of WW1

[Waddell]

Andrew,

 

The C341012 number is the bikes census number and I believe the 34 refers to 1934, regardless the bike is post war,  a BSA V-twin.

 

His cap badge is possibly West Yorkshire regiment.

 

It would be worth posting the picture on WW2 Talkforum as there are a few members knowledgeable on bikes.

 

Scott

 

 

[Guest]

Thank you very much for your help Scott. Much appreciated !

As you can see I am no expert.

 

Cheers

 

Andy

[Radlad]

1 hour ago, Waddell said:

Andrew,

 

The C341012 number is the bikes census number and I believe the 34 refers to 1934, regardless the bike is post war,  a BSA V-twin.

 

Scott

 

 

 

Agreed. and the BMM registration number is from the London area.  3 letter registrations came into use about 1932 so that one would be correct for a vehicle registered circa 1934

[Dorsetapplecakes]

Hello Everyone,

 

My grandfather was a despatch rider during WW1. We have a large number of photos that include the training at Leighton buzzard in 1915 and on into active service in France. I was wondering if anyone would be able to identify the bikes that he is photographed with, is it a Triumph?

best wishes 

 

[researchingreg]

It looks like a Triumph single cylinder model H - See this You tube clip. My uncle Reg used to ride a War Dept Sunbeam when he was in the RFC

 

Edited 12 June , 2019 by researchingreg
extra info

[Dorsetapplecakes]

yep, that's the one ! That is fantastic , it looks immaculate !

Thank you ! 

 

[Dorsetapplecakes]

I think these are all triumphs lined up here in France . 

[Dorsetapplecakes]

Its fascinating  to see  how the stand on the bike works ,I enjoyed watching that !

 

[Terry_Reeves]

Definitely the Model H - the "Trusty Triumph". Manufactured at the Triumph works in Priory St, Coventry which stood adjacent to the current Coventry Cathedral. It  was largely destroyed in an air raid in WW2. The founder, ironically, was Siegfried Bettmann, a German,  who became became a naturalised Briton and served as a local councillor and as Mayor.

 

 

TR

Edited 12 June , 2019 by Terry_Reeves

[Dorsetapplecakes]

Thanks  Terry ! 

I know from my Grandfathers letters that he was very pleased to collect his Triumph , well done to Siegfried Bettmann !

[chaz]

1 hour ago, Dorsetapplecakes said:

Its fascinating  to see  how the stand on the bike works ,I enjoyed watching that !

 

the second war BSA WM20 is another with similar rear stand, also came with a spiked side stand around 2ft long on the left side held in place with a clip which could spring open over the bumps.

[BGS]

Sergeant James Hooper, Army Service Corps, 35th Division Motor Transport Company. Pre-war he had been a driver with London General Omnibus Co. The bike appears to be the Triumph Model H illustrated in previous posts.

 

Has the Scott Motor Machine Gun motorcycle/sidecar been mentioned in the earlier posts (sorry, I didn't have the energy to read through them all).

[Dorsetapplecakes]

Hello everyone,

Please can you help me ?

Background first :

So my family have come across a large amount of photo graphs of my grandfather as despatch rider in WW1. That's him in my previous post on the triumph bike.(M C Corporal Ernest Keeling 74959 B Corp Sigs) In the second picture of the four men  he has labelled his comrades, we have more pictures of these particular men (surnames only).

The man on the far right is marked as 'Mason' .

Last week I purchased a trio of WW1 medals that  came from an auction in Bristol .

I believe  that these may be his  (A Mason 30263) . Nat archives state that he was a Mechanist Corporal but there is no regiment ( I have gone through all the Masons on there and he was the only  RE Mechanist  Corporal documented ).

In the box with the medals was a business card . Its a long shot but I was wondering if anyone knew anything of the business or of A.Mason the proprietor ?

I've attached the medal card and the business card . 

Any information I would be very grateful for .

Best wishes 

 

[Dorsetapplecakes]

They must have been swapping and changing bikes all the time . Here is  another of my Grandfather  Ernest ,this time on a  Douglas ,according to the writing this was taken  just before he went out to France on the 31st July 1915

[Ghazala]

Brough visit to Clouds Hill marked the 84th year since death of T E Lawrence.  Six Brough motorcycles had been at a memorial service at Lawrence’s grave on the anniversary of his death (19 May 1935) and made their way to Clouds Hill from there. Staff and visitors gathered outside the cottage to admire the bikes as they rolled in. One even had a replica number plate of Lawrence’s own bike registration GW2275, as it was being used in the Lawrence After Arabia film which is currently being filmed around the area.  Lawrence died six days after sustaining severe injuries in a motorcycle accident on the road close to his home at Clouds Hill.