Corporal Penny Despatch Rider WW1

[Seadog]

I post this for general interest as it forms part of the small but very interesting exhibition in the museum at Watchet West Somerset to accompany the unveiling of the new war memorial here. This man survived both world wars.

The Memorial

https://www.flickr.com/photos/glosters/14365827959/in/photostream

This image

https://www.flickr.com/photos/glosters/14370128767/in/photostream

Norman

[Pat Atkins]

Great photo! There's a (sparse) MIC on Ancestry for 161600 Cpl Fred B. Penny, RE, with the British and Victory medals - I guess that would be him. There's also one page of his service history on there, his short service attestation form dated January 1916 which gives his age as 18 years and 6 months, and his occupation as bank clerk. It's stamped "Lieut. Col. RE, Fenny Stratford Signal Depot".

Fred Penny's postcards sent from internment in Switzerland after he was taken POW are interesting, too. They're on the Watchet Remembrance Project site here: http://www.watchetremembranceproject.co.uk/Tales.htm

Cheers, Pat

[Seadog]

Thanks Pat I have visited the website but I did not associate this with Fred, a very intersting archive and Fenny Stratford has some history to it. It just goes to show what further stories/items can be given the light of day when a new war memorial is created where none existed before. Can we hazard a guess at the make of bike? it looks like a vertical single-cylinder so not a Douglas.

Regards

Norman

[Lancashire Fusilier]

Can we hazard a guess at the make of bike? it looks like a vertical single-cylinder so not a Douglas.

Norman,

The motorcycle is a Douglas rear wheel belt-drive motorcycle, with the belt drive on the right hand side of the rear wheel ( Triumph belt-drive on the left ). Douglas, along with Triumph were the two main maker's of WW1 British military motorcycles.

Regards,

LF

[Seadog]

Nice one LF you are of course correct.

Norman