Old army bike

[statik]

An old photo from my Grandfathers army days, he's the one on the back.  Don't have a clue when, where or what it is.  Any information would be helpful.

[esometisse]

Interesting! A 500cc OHV BSA M33, still with girder forks so built in 1948.
I wasn't even aware that a WD version of this bike existed!

Cheers
Andy

[L.A.B.]

Interesting! A 500cc OHV BSA M33, still with girder forks so built in 1948. I wasn't even aware that a WD version of this bike existed

I doubt it was built in 1948, it has a WW2 headlamp mask! They look more like RAF uniforms rather than army?

It looks more like an M23 Silver Star to me. At the outbreak of WW2 the War office bought every available motorcycle they could lay their hands on, so some rather exotic motorcycles ended up pressed into military service early in the war.

[esometisse]

Could be. The bikes (M23 and M33) are very similar other than the cylinder heads -  which is not really visible in the Army pic.

Cheers
Andy

[statik]

That has cleared up an old family mystery.  We know very little about my Grandfathers war years.  Now you mention RAF it seems obvious, he was trained as a mechanic and was never sent abroad.  Must have been at a local airfield or similar. 

[RichP]

Certainly RAF.

The registration number is from a Swansea series issued January 1939 so probably a local purchase from dealer stocks. The headlamp mask is not the official WD pattern.

There are no records surviving, as far as is known of RAF local purchases (very little of their official contracts either - ground vehicles were of little importance when compared with the flying things).

[statik]

Thanks for the help it's been a talking point for a while.  We now think that it isn't my Grandad at all but his younger brother.  The argument was which war it was from,  I thought the bike was too new for WW2 and was a later conflict which makes the subject an Uncle.  Others thought it was before WW2 making it Grandad.  Still not sure but a bit wiser. 

[RichP]

The black-out mask clearly points to WW2, and prior to 1945 by which time restrictions were being relaxed in the UK.

The paint is peeling on the Nissen hut and the sandbags have been there a while. The bike has clearly seen a bit of use.

My instinct puts the photo a few years into the war and as the rider is wearing his issue wellingtons, probably winter. Perhaps 1942 - 43 although the winter of 43-44 was a notably wet one which might tie in better with the wellies !

[L.A.B.]

My instinct puts the photo a few years into the war and as the rider is wearing his issue wellingtons, probably winter. Perhaps 1942 - 43 although the winter of 43-44 was a notably wet one which might tie in better with the wellies !

However, the bike is casting a very short shadow - so the sun was almost directly overhead when the photo was taken which suggests it was summertime? Nissen huts had been in common use since 1916, so the apparent dilapidation of the paintwork doesn't help to date the photo.

[statik]

I'm very happy with whats been said and mid-WW2 1942 (ish) RAF makes my Grandad too old for service.  The latter part of the war he was in Woolwich power station untill he had a bad accident and almost lost a leg.  By the end of the war he was working at Matchless doing a sit-down fitters job.  We are starting to think it was an uncle, possibly my dads younger brother Bert on the bike.  We are sifting through bags and boxes of photos at the moment.  I'll let you know the outcome.  Thanks all for the help.