Can anyone id my late dads Motorcycle.

[zola1]

Hi all,

Here is a picture of my dad on his bike (dated roughly around 1946 at RAF Cardington Bedford.)

https://www.flickr.com/photos/60033589@N03/31789926856/in/dateposted-public/

Its been identified as a  1939 model, but the exact model M23 ?...500cc ? or 350cc?....Gold or Silver Star ? etc .

Any thoughts ?

Kindest Regards

Derrick

[R]

Leon's BSA pages should nail it.

http://home.planet.nl/~leonhop3/1939_e.html

I think it has to be a silver star,  based almost entirely on the size of the tank badge !
And has to be 1939. 350 or 500 - maybe someone can count the fins ?
http://home.planet.nl/~leonhop3/1939_m23sp.jpg

Bit of a difficulty that the brochure pics are all of the timing side, and yours is of the clutch side.
The tank painted panel design is not too clearly visible either
Great pic of your dad, btw.
That extra headlamp low down on the forks is interesting.
Appy new years to all.

[zola1]

hi R,

Many thanks for the quick reply, i will check our Leon's page, was the silver star a smaller badge compared to the Gold Star, good info referring to the fin  count, any idea of the difference in no of fins 350/500,?... i will zoom in on the engine and count ...its a small bw photo and as soon as you zoom in it kind of gets blurry so will see if possible.
Dad would mention snippets of his motorcycle exploits, on our holiday journeys between bedford and essex ....but i was a kid of 9-10years and i remember little bits like BSA or another British make Velcolette, but not the models etc....wished i would of wrote things down but hey , i'm determined to finf more stuff out now .

that fork mounted lamp,,,brilliant love it, id guess it was an add-on, to pick up the kerb, or lack of ,on that mad dash to essex late night early morning to see mum, they started dating 1946 ish ......

many thanks for your help, Happy New Year , be in touch

kindest regards

derrrick

[L.A.B.]

That extra headlamp low down on the forks is interesting.

I think perhaps the spot lamp is on another vehicle in the foreground and could be why the lower part of the bike isn't in the photo but  there's a lot of sky in the picture as if the person taking photo was purposely trying to keep as much of another vehicle out of the shot as possible.     

[33d6]

I got sworn in to the RAF at Cardington in 1960.It was a major collection point for new recruits. I remember that type of billet accommodation in the background only too well. They were more or less standard on many camps. One coke stove for heating and just enough coke to last a week if you were very, very careful. We burnt anything we could get our hands on. As a mug Australian joining up I froze that first winter. Luckily I got posted to a hospital for my second winter and then overseas to Aden. Warm at last.
Strange how inconsequential things in photos have vivid memories for some of us.

Cheers,

[zola1]

Good point LAB, its only when you look at it subjectively that you pick up on things in a different light, thank you.I'm just looking at a dads smile, he was on the up in 1946, survived Italy during WW2 , no "soft underbelly" there !....this would have been a big day, i'd like to think he just got the BSA and it was off see mum that night down in Essex.

Hi 33d6, those billets don't look to comfortable, winter, trying to keep it warm, what a challenge, Dad was in the "Balloon Unit" for 5 years, he loved it, the RAF marked a new beginning and hope.....thanks for the comment here is a link on the camp

http://rafcardingtoncamp.co.uk/

Happy New guys, I'll take a look a the links, see if its possible to narrow it down further..

Derrick

 

[zola1]

Leon's BSA pages should nail it.

http://home.planet.nl/~leonhop3/1939_e.html

I think it has to be a silver star,  based almost entirely on the size of the tank badge !
And has to be 1939. 350 or 500 - maybe someone can count the fins ?
http://home.planet.nl/~leonhop3/1939_m23sp.jpg

Bit of a difficulty that the brochure pics are all of the timing side, and yours is of the clutch side.
The tank painted panel design is not too clearly visible either
Great pic of your dad, btw.
That extra headlamp low down on the forks is interesting.
Appy new years to all.

I count 11 fins in total ....9 + the 2 large ones at the head end ,does that make it a 350cc ?

cheers

derrick

[R]

I'm not sure !  We'll need someone with that model to confirm.
Or a good photo from approx the same viewpoint to compare.

[zola1]

hi R,

Thanks, i'll wait for someone to possibly reply.

cheers

derrick

[merry1]

My father bought a Silver Star just before the war started. Joined the RAF & headed off to the desert with 601 Squadron, packed it all in Vaseline before he left & stored it away, when he came home found his Mother had sold it convinced he wasn't coming home. Because he was in service it seems Hire Purchase contracts were suspended until the war was over. Irony was he went to do the right thing & pay for it after he was demobbed & found the Motorcycle shop & all around had been obliterated in the Blitz.
All records lost which made him happy as he never got a penny from his Dear old Mother

[zola1]

Hi Merry1 ,

what a cracking recollection, love the bit about mum not paying up ..my dad looked like the cat got the cream with his BSA ...I guess they had lots of fun & were riding on quiet roads

cheers
derrick