Help Identifying bike from 1919 photo

[Onward]

Hi there,

We have a photograph that we are wanting to use on the cover of a book which we intend to colourise, and were hoping the experts amongst you may be able to identify it, and hopefully even advise what the colour scheme may have been?

The subject of the photo is a New Zealand Expeditionary Force signaller, and the photo is taken in 1919 during the occupation of Germany.

Any tips gratefully received and thank you in advance!

Matt

[Rex]

Looks like a Triumph to me, but on a historical note was Germany occupied post WW1?

[chaterlea25]

Hi Matt and Rex

Its a Triumph model H, 
Something a bit odd about the front wheel setup though?
The stirrup front brake assembly is not present ?
There are two disc like gadgets on the front hub that are "strange" to my eye

John

[cardan]

Yes I'm not sure what's going on with the front hub - but the bike is certainly the 4 h.p. (550cc) Triumph Model H. It used the 3-speed Sturmey Archer CS (counter shaft) gearbox, with belt final drive. I recall there were 25,000+ of these built for the war effort. At the Armistice in Nov 1918 there were 17,998 total on the books - 9,813 "overseas" and 8,185 "at home" (in the UK).

The petrol tank was a silver-grey (my guess more grey on the military models - not much of an advantage to glitter) with green panels. The rest was black, with small parts nickel plated.

What's the book about Matt?

Cheers

Leon

[R]

Note also the leather strapping just below the fork spring (up top).
This is so that in the event of a fork spring breakage, the forks don't fold under the bike
and pitch you head first into the cobblestones, a well known Triumph forks 'foible'.

Yes that 'occupy Germany' sounds like it needs investigating for historical accuracy ?
An Armistice ended WW1...

[Onward]

Thank you everyone for your replies so far, it has been most useful!

What's the book about Matt?

Cheers

Leon

Leon, the books are a series we have been producing where we are trying to locate as many photographs of the 95,000 odd men and woman of New Zealand who served overseas during the Great War. So far we have located photos of around 30,000 of them. Our website: www.onwardproject.co.nz

Yes that 'occupy Germany' sounds like it needs investigating for historical accuracy ?
An Armistice ended WW1...

Hi R,

The Armistice saw the end of fighting, though technically the end was when the Treaty of Versailles was signed on 28 June 1919. The treaty did not come into effect though until January 1920.

Have a read here: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/British_Army_of_the_Rhine


The New Zealanders were part of this force, and were none to happy about it. After up to 5 years away from home for some, they were wanting to get home!


Once again, thank you for the assistance, once we have a coloured pic I will post it so see what you think!


Cheers,


Matt

[R]

Just to be clear, its 'only' the Rhineland we are talking about here. ?

The discontent about which rather led to Hitlers rise, and ultimately WW2...

[john.k]

There were plenty of allied personnel in germany with the Inter allied disarmament comission...........according to some on the comission,they were more interested in spying on German secret developments,in particular the advanced mechanisms of submarines developed during the war..........there was also the Disarmement of the People,1920" law,where the Weimar government were forced to recover the arms that soldiers simply took home after the armistice.Some took home field guns that were hidden until 1933.