welbike

Ah Yes Steve, but also after Dunkirk hundreds and hundreds of french garages were set to work to get the bikes, cars and trucks running again, have seen many pictures of that in the Koblenz nat. archives in Germany. And with most of the spare parts captured too, it was not too difficult to rebuild the seized engines. Cheers, Lex

Came across this picture, unusual to see a Squarial in the army, and even rarer in the German army!! The other 2 bikes are DKW NZ 350's Cheers, Lex

Hi all, found this IWM picture at Beltring, and thought I'd share it. Any idea's about what/where/when?? Cheers, Lex

Ah Jan, I had seen it before, but it's even better now!!! good to see some action here, have many more stuff to scan, will do after Beltring, leaving tomorrowmorning, at O'dark, beddybeddybeyes for now! Tim, also thanks for joining in, and also gritineye, great pics!!! Cheers, Lex

And 2 Douglasses, and one of the same workshop. Anybody any idea what the "ingersoll" means??? Cheers, Lex

Found 3 more P&M pictures, and just scanned them, not much happening here! Cheers, Lex

Hi all, the above is certainly not a wartime jerrycan for in a container, see for the real thing here; http://summerof44.org.uk/OldSite/Menu/Equipment/Fuelcan.htm If you ever find one under a hundred pounds, better buy it!! Hope this helps, Lex

Lee, you probably missed this, but could you please?? Arriving saturday regardless! Lex

Hi Guys, Don't know if you know this one, it's in a private collection near Paris. Can get numbers/data etc. but will take a while before I visit again. Cheers, Lex

Nice pictures lee!! Can you take one from stall A1-A2 ? right when you come in via the main (visitors) entrance, just so we know what to expect!! And say hello to Rex from Lex, the crazy Dutchman! Cheers, Lex

Here a follow up, Some P&M litarature of the time. The original sign from the factory, was there on the door until the early 70's, when a good friend bought all the remaining stock, a lot went in the skip though!! Wouldn't make much sense collecting all this stuff, and not having the bike, so here it is, an early 1910 model, that actually served with the RFC, when Officers went into the services at that time they were encouraged to bring their own vehicles, and it happened a lot! Cheers, Lex

Hi all, Just to revive this thread, only just noticed it! Great Triumph pictures by the way! Here's some pictures of RFC P&M's or Phelon and Moore, from Cleckheaton Yorkshire that supplied most bikes to the RFC and the later RAF upto about 1939. Here the first P&M, or I should say P&R, Mr. Rainer was killed in the first motoring accident in Yorkshire in 1901! Then Mr Phelon, went on with Mr. Moore, hence the P&M. During the second world war they did sterling service making Rolls Royce parts, and bomber undercarriages. P&M, was called Panther after 1924, in their advertising slogans it was also called "The Perfected Motorcycle" in the early days when it was still called P&M, it was a most modern motorcycle, with all chain drive, 2 speeds, and a neutral! and it was by no means cheap! (and still isnt!) As you can see, lots of women despatch riders!! Far East? Post cards Various pictures More in the next post, Lex Schmidt Holland

Martyn, Look me up at Beltring, stall A1 and A2, in the white marquee, might take a Cushman with me. MKII Welbikes certainly had all the transfers, original paint Welbikes don't lie! I will do some researching on MKI WB's Cheers, Lex

Hi Martyn, Nice Welbike, and you did well getting rid of the mod's! Some notes on the markings, the little caution transfers on the tanks were never white only, they had a black background, all the original paint Welbikes I owned and still own, have them, one day I'll reproduce them! Then the Census number, on the 3rd contract, all the WB's had the last two digits from the frame number as the C number, so yours should end on a 6 too. Too bad the tanks were overpainted, otherwise you might have known the complete framenumber. Incidently one of my WB's frame numbers is 3059, and that has C5153859 on the tank (original paint and the numbers are actually transfers, another thing to make!) Your C number is something like this:C51538?6 Also your frame number is a little high, when comparing to others in my database, mine is 3292, they certainly never match, but vary from 50 to 300 digits. The War Office tried hard to get all manufacturers to end the Census numbers last two digits to match with the last two frame numbers, and to match engine and frame numbers, but Excelsior only partly complied with that! but that was certainly not the only manufacturer to do so. Hope this helps, Cheers, Lex Schmidt, Holland ps, Strange to see myself as an aftar all the time!

Well, what's gone is gone! I saw that M4 Quadrant piece at the Vierville jumble, and tried to buy it, but the owner was never there! Start saving, or take a mortgage on the house!! and you'll be able to buy a Pack someday, they are very scarse items Cheers, Lex

What a shame, 10 years ago I had the parts you need now! and double too (2 barrels, one sleigh) But will find out where they ended up, probably far away from here! I do remember they came from Jordan, in the middle east. Cheers, Lex

Rob, I was there too on all the jumbles, but only found a cleaning rod for the Pack, and missed a Panoramic sight for it, by just minutes!! and that was in the little militaria shop in Arromanches, an American bought it from under my nose, to give to his father as a present, he wouldn't part with it! and he paid only 45 euro's, easily 500 nowadays, if you need it! Mind you, this was on the saturday after the 6th! so nobody noticed it in the shop at all, really strange. (well, Tim wasn't there) Anyway, had good fun otherwise, the Cushman was just ready, and did quite well on the beach! Now it's an easy step to do this: French Troops 35RAP (postwar) Am working on the 2nd pack again, it's getting there, and might be for sale at Beltring. Cheers, Lex

All BSA enquiries can be sent to me, welbike(at)welbike.net It doesn't cost any money to see if its on the cards, only when you want a scan of the card! (and these monies are being used to further digitalize the Matchless Keycards) Hope this helps, Lex Schmidt ps, nice history on your Norton WDBM!!

Ah, yes, a sick mind in an even sicker body!!! Guess we'll have to use photoshop then?? Cheers, Lex

Yes, that was a real enjoyable day!! and looking at the pictures, I must say the field location looks even more convincing this way!!! there's still 3 or 4 locations to find, but it is a difficult job, with no more landmarks than the land itself!! Ron, Ill try not to bend my forks again, but "biggy" is heavier then a 16H, so we might bend those instead!! (but nothing a sturdy ratchet strap won't straighten!) Here's someone using his Dingo to take the picture from the right angle! Cheers, Lex ps, don't forget to bring a can of white paint next time to paint the Mayors horse white!!!

Ok Guys, just got the word, they are WLA's and the markings are 5th vehicle of the Divisional MP Platoon of the 1st US Infantrydivision. First Group: 1 stands for 1st Inf Division SecondGroup: X marks the unit in the 3rd group (in this case the 1st MP Platoon) is directly dependant from the unit in the first group (in this case the Divisional HQ of the 1st Inf Div) Third group: 1P stands for 1st MP Platoon Fourth group: 5 stands for 5th vehicle whitin the platoon Photo was taken by Corporal Earl E. Miller, 33879319, an MP of the 1e Inf Divisie in 1945 (recently sold on Ebay) See also this link: http://www.lonesentry.com/panzer/jeep-markings.html Thanks to Johan Willeart and his superb site: http://www.theliberator.be/ Cheers, Lex

Looks like South African, but nobody's sure. Look at RAF flag in background, where/when was this taken? back of postcard reads: 1 346, so 1st of march 1946?? Cheers, Lex

Hi all, these bikes are most definetively WLA's or WLC's but the quality is too bad to determine between the two! Will ask on another forum, about the markings, but something MP probably. Cheers, 82X120 (or Lex if you prefer?)

Hi Paul, Congrats! Just reading this now, Have some spares for these, but rather would sell complete resto object, come and see me at Beltring, stall A! and A2. Cheers, Lex Schmidt

Graham, wish you had contacted me first before building your replica from the Coventry Motor Museum, as this is hopelessly inacurate! If you need the sizes for the sidecar body email me direct on: welbike(at)welbike.net Cheers, Alex Schmidt