wdbikemad

Good old engine oil is fine in these old low-tech, low speed simple 'boxes.........Burman boxes, as fitted to Matchless, Ariel and some WD/COs do specify grease, topped up with engine oil, but the modern semi-fluid stuff is a better combination as traditional grease tends to get thrown into corners and stays there..........you can get tubs of the semi-fluid from several of the classic oil suppliers in small tubs, often a litre in size.........I had heard that 16H's and Big 4's also specified grease in the 'box but haven't looked at the manuals for ages.....

He was to you what my grandads was to me then.

 

Truly great men

Agreed......and I have just looked at what his battalion (1st Buckingham Battalion (TA) Ox & Buck LI) went through in the BEF in 1940, FOUR YEARS BEFORE he went back to France on D-Day...........massive heroic action around Hazebrouck, many casualties and the battalion decimated.........he was lucky to escape alive and unwounded.........and then he went back on D-Day and fought his way from France, through Belgium, Holland and into Germany..........incredible man....as were they all......

It's awesome. A true family treasure

Thanks ! Rare to see a genuine wartime BD, with history, known owner, original insignia and still within the family.......somewhere, we still have his TOS bonnet, plus a box-full of insignia that he collected within the UK and across Europe.....I saw it years ago now, German stuff in there too..........

He was in my mind a true hero......pre-war territorial, then BEF 39-40...........managed to get back to England, spent time as part of the 48th, 54th and 3rd Inf Divisions, then went into D-Day as part of the 6th Beach Group landing on Sword beach in the morning of June 6th 1944 with the initial assault group..........absorbed into the 51st Div in August 1944, he went on fighting through France, Belgium (Ardennes '44), Op Veritable (battle of the Reichswald) and crossed the Rhine into Germany early 45........

He never talked about the war, but was a tall, gentle, proud man who loved his garden..........sadly, no longer with us.......:-(

Pulled out my grandfather's WW2 BD Blouse over at the parent's today.....Size 10 Canadian-manufactured by "Tip Top Tailors" dated January 1945......this was his "best" BD rather than his "combat" item, the latter no doubt worn out after slogging his way from Normandy through to Germany........his original insignia still fitted, badged for the 51st (Highland) Infantry Division ("Monty's Highlanders"), 5th Battalion Seaforth's, 152nd Infantry Brigade.........his medal ribbons have been removed though we have these somewhere......note the pipe-clayed rank chevrons.......this will never be sold.....)......

He was a pre-war territorial in the OX & Bucks LI (Bucks Battalion), served with the BEF in 39-40 and got out via Calais by the skin of his teeth.......he then remained in the UK in training and defence roles until June '44 when he went into Normandy on D-Day with the 6th Beach Group......by July his battalion was reduced to cadre strength and he was transferred into the 5th Batt Seaforth's, 152nd Inf Bde......he survived the war but sadly died about 10 years ago now......

Also I m looking for a admiralty wax jkt British WWII submariner jkt

If you know any one selling this cheers matt

Hi Matt, the cammo one is in DENIM (not windproof fabric) and exactly the same as the green denim version......cammo is the early ("Denison style") hand-applied type in green and brown, BUT, a study of the smock shows that this has been applied to the fabric at the factory and NOT the smock after manufacture.......it is dated 1943 so at the very end of the Denim smock production when the cammo windproof style took over.....it's a real rarity and I haven't seen another before or since, and I guess matching trousers would have been made to go with it......?

Not sure if I will sell, and if I do it may be Ebay....my last green denim example alone went for over £160.........I'm using both as source examples for my forthcoming post-war combat clothing book to show where the post-war styles originated from........but a good offer may be considered.......photos (obviously) can be supplied.......:-D

Looks more 64 pattern (pocket pleats)............for far less, khaki and green original KF combat shirts can be had for around 5 - 10 pounds..............try "Sabre Sales" in Southsea or "Surplus and Outdoors" in Kidderminster for starters.........far cheaper proposition than WPG and for an original issue item.......

Ebay.......Geoff Myers from Russell Motors in London ("Flyingdogboy") is selling a lot of ex-WD NOS Triumph 3HW engine stuff on the site.........:-D

hi there i m wondering if you are interested in selling this cheers matt

It's gone, sorry Matt !!! However, I do have another in storage, plus a very rare cammo version of the same (not the later cammo gabardine type either - this one is cammo denim......dated 1943, Size 5.....never seen another one in 30 years....)....I just might part with one......

Classic item in the 70s/early 80s........Silverman's used to sell-'em by the bucketload !!! The DMS boots to find are the ones lacking the "metric" sizing on the soles...........I still have a couple of NOS pairs somewhere, 30 years old now as issued to me in '83.....)

Nice ! I have a few similar pairs in sizes 5, 6, 7 and 9........

By chance would you still have that 22" zipper?

I will need to check, but probably.....:-D

Metal Magic can thread your barrel if you can't find a genuine one. Ron

Threaded barrel's were only used on pre and wartime-manufactured Flea's, plus very few 45-46 civvy examples........I have owned and restored two WD Flea's in my time, and it is far harder to restore a WD Flea than a James ML......very little early and WD Flea stuff is interchangeable with the post-war parts.......even the frame, crankshafts and engine cases are different, add to that the handlebars, sprockets, etc..........

I still have a fair bit of mechanical Flea parts (engine, gearbox, carb, electrical, etc) in deep storage........but can't remember exactly what....tho I do have some NOS Miller points, etc.........it's all a question of where....??!!!:undecided:

Are zipper problems typical of the 1960 Pattern smocks? I've seen quite a few photos (ebay primarily) where the zipper appears to be wavy (which according to my wife the resident textile expert indicates the manufacturer neglected to pre-shrink them). Wavy zippers would lead to all sorts of problems like premature wear and jamming.

Zip issues appear fairly common with 60 pattern and 68 pattern smocks and trousers, particularly new-old-stock garments. Distortion apart, the original zips were all-brass that were chemically blackened, and they do not store particularly well over long periods of time in less-than-perfect conditions, dampness and corrosion being the primary problems.....

Seems a shame to fit a chair to our 1940 Norton 16H..........she's a lovely, and fast, solo to ride..........:-D

Our 1942 Ariel W/NG, complete with Mrs M............the W/NG is called "Nancy" as that was the name carved into her bakelite steering damper by the original rider during WW2..........had this machine for nearly 20 years now, found in bits in a coal shed in Kent and restored by me (twice now) since acquisition..........:-D

Jerkin looks really nice, but possibly with a tear to the KF lining ???? (hence the tape ?). In nice condition, such as this, between £40-60 I would think, and the tank suit....well £50 - £80 at a guess.........some buy for the wartime date alone, so as post way maybe a bit less....? Depends if for wear or not, as a fair few re-enactors now seek these, and from the outside the post war are identical to wartime........

can anyone tell me what the tyre pressures should be on my wdco? I cant find it in the manual or operators book.

 

Chris

They will be as ridiculously low as most other WD bikes of the era....the low pressures were to improve grip and reduce tyre wear, apparently........best to ignore nowadays with modern rubber fitted..........

I usually go for around 30-32 psi in the rear and 26-28 on the front.........they seem to lose around 5lb psi after 3-5 months out of use so I usually top-up to the former readings prior to riding........:-D

I never worry about weight....with my back, the W/NG is just as heavy as the 16H............

Cheeky Lex !!!!!! Ha Ha !!!!

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/271163921501?ssPageName=STRK:MEWAX:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1423.l2649

 

£35(and still rising) for a hood!!!!!

The hoods are not exactly rare - I saw a pile of 'em at a show only last year at a fiver each, although there are never any around in the right size of condition when you are actually looking for one....... The one in the image looks to be new and a nice 52 date (1st year the detachable type appeared).......I wouldn't personally pay £35-odd for such, but for some if you need one, well.........:undecided:

Mrs M wants a chair on the Norton.....but I have my reservations........I mean, just look at what can happen....:-X....(Olive from "On The Buses" !!!)......

Seems the outer of the early (old size range) and later (metric sized) parkas varies, not only in fabric but in detail such as the pockets flaps, hood drawcords, nylon semi-lining, etc.........later parkas were indeed made in the same cotton-based DPM fabric as normal combat clothing........

But the liner fitted to this early example is a later (metric sized) example rather than a matching early-sized item.......not unusual as liners were often issued separately to the outer and frequently made by other contractors....this one being made by "Belstaff International Ltd" (BIL)........all the parka liners are velcro-attached and closed, no buttons.......some parkas offered for sale are sometimes seen with the extreme cold weather arctic liner attached which is similar but no velcro and double rows of buttons at the front......these were for wear (originally) with the arctic windproof smock although after 1984 were specified for the standard combat smock as well (the awful unlined variety with the falling-off pockets that replaced the 68 pattern).......

The lack of the NSN ("8405 - 99 - etc) on the label makes me suspect that this was not a British-issue item.........by 1969 virtually everything clothing-wise had a NSN, including Denisons..........the "3181A" bit on the label is the pattern (specification) code for the Denison, although this was replaced (in the MoD) by specification "3181B" in 1968........I have the full MoD Denison manufacturing specifications and instructions here and they are rather clear and detailed in how the garment was made and how it should be marked up..........

The other thing to note is that from at the latest 1968 onwards, the smock was no longer designated or labeled "Smock, Denison", this being changed to "Smock, Camouflage"......I have never seen an issue garment bearing the "Denison" designation later than 1966 in fact......

Fryer did make British combat kit around this time, generally DPM hoods and the odd early DPM para smock around 1977 - 78........

Makes me think this is either a commercial copy of the time, or intended for foreign use, but it IS made in original material and uses virtually all the same fittings 'bar the zip (too light) and the unplated Newey "7/7" studs that had been nickel plated since the 50s/60s..........

I've seen a few similar to this one over the years, and it's still rather nice !

I'd fully agree with Ron's comments, and Rik's......the stuff from Firwood and Cromadex, via Jeeparts is probably the best in the UK, though they told me the Cromadex is for spraying AND brushing which is useful for small parts and touching-up (ooh err Missus !) whereas the Firwood variety is spray-only..........

All wartime stuff was in a dead-flat matt finish and some don't like this as it does stain and mark and can wear/fade......but on the other hand, you end up with an arguably more realistic and original finish than gloss or "eggshell" with the bike "ageing" naturally.......

SCC brown began to appear around 1941 and was becoming common by 42 and almost universal a year later before olive drab replaced it from April 44 onwards.......but instructions were issued for old stocks of khaki green to be used up first, so some companies clearly still had stock to use up during 42 and possibly early 43 too........NOS parts are a good source to match original colours, especially if still wrapped, although KG does deteriorate over time due to the chromate used affecting the colour shade.......

It's a funny old world sometimes.......:-D