question Home Office/Civil Defence/AFS Motorcycle Coat

[DWS]

Hi All

I am trying to find out if there was such a thing as a specific Motorcycle Coat/Jacket in use by the Home Office/Civil Defence/AFS etc. during the post war years. I have seen a few b/w photos of AFS motorcycle riders wearing what looks like a 3/4 length, double breasted coat, it's hard to tell in the photos but it looks to be the same colour/material as the war time DR full length coat, but a lot shorter - See photo. Anyone got any ideas? Cheers, Dave.

 

 

[Tony B]

A lot of these type of coats were made by Belstaff, Barbour and Pythchley. Try them, they may have something in the archives.

[Richard Farrant]

Hi All

I am trying to find out if there was such a thing as a specific Motorcycle Coat/Jacket in use by the Home Office/Civil Defence/AFS etc. during the post war years. I have seen a few b/w photos of AFS motorcycle riders wearing what looks like a 3/4 length, double breasted coat, it's hard to tell in the photos but it looks to be the same colour/material as the war time DR full length coat, but a lot shorter - See photo. Anyone got any ideas? Cheers, Dave.

 

 

 

Dave,

 

I seem to recollect there was a 3/4 length motorcyclists coat issued to army riders during WW2, before the introduction of the full length DR coat and it was used with leggings. Your photo looks very much like these coats.

[DWS]

Tony

 

Thanks for that, worth following up.

 

Richard

 

Thanks for that info. I suppose like all kit, a lot of spare was left in storage for many years and it is likely that these coats might have been used post war if they were 'found' in a stockroom somewhere. Again worth following up.

[Tony B]

Should add Pytchley is a trade name for a company called Mears. They specialise in Equestrian gear. They made a solid, bl**dy heavy , very sweaty pure rubber ridng mac. These also became de'rigeur for motorcyle use.

[Hogus]

Hello Dave Re. the riding equipment provided to the AFS despatch riders, in Liverpool where i was in the AFS we were issued with a single breasted unlined canvas 3/4 length coat a pair of unlined tan leather gauntlets and a Korker helmet and for leg protection we wore the regulation "Wet legs" basically two seperate oilskin type overtrousers hed up by whatever you could attatche them to and our issue wellingtons. Riding in the wet was great !! the coat let in the gloves let in the water ran down the seat so you had a wet bum and anything above about 50 MPH the helmet migrated to the back of your head as it was very shallow. This was OK on local exercises but for long distance we wore our own gear and the issue coat over our own and the Korker helmet. I loved every minute of it. "My" bike was a 1954 B31 BSA reg RGC 641 where are you now ? it is still on the DVLA register would dearly like to be re-united. The three long distance exercises from Liverpool were Morton in Marsh, Millom and Cardington home of the Airships, we also did the national tri centenary of fire of london (1966) but on that occasion i drove a 4X4 Green Goddess. Happy days

[DWS]

Hi Hogus

 

Many thanks for that information, after looking at a number of period photos of AFS motorcyclist in the 1950s and 1960s It looked like it was a situation of "Anything Goes" as far as riding kit is concerned, in just one photo of four or fives bikes/riders there was one wearing the type of coat you described and a Corker helmet, two wearing wax cotton Belstaffs or Barbours with traditional white open face helmets and one chap wearing a pudding basin helmet. A real mix of "Uniforms"! I've also seen at least one photo where a rider is wearing a military steel Despatch Riders helmet. A case of what ever was available at the time I suppose. You may like to have a look at my website at http://www.afs-matchless.info no BSAs I'm sorry but worth a look. Maybe you will have some comments to make on the content.

 

Regards, Dave.