WDB40 Data plate

[Rupert]

Hi all, just doing some research into BSA WDB40 production.

Re the Brass Data Plate usually found pop riveted to the near side headstock gusset plate on British Army WDB40's.

The date stamp on these plates is always after the contract date (contract number is shown on the plate) and usually before, never after, the despatch date given by BSA.

So exactly what does the date relate to?

Best guess so far is it's the date that the brass plate is attached to the frame during assembly, I.e. The point it actually becomes a British Army vehicle. 

Anybody have a better suggestion for the meaning of the date or knowledge regarding the stamping proceedures for brass plates on other British army vehicles in the 1960's?

Thanks in hopeful anticipation, Rupert.

 

 

 

[Richard Farrant]

Rupert,

I had several of these B40's in the early Seventies and also worked in army workshops. I am certain these plates were fitted and stamped on receipt by the RAOC Vehicle Storage Depots. So the date would be when received by the MoD.

[Rupert]

Hi Richard, that's interesting, I'll check again but havnt yet seen a date stamp after the bike was despatched from BSA?

I had assumed the plate was attached to the frame at BSA as it is awkward to drill the frame and pop rivet it in place once the tank is fitted. New spare frames are not pre-drilled for the plate.

Do you remember seeing any bikes having the plate attached in army depots?

Rupert

[Richard Farrant]

Rupert,

It was an assumption. I worked on some of these in Workshops, not at Storage Depots. I guess date would be build date then. Contract dates in records can often be a year or more prior to vehicles being built and not a good guide on build dates.

Have you any record on the B40GN models that were made for the Royal Navy?

[Rupert]

Hi Richard, the other factor which points to the brass plate being fitted at BSA is that the serial number on it is recorded in the BSA despatch books against the frame number.

Agreed re contract dates.

Re the GN models, my understanding is that the service records for these machines are currently missing. I have the BSA despatch information for all of them, and a couple of anecdotes of them in service.

[Richard Farrant]

Hi Rupert,

I am sending you a PM, thanks.

[jenkinov]

As a historical precedent the war department in ww2 would have an inspector accept and stamp the vehicles..

With the BSA.B40 i believe the bikes would have been inspected on behalf of the.war department and accepted and at this point the data p!ate added . BSA with its historic link to small arms and being a key bike manufacturer would have been used to these procedures and it's not unlikely that a senior quality control manager within BSA would inspect the bikes .The plate would be added priors to despatch .They would then be inspected upon arrival at the army depot .

Jenkinov

 

[Rupert]

Hi Jenkinov, thanks for that info, it fits with what I thought may be the case at BSA, somebody there acting on behalf of the army to oversee or maybe accept the vehicle by attaching the data plate.

It would possibly make sense that that process may have been done in batches, hence the small range of date stamps in the larger contracts and the single dates found for smaller batches, made easier by the date being month and year, not individual days.

Heres best guess for the process at the moment, happy for anybody to shoot holes through it -

Engine number stamped as engine is completed.

Frames drilled with pop rivet holes for Data plate immediately prior to being put on assembly line

Engine fitted to frame already on production line with some parts already added.

Engine number copied onto frame.

Sometime between then and completion of the bike, I.e before the tank is fitted -

Data plates stamped on the bench with serial number (which links directly to the frame number) and date before being pop riveted on the bike.

Data plate serial number entered alongside frame number in despatch book

Rupert.