A.I.D. Inspectors

[Rich Payne]

I 've come across a reference in a general history of Norton motorcycles to the fact that, during the war years, "...two Inspectors from the A.I.D. were based at the factory with the authority to visit any department and inspect the work..."

In my ignorance, I confess that I don't know what "A.I.D." stands for and none of my reference books have helped, neither has searching the forum but it is such a common word.

Could some kind soul enlighten me as I'd like to look into the National Archive records and can find nothing (relevent) on-line.

Rich.

[Richard Farrant]

Rich,

It was the Aeronautical Inspection Directorate, a department of the Air Ministry. Their role was to carry out quality checks and inspect the work for tolerances, etc. I remember my father mentioning them when he was involved in making aircraft parts during the early part of the war. You often find small circular stamp marks on parts with letters and numbers within, this is to signify that they inspected said part.

Richard

[Rich Payne]

Thanks, Richard. Is there an implication that the A.I.D. Inspectors would have functioned for all of the Government orders or were they only interested in Air Ministry contracts ?

Would they have been responsible for the "M" stamps found on many crankcases ?



No. 74 also appears on W1742 and W3869. Do you think that the number would have indicated an individual Inspector ?

Rich.

[Richard Farrant]

Rich,

I would say that AID were only involved with Air Ministry contracts, which of course could have been running alongside Army ones and would have included all parts for spares as well.

The M over 74 has a Broad Arrow mark of the War Dept. above the M, and having seen this type of stamp on other vehicles would say that is the War Office inspectors stamp.

The AID stamp is a very small circle with letters/numbers within and needs a magnifiying glass to read, it is that small.

Something interesting on your photo that I have spotted, it is the letters "JLO" within an oval. Now I think your Norton was left behind in 1940, and so, must have been captured and used by the Germans. JLO is / was, a German engine manufacturer (air cooled stationary engines for generators, etc.) and at a guess they may have overhauled your engine during its service with the German army.

[Mike K]

I had at one point , some WW2 aircraft radios , made here by AWA . The AT5/AR8 radios were generic , used in Wirraways and Hudsons and most RAAF types . The army used em too, they renamed the set WS 112 .

Seen on the radios , little white A.I.D. stamps . Those inspectors were busy here too ........

Mike

[Rich Payne]

The inspection system must have involved a lot of resources if the Air Ministry had their own inspectors with a manufacturer of side-valve motorcycles ! The Norton 16H hadn't been "cutting edge" since the early 1920s

I would be fascinated to discover more about the RAF contracts. "Air Publication" workshop manuals turn up quite often but I have never seen Air Ministry parts lists (which generally showed frame and engine numbers) and any surviving machines now seem impossible to identify. Perhaps I should be looking for A.I.D. stamps.

I fear that the various and changing relationships between The War Office, Air Ministry, Ministry of Supply etc. are likely to remain something of a mystery to me.

I had wondered as well about the "JLO" on the crankcases. I know them only as a post-war proprietary engine manufacturer. My Norton was engineless when I obtained it and I know nothing about the history of those cases which I bought at the Netley Marsh jumble last year. I was looking for an engine from contract C.5109 (W1000 - W6999) to pair with my frame no. W4216 and was quite chuffed to find W4187, Once fitted to a bike only 29 earlier.

The engine and frame probably left the factory on the same day in 1940 and are now back together after 66 years ! It would be even more of a co-incidence if the engine had been left behind in June 1940 as well.

[Richard Farrant]

Originally posted by Rich Payne
The inspection system must have involved a lot of resources if the Air Ministry had their own inspectors with a manufacturer of side-valve motorcycles !

I had wondered as well about the "JLO" on the crankcases. I know them only as a post-war proprietary engine manufacturer. My Norton was engineless when I obtained it and I know nothing about the history of those cases which I bought at the Netley Marsh jumble last year.

Rich,

AID inspections would have occured on the most mundane items, look on it as quality control by the customer. Any problems would have been rectified before delivery, an inspector in residence was a small price to pay. Norton Motors may have been making parts ofr aircraft, or engines of course.

Not sure when JLO started, certainly producing in the late 40's, another possibilty is they were contracted to rebuild engines for the British Forces in Germany, post war.......but with the engine being an early one, I still go with my original theory.

[Rich Payne]

Originally posted by Richard Farrant
Not sure when JLO started, certainly producing in the late 40's, another possibilty is they were contracted to rebuild engines for the British Forces in Germany, post war.......but with the engine being an early one, I still go with my original theory.

A friend has looked into this further and been in touch with Martin Gerstenlauer of the JLO Register. Although he was not aware himself, he has now obtained confirmation from a retired JLO employee that they rebuilt motorcycle engines at Pinneberg for the occupying British Forces in the immediate post-war years.

Another mystery solved. Well done Richard

[Richard Farrant]

Originally posted by Rich Payne
Another mystery solved. Well done Richard

Thanks Rich,

Another interesting aspect to add to your Norton's history!