WW2 Bicycle Mystery

[maple_leaf_eh]

It is possible yours is a post war assemblage of compatible fitting parts.

In the 80s I was on exercise in Wainwright, Alberta and decided I wanted a bicycle to get around camp and explore. I found who in town sold bikes, and trudged in with my money. The old fella had a home workshop with an assortment of old bikes and what looked like a lot of parts.

I bought a 60s era CCM coaster bike that someone probably bought new from a catalogue, rode for years, put away, and the old guy bought it. He was just recycling serviceable bikes. It is possible you ugly but serviceable bike was the same thing. A used bike that needed some work, and parts were added to a wartime frame.

[Lang]

Jack, I am no expert but I would suggest your bike has nothing to do with Malvern Star. There were numerous suppliers and many of them were just parts assemblers using BSA and other stuff. Until forced into local production by shortages MS was largely a parts assembler itself. Is the DD British or Australian?


This has great detail photos and information on Malvern Star WW2

https://onlinebicyclemuseum.co.uk/ww...ilitary-model/

I have recently picked up a MS ladies bike dated 1943. It has the BSA main sprocket and under the frame British Made with what looks like the BSA rifles. It is a two star. The 3 is 1943 (starting 0 for 1940 and the M is for Melbourne factory)

The navel gazers on the bike forums seem to agree that thousands of standard civilian bikes, including many ladies bikes, were made by MS during the war and supplied to the military. There was no requirement for the super strengthened military bike for 90% of use.

Looking at many AWM wartime photos I have yet to find a strengthened bike and everyone seems to be riding standard models.

I suppose any wartime MS (easily dated) could be trotted out as military much like the many Staff Cars painted up.

[Lang]

Here is a Japanese Army bike captured at Milne Bay New Guinea.

[Lang]

First photo I have found of a strengthened Malvern Star. Jaquinot Bay New Britain with NZ Air Force Corsair.

Second photo Darwin 1943 civilian style bikes with one army bike just visible on the right.

[Lang]

It would appear the Malvern Star Military biike was nothing more than the standard postman's bike of the late 30's. Forks reinforced for mailbags, rear rack etc.

This is a Post Office bike not Army.

[Lang]

Here is a link to a very good site regarding American Bicycles.

http://www.theliberator.be/militarybicycles.htm


This excellent article from BSA Museum shows BSA produced lots of standard civilian style bikes for the military as did Malvern Star - they were not all one of the 70,000 folding bikes they also produced.

https://bsamuseum.wordpress.com/1944...tary-roadster/

[Philliphastings]

Just to throw my 2 cents worth.

When I joined the Australian army in the early 1980s we had a huge number of yellow coloured ‘ Bicycle, Men’s, Aust’ on issue to transport and signals units etc for easy transport around garrison areas.

From memory they were all identical.

I saw a huge number of brand new unissued bicycles in storage in supply Battalions. When I discharged in the mid 1990s they were still on issue.

The story as I was lead to believe was that the the Australian Forces had captured no less than 8,000 brand new military bicycles from the Japanese somewhere in the pacific (I can’t remember where I was told) and still had thousands in storage.

Might the frame be one of these ?

Cheers

Phill