WW2 Bicycle Mystery

[jack neville]

I offered to help out a fellow MLUer with an old bicycle said to be a war time model of some sort.

[jack neville]

It bears similarities to the British Army BSA bicycle in the frame and obviously the pedals but the headstem has a decorative pattern whereas the British model I understand has a plain headstem. There were no serial numbers like the British bicycles.

The seat stem and rear brake hub look correct.

[jack neville]

I stripped the bicycle and scraping off the paint underneath the crank I found something interesting.
Someone may know what the letters and numbers mean but there is no mistaking the D^D stamps.
The numbers on the outside appear to read 19 39 but reading the other way could also be 62 61. There is also a faint 4 in the centre.

[jack neville]

Removal of the front forks located the only other numbers.
Hoping someone can offer some further advise or information.

[Ganmain Tony]

From my limited knowledge Jack...

Malvern Star supplied ALL bikes to the Pacific theatre and used up a huge amount BSA parts in the process.

It is quite likely this is a Malvern Star manufactured bike and it will have BSA stamped bits.

Just bought a WW2 pushie and am reading a book called The Bicycle in War Time.

Amazing feats performed by Canadians, Aussies, New Zealanders, South Africans, Rhodesians and Brits on these machines.

[Hanno Spoelstra]

Interesting to see an Australian made one. I really like military bicycles, but there is not a lot of info available.

Here's a thread I started a long time ago on my bicycle: http://www.mapleleafup.net/forums/sh...ad.php?t=20143

You can look at http://robvanmeel.nl/?q=search/node/bicycle for reprints of period manuals.

Googling for Malvern Star, finds you results like these: https://oldbike.eu/ww2-malvern-star-military-model/

There's an Australian forum with some references too: https://www.bicycles.net.au/forums/

HTH,
Hanno

[Ganmain Tony]

According to my 'one reference"...

Malvern Star received its first Military bike order in 1940.

So if this is a 1939 bike it is more likely a complete BSA bike.

Australia was forced to manufacture all its own components after we were completely cut off from oversea's supplies.

My understanding is Malvern Star copied BSA bike bits once they had used up all the exisiting BSA stock on hand.

Maybe the War Memorial may have records Jack?

[jack neville]

Thanks Tony and Hanno.
The bike could well be a ‘bitsa’ after all these years as the owner is unsure of its history. There is only green paint on it so doubt it has been rebuilt before. The frame is missing the Malvern Star trademark on the head stem so unsure what frame it is. Unless Malvern Star only added them later.

[jack neville]

Found this number inside the rear fork

[jack neville]

Stripped and blasted.

[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

[Lang]

Jack

Your photos got me intrigued so I went back to my ladies Malvern Star and sanded back in the area your bike has the D arrow D under the pedal shaft. Look what I found.

As for your bike, if it is indeed an Australian bike, both Hartley and Speedwell provided bikes during WW2. Lots of Malvern Star info but I can't find much on other makes.

Lang

[Lang]

Jack

You have an Australian Speedwell. Great find

Look here

https://www.bicycles.net.au/forums/v...96584&start=50

Lang