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#16
30-04-06, 23:44
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Thanks for your views on this one. I realise from the little green man's comments that I should have titled this thread "Nice vehicles hidden by boring old motorcycles" I should, perhaps, start a new thread if I can find any more.
There is a bit more more detail visible on the original. The Norton C4103150 was built under the first wartime contract C5109 covering machines W1000 - W6999 dating from 1939/40. I am restoring W4216 which turned up unrestored in Belgium (I'm putting C4102617 on mine) and am in contact with the owner of W1742 which reappeared in France with a Seine / Paris registration, so many of this early batch must have been among the 20,000 odd motorcycles lost by the BEF. The bike doesn't look to have gone through the workshops and the satin-chromed levers and alloy parts still look pristine so I don't think it could be after late 1940. I haven't been able to find the picture in a period publication to date it more accurately. The petrol tank shows a light-coloured maple leaf forward of the census number. The number itself, on a white-edged black background is puzzling me as I had understood that was the pre-war practice when machines still had "civilian" number plates. Most early war bikes have the "C" number painted on the number plate blade which is missing from this bike although the studs are still there. I have not seen photographic evidence of this type of application later than numbers begining "39" Incidentally was there a reason that the sequence begining "40" (for 1940) was never used ? The Lance Corporal on the bike has insignia on the upper sleeve but I have no Canadian reference books. It is "thinner" at both ends and has a broader section in the middle so is not like a British shoulder title. The machine in the background also appears to be a Norton and looks to carry no. "79" which, on black, would indicate a Provost Company if my understanding of Hodges and taylor is correct. Rich 
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