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  #1  
Old 17-01-20, 11:14
jack neville jack neville is online now
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Default WW2 Bicycle Mystery

I offered to help out a fellow MLUer with an old bicycle said to be a war time model of some sort.
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1943 Willys MB
Willys Trailer
1941 Fordson WOT 2H
1941 Fordson WOT 2H (Unrestored)
194? Fordson WOT 2D (Unrestored)
1939 Ford 1 ton utility (Undergoing restoration)
1940 Ford 1 ton utility (Unrestored)
1941 Ford 1 ton utility (Unrestored)
BSA folding bicycle
BSA folding bicycle
1941 Ford/Marmon Herrington 3A gun tractor
1941 Ford/Marmon Herrington 3 gun tractor (Unrestored)
1941 Diamond T 969 (Unrestored)
Wiles Junior Cooker x 2
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  #2  
Old 17-01-20, 11:26
jack neville jack neville is online now
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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.
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File Type: jpg thumbnail_IMG_0530.jpg (381.7 KB, 1 views)
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1943 Willys MB
Willys Trailer
1941 Fordson WOT 2H
1941 Fordson WOT 2H (Unrestored)
194? Fordson WOT 2D (Unrestored)
1939 Ford 1 ton utility (Undergoing restoration)
1940 Ford 1 ton utility (Unrestored)
1941 Ford 1 ton utility (Unrestored)
BSA folding bicycle
BSA folding bicycle
1941 Ford/Marmon Herrington 3A gun tractor
1941 Ford/Marmon Herrington 3 gun tractor (Unrestored)
1941 Diamond T 969 (Unrestored)
Wiles Junior Cooker x 2
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  #3  
Old 17-01-20, 11:48
jack neville jack neville is online now
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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.
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File Type: jpg thumbnail_IMG_0545.jpg (249.1 KB, 1 views)
__________________
1943 Willys MB
Willys Trailer
1941 Fordson WOT 2H
1941 Fordson WOT 2H (Unrestored)
194? Fordson WOT 2D (Unrestored)
1939 Ford 1 ton utility (Undergoing restoration)
1940 Ford 1 ton utility (Unrestored)
1941 Ford 1 ton utility (Unrestored)
BSA folding bicycle
BSA folding bicycle
1941 Ford/Marmon Herrington 3A gun tractor
1941 Ford/Marmon Herrington 3 gun tractor (Unrestored)
1941 Diamond T 969 (Unrestored)
Wiles Junior Cooker x 2
Reply With Quote
  #4  
Old 17-01-20, 11:59
jack neville jack neville is online now
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Join Date: Jun 2010
Location: leopold, victoria
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Removal of the front forks located the only other numbers.
Hoping someone can offer some further advise or information.
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File Type: jpg thumbnail_IMG_0555.jpg (336.8 KB, 1 views)
__________________
1943 Willys MB
Willys Trailer
1941 Fordson WOT 2H
1941 Fordson WOT 2H (Unrestored)
194? Fordson WOT 2D (Unrestored)
1939 Ford 1 ton utility (Undergoing restoration)
1940 Ford 1 ton utility (Unrestored)
1941 Ford 1 ton utility (Unrestored)
BSA folding bicycle
BSA folding bicycle
1941 Ford/Marmon Herrington 3A gun tractor
1941 Ford/Marmon Herrington 3 gun tractor (Unrestored)
1941 Diamond T 969 (Unrestored)
Wiles Junior Cooker x 2
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  #5  
Old 17-01-20, 12:36
Ganmain Tony's Avatar
Ganmain Tony Ganmain Tony is offline
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Join Date: Jul 2009
Location: Ganmain NSW Australia
Posts: 1,242
Default Half Baked Knowledge

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.
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  #6  
Old 17-01-20, 21:20
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Hanno Spoelstra Hanno Spoelstra is offline
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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
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