WW2 Bicycle Mystery

[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