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WW2 US Army Bicycles


Johan Willaert
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Johan Willaert

There is rare, rarer, rarest... and there's the WW2 US Army Women's Bicycle....

 

Here's my restoration project for the coming winter...

 

Westfield Columbia MG140418

 

 

 

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It would be interesting to see these restored to a civilian paint scheme - I know you can't quite properly call it a restoration, but still would be very cool. Congrats on your find!

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Johan Contract Info for Westfield Columbia

 

July 42 Contract# 2425QM644 $405,000 completed Sept 42

Jan 43 Contract# 478Ord2989 $80,000 completed March 43

June 43 478Ord3459 $348,000 completed Jan 44

 

Next two contracst are interesting as they are for the Treasury Procurement Service GPS

April 43 TPS 27694L $68,000 completed July 43

May 43 TPS30351L $181,000 may not have been completed

 

Navy Contract

April 44 Contract #130xsy6277 $61,000 completed May 44

 

Bicycle Parts

July 43 478Ord3486 $73,000 completed Jan 44

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Johan Willaert

Thanks for adding that info, Alec.

 

Interesting to see that the July 1942 contract had a QM number, with the next orders being Ordnance related...

 

Would that explain the M305 and M306 designation attributed to the Men's and Women's bikes, as the QM was still using the M+year of adoption numbering system during WW2 while the Ordnance Dept had already changed to the M+type designation...

 

Cheers,

 

Johan

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  • 4 months later...
Johan Willaert

There is rare, rarer, rarest... and there's the WW2 US Army Women's Bicycle....

 

Here's my restoration project for the coming winter...

 

Westfield Columbia MG140418

 

 

 

This bike is now finished and I'm quite pleased with the result...

post-92-0-23447800-1430153452.jpg

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  • 4 months later...
Johan Willaert

The French Militaria Magazine #362 September 2015 features a 7 page article I wrote for them on the WW2 G519 bicycles used by the US Army during WW2 (Huffman and Columbia Men's and Women's models). Article contains basic information and pictures from my collection...

Only in French and available online: http://www.histoireetcollections.com/fr ... -n362.html

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Preview of the first two pages...

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Funny, I live in Westfield, MA about 2 miles from the plant. I cant remember ever seeing one of these in the area, unless they were repainted after the war. Most were probably shipped out of here as soon as finished. Will have to keep my eyes open for one.

 

Frank

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Went to the Columbia plant in Westfield, Ma yesterday. Not much left as about 2/3 of it was torn down recently. They no longer have their museum building. All their old bikes are stored in the factory somewhere. I will try to get an appointment with the current owner to see if I can get any photos of war time bikes if they have one. Columbia made bikes for the military during WW1 as well. Also made gas shells during WW1 and bazookas during WW2.

 

The son of the curator of the old museum has a web page at Vintagecolumbiabikes.com . There is a chapter on military bikes and a link to Liberator.de whers several of the photos here cam from.

 

Frank

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Johan Willaert

The son of the curator of the old museum has a web page at Vintagecolumbiabikes.com . There is a chapter on military bikes and a link to Liberator.de whers several of the photos here cam from.

 

Thanks Frank,

 

The son of the curator is Kenneth Kowal, he runs the Columbia website.

 

I run the theliberator.be website...

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Johan,

 

You have a nice web site. Many of us probably have old companies in our towns that did a lot for the war effort, but go un- noticed today.

 

Frank

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  • 2 weeks later...
Johan Willaert

A fellow collector's daughter in an ANC impression with my 1943 Women's Westfield Columbia bike...

 

Picture was used in the article on the G519 Bicycles I wrote for the French Militaria Magazine, which they published in their September 2015 issue...

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  • 7 months later...
Johan Willaert

Took me 2 years to find an original Delta Winner headlight for the Huffman... Looks complete now...

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Johan Willaert

Took the 1942 Huffman to a local MV show last weekend; most likely lightest vehicle there...

 

Sherman in the picture is Brit owned and one of the tanks used in 'Fury'...

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  • 1 year later...

I picked this bike up and started doing some research on bikes as Im not familiar with them. The information on this thread is very useful!!!!

 

Looking at the bike I got, it appears to be the correct era civilian bike. Can anyone confirm that? As posted earlier I think doing it in olive drab (the right kind) and using it to get around the airfield will work well.

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phantomfixer

looks to be postwar, going by the curved upper bar and seat...just a guess, and a smaller frame? maybe the angle...Some OD and a Mussett bag, and it will pass the 10ft rule...

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Th seat and handlebars are all the way own in the picture. I believe upon checking into it ( still doing research) that it may be a boys bike. The tires are only 24 inch so its on the small side for an adult bike I believe ( issue US bikes were 26 and the British were 28).

I have a picture of th logo but its to big to post here. It looks like it may say manufactured in England but not sure. Also appears to have a man holding a bike frame.

 

Thanks for the help! Our group is just starting out so we are going through the growing pains all groups go through. We are recreating a WW2 aerial fire fighting platoon. We are all firefighters (and a couple medics) so we are trying to find a way to get around the airfield as needed.

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