- Joined
- Jan 5, 2006
- Messages
- 55,201
- Points
- 1,407
- First Name
- Dave
- My Ride
- Speedmaster
- Riding Since
- 1974
WWII Survivor: 1940 Matchless G3-WO (War Office)
84-year-old WWII Matchless…for sale!
In the summer of 1914, the British War Department put out a call for motorcyclists to volunteer for dispatch (or “despatch” in the British spelling) duty with their own privately owned machines. The preferred motorcycles were 500cc singles or horizontally-opposed twins, and riders were required to carry a specific list of spares, which included an extra piston ring, spark plug, valve with spring, inner tube, tire, chain, and more. More than 2000 motorcyclists answered the call, and other allied nations soon followed suit, developing their own dispatch corps.
Dispatch Rider, France 1944. Source: Ken Bell / DND / LAC / PA-159940
With the advent of World War Two, dispatch riders were once again at the forefront of the war effort.
Norton Dispatch Rider (Colorized). Source: Lt. Jack H. Smith / DND / LAC / PA-160026
In both World Wars, the US forces used Harley-Davidson and Indian V-twins, while British and Commonwealth forces used a broader array of marques: Triumph, BSA, Norton, Matchless, and Ariel.
NZ despatch riders on Matchless motorcycles in Tobruk, during the Libyan campaign, World War II. Source: Percy Elrick Coutts (DA-10943-F)
Today, we’re excited to showcase one of the rarer military motorcycles of the Second World War, a 1940 Matchless G3-WO (“War Office”) that served in North Africa. The bike comes from our buddy James Russell, whose Triumph-powered Rickman Metisse we featured earlier this month.
James found the Matchless as a basket case on his local Alaskan Craigslist.
The G3-WO was essentially a prewar Matchless G3 Clubman modified to War Office requirements. In 1940, Arthur Bourne, editor of The Motor Cycle, selected one of these machines at random from the factory floor from a shipment being made ready for the military. He then proceed to take the thumping 350 on a 364-mile one-day test on wartime roads, stopping at some of the most challenging trials hills along the way. Bourne was suitably impressed:
Later the original Matchless G3-WO would be replaced by the better-known G3/L (“Lightweight”), which eschewed the old girder forks in favor of telescoping (“Teledraulic”) suspension.
Interestingly enough, Triumph had actually won the military contract for a 350cc motorcycle with their 3TW, but in November 1940, German bombs landed on Triumph’s Priory Street works in Coventry, completely destroying the plans and tooling for that model…so the contract went to Matchless. In sum total, Matchless provided the armed service with more than 80,000 G3 machines: 18,300 G3-WO and 63,600 G3/L.
James gives us the full story on the rebuild of his 1940 G3-WO below. What’s more, since he’s recently retired and moving out of state, he’s put the Matchless up for sale HERE. As he says:
Indeed! Keep reading for the full rundown of the project from James himself, and let us know if you become the new owner of this rare WWII survivor!
This is a 1940 Matchless G3 WO (War Office) one year bike. The WO requested a series of modifications to the civilian version of the G3 sold through 1939 and this year had most of them. 1940 was the last year that used girder forks as the 1941 G3 was the year Matchless/AJS switched to telescopic forks which work much better, but I prefer the look of the vintage girder forks.
This bike was shipped new from the factory along with hundreds of other bikes to Africa where it served as a dispatch (despatch is the British spelling) bike delivering urgent messages between the various fighting units during WWII.
The history of the motorcycle dispatch riders during the war is very interesting and one of the many little known stories that were critical to the war effort. I’ve only found one book specifically written by one of the riders about life on two wheels dodging enemy fire. There are several articles to be found online about them that show how dangerous their duty was. A great movie could be made about how essential these riders were. Tom Hanks, are you listening?
Unlike almost all modern pictures of the bikes they did not carry a rifle in a scabbard nor did they have pannier bags. Their defense was to ride fast and not get lost which was very challenging considering almost all their riding was on dirt, rock, and sand covered roads with no street signs or other directions. And often the unit they were delivering new orders to was not where they were the day before and the rider had to try to figure out where they had moved to. At times they found themselves behind enemy lines dodging bullets.
The dispatches were critical and extremely urgent because the radio frequencies were all monitored by both sides and codes were cumbersome and slow, and quickly broken so messages and orders were sent by letter and delivered by the dispatch rider who usually returned a message back to the commanding unit. The dispatch bikes were kept light and the riders had to be able to repair any issues that might stop them like flat tires, electrical, or mechanical failures, so the bikes had two tool kits.
One bizarre thing about the bikes was that the manufacturers did not use air filters on the bikes. Ship bikes to Africa for desert use and no air filter at all? After some time, Vokes, an aftermarket company, developed an air filter box that mounted on the gas tank, it used an accordion rubber tube to connect the box to the carburettor. They sold thousands of them to the military for all the brands of motorcycles.
Vokes Air Filter
Because of the lights-out policy during the war, the headlights were dim and covered to only show on the ground and a few feet ahead; the taillight barely allowed any light to show at all at night and not at all during daylight. I installed a bright headlight and made a new red plastic lens for the taillight so it could be seen. I added a duplicate tail light as a brake light and wired up a switch since the bikes back then didn’t have one.
I had been looking for a vintage bike to restore for some years when I saw this bike on our local CL. The seller had bought the bike with the plan to restore it to as-new condition so he completely disassembled it and started ordering NOS (New Old Stock) and used parts. He sent the crankcase, crank, and rod to be professionally rebuilt by a specialist in England. But before the owner could begin the restoration he found it necessary to move out of state so he put it up for sale as a bunch of parts in boxes and bins.
As I always do when I find a bike I want, I paid too much and brought it home. I spread out all the main pieces of the frame, the forks, and the wheels, then started organizing all the parts into groups that went with the different main components. After spending some time looking it over I decided to not do a full restoration to as-new condition but to rebuild it while keeping it as a war survivor.
It is not all original as it has been painted different colors many times over the years. And all the war bikes had constant maintenance and repair work including engine rebuilds, replacements, and using parts like fenders from whatever parts were available to keep them running. Everything in the engine is now rebuilt with NOS parts and the magneto and generator are rebuilt.
No, the Dakar symbol is not authentic, I just wanted to add it for the Africa history. In fact the desert sand paint is not what the British used in Africa; they used the same drab green that the USA used on all military equipment even though dispatch riders reportedly asked for permission to paint their bikes tan so they would blend in better.
There is a data plate in the upper tool box that shows the bike was overhauled by the military and sold to the public in 1952. How it ended up in Alaska is all part of the mystery of its history. Also in the upper toolbox is the original leather tool roll and tools which are really neat to show friends.
It took about three winters to build the bike with a lot of head scratching as well as asking questions on the forums. The original Matchless Owner’s Manual is also the service manual as was normal for bikes back then. I have a build thread for the Matchless on ADVRider HERE.
It’s only got 18 miles on it now so the rings haven’t even worn in yet. While it isn’t a bike I would choose to ride a long distance on, I have a copy of the book written by the owner of a similar WWII Matchless who rebuilt his bike and rode it from London Overland to Vietnam and had a great trip. It is certainly not a bike that many have even heard of let alone seen.
I thought the bike might be the last one I would sell because it is just a simple bike to putt-putt around the neighborhoods on but life is always changing, and since I retired in September we have decided to sell the house and my wonderful (messy) shop and move into a tiny condo in AZ where living is much less expensive than Alaska.
I am hoping to find a new owner/caretaker for this wonderful, historic machine. Ideally here in Alaska but I will list it somewhere online to let people outside know it is available. How many people have an 84-year-old, WWII survivor in their garage or collection? Takes up much less room than a WWII Jeep and costs much less. It would be a great bike to ride in parades, ride to bike shows, maybe pay a visit to the Quail events? Currently listed on CL here in Anchorage for $8,000 HERE.
Continue reading...
84-year-old WWII Matchless…for sale!
In the summer of 1914, the British War Department put out a call for motorcyclists to volunteer for dispatch (or “despatch” in the British spelling) duty with their own privately owned machines. The preferred motorcycles were 500cc singles or horizontally-opposed twins, and riders were required to carry a specific list of spares, which included an extra piston ring, spark plug, valve with spring, inner tube, tire, chain, and more. More than 2000 motorcyclists answered the call, and other allied nations soon followed suit, developing their own dispatch corps.
Dispatch Rider, France 1944. Source: Ken Bell / DND / LAC / PA-159940
With the advent of World War Two, dispatch riders were once again at the forefront of the war effort.
Norton Dispatch Rider (Colorized). Source: Lt. Jack H. Smith / DND / LAC / PA-160026
In both World Wars, the US forces used Harley-Davidson and Indian V-twins, while British and Commonwealth forces used a broader array of marques: Triumph, BSA, Norton, Matchless, and Ariel.
NZ despatch riders on Matchless motorcycles in Tobruk, during the Libyan campaign, World War II. Source: Percy Elrick Coutts (DA-10943-F)
Today, we’re excited to showcase one of the rarer military motorcycles of the Second World War, a 1940 Matchless G3-WO (“War Office”) that served in North Africa. The bike comes from our buddy James Russell, whose Triumph-powered Rickman Metisse we featured earlier this month.
James found the Matchless as a basket case on his local Alaskan Craigslist.
The G3-WO was essentially a prewar Matchless G3 Clubman modified to War Office requirements. In 1940, Arthur Bourne, editor of The Motor Cycle, selected one of these machines at random from the factory floor from a shipment being made ready for the military. He then proceed to take the thumping 350 on a 364-mile one-day test on wartime roads, stopping at some of the most challenging trials hills along the way. Bourne was suitably impressed:
Later the original Matchless G3-WO would be replaced by the better-known G3/L (“Lightweight”), which eschewed the old girder forks in favor of telescoping (“Teledraulic”) suspension.
Interestingly enough, Triumph had actually won the military contract for a 350cc motorcycle with their 3TW, but in November 1940, German bombs landed on Triumph’s Priory Street works in Coventry, completely destroying the plans and tooling for that model…so the contract went to Matchless. In sum total, Matchless provided the armed service with more than 80,000 G3 machines: 18,300 G3-WO and 63,600 G3/L.
James gives us the full story on the rebuild of his 1940 G3-WO below. What’s more, since he’s recently retired and moving out of state, he’s put the Matchless up for sale HERE. As he says:Indeed! Keep reading for the full rundown of the project from James himself, and let us know if you become the new owner of this rare WWII survivor!
Matchless G3 WO: In the Builder’s Words…
The Bike:
This is a 1940 Matchless G3 WO (War Office) one year bike. The WO requested a series of modifications to the civilian version of the G3 sold through 1939 and this year had most of them. 1940 was the last year that used girder forks as the 1941 G3 was the year Matchless/AJS switched to telescopic forks which work much better, but I prefer the look of the vintage girder forks.
This bike was shipped new from the factory along with hundreds of other bikes to Africa where it served as a dispatch (despatch is the British spelling) bike delivering urgent messages between the various fighting units during WWII.
The history of the motorcycle dispatch riders during the war is very interesting and one of the many little known stories that were critical to the war effort. I’ve only found one book specifically written by one of the riders about life on two wheels dodging enemy fire. There are several articles to be found online about them that show how dangerous their duty was. A great movie could be made about how essential these riders were. Tom Hanks, are you listening?
Unlike almost all modern pictures of the bikes they did not carry a rifle in a scabbard nor did they have pannier bags. Their defense was to ride fast and not get lost which was very challenging considering almost all their riding was on dirt, rock, and sand covered roads with no street signs or other directions. And often the unit they were delivering new orders to was not where they were the day before and the rider had to try to figure out where they had moved to. At times they found themselves behind enemy lines dodging bullets.
The dispatches were critical and extremely urgent because the radio frequencies were all monitored by both sides and codes were cumbersome and slow, and quickly broken so messages and orders were sent by letter and delivered by the dispatch rider who usually returned a message back to the commanding unit. The dispatch bikes were kept light and the riders had to be able to repair any issues that might stop them like flat tires, electrical, or mechanical failures, so the bikes had two tool kits.
One bizarre thing about the bikes was that the manufacturers did not use air filters on the bikes. Ship bikes to Africa for desert use and no air filter at all? After some time, Vokes, an aftermarket company, developed an air filter box that mounted on the gas tank, it used an accordion rubber tube to connect the box to the carburettor. They sold thousands of them to the military for all the brands of motorcycles.
Vokes Air Filter
Because of the lights-out policy during the war, the headlights were dim and covered to only show on the ground and a few feet ahead; the taillight barely allowed any light to show at all at night and not at all during daylight. I installed a bright headlight and made a new red plastic lens for the taillight so it could be seen. I added a duplicate tail light as a brake light and wired up a switch since the bikes back then didn’t have one.
Why This Build:
I had been looking for a vintage bike to restore for some years when I saw this bike on our local CL. The seller had bought the bike with the plan to restore it to as-new condition so he completely disassembled it and started ordering NOS (New Old Stock) and used parts. He sent the crankcase, crank, and rod to be professionally rebuilt by a specialist in England. But before the owner could begin the restoration he found it necessary to move out of state so he put it up for sale as a bunch of parts in boxes and bins.
As I always do when I find a bike I want, I paid too much and brought it home. I spread out all the main pieces of the frame, the forks, and the wheels, then started organizing all the parts into groups that went with the different main components. After spending some time looking it over I decided to not do a full restoration to as-new condition but to rebuild it while keeping it as a war survivor.
It is not all original as it has been painted different colors many times over the years. And all the war bikes had constant maintenance and repair work including engine rebuilds, replacements, and using parts like fenders from whatever parts were available to keep them running. Everything in the engine is now rebuilt with NOS parts and the magneto and generator are rebuilt.
No, the Dakar symbol is not authentic, I just wanted to add it for the Africa history. In fact the desert sand paint is not what the British used in Africa; they used the same drab green that the USA used on all military equipment even though dispatch riders reportedly asked for permission to paint their bikes tan so they would blend in better.
There is a data plate in the upper tool box that shows the bike was overhauled by the military and sold to the public in 1952. How it ended up in Alaska is all part of the mystery of its history. Also in the upper toolbox is the original leather tool roll and tools which are really neat to show friends.
It took about three winters to build the bike with a lot of head scratching as well as asking questions on the forums. The original Matchless Owner’s Manual is also the service manual as was normal for bikes back then. I have a build thread for the Matchless on ADVRider HERE.
It’s only got 18 miles on it now so the rings haven’t even worn in yet. While it isn’t a bike I would choose to ride a long distance on, I have a copy of the book written by the owner of a similar WWII Matchless who rebuilt his bike and rode it from London Overland to Vietnam and had a great trip. It is certainly not a bike that many have even heard of let alone seen.
I thought the bike might be the last one I would sell because it is just a simple bike to putt-putt around the neighborhoods on but life is always changing, and since I retired in September we have decided to sell the house and my wonderful (messy) shop and move into a tiny condo in AZ where living is much less expensive than Alaska.
I am hoping to find a new owner/caretaker for this wonderful, historic machine. Ideally here in Alaska but I will list it somewhere online to let people outside know it is available. How many people have an 84-year-old, WWII survivor in their garage or collection? Takes up much less room than a WWII Jeep and costs much less. It would be a great bike to ride in parades, ride to bike shows, maybe pay a visit to the Quail events? Currently listed on CL here in Anchorage for $8,000 HERE.
Videos
Continue reading...
