# Bsa mk v



## piot1940 (Aug 20, 2014)

When were the first BSA Mk V issued to the British Army
Same question for the BSA Mk V*

Everybody says: World War two, yes, I agree. But when exactly?  For example june 1939  or march 1942 or ....

regards, Jean


----------



## Wing Your Heel (Aug 21, 2014)

*?*

Good question Jean. Though I think some people have been 'spoilt' by the info available on the internet. Not every piece of information is known 

I have an armorers manual for 1937 which shows the Mk IV and Mk IV* still in use. These were introduced prior to WW1, but as all the cyclist corps were disbanding after WW1 there was presumably no need to update the model. The BSA Folding roadster model from WW1 was also current until the BSA Parabike 1st Pattern was introduced in 1942.

Bicycles were not used as primary combat items in WW2, only in a minor support role, and there were plenty of civilian bikes available for use at home on airfields, etc. There were many other priorities at the outbreak of war. My best guess is that the Mk V came in around the same time as the BSA Airborne, i.e. 1942.
My Mk V shows a date stamp of 1942, which is when the Irish Army received a large consignment. Ireland would have been a priority for supply of bikes for coastal defence, so would likely have been one of the first recipients when they became available. So this would bear out my guess.

There are no serial number records, and Mk V's were also made after WW2, so unless there is evidence such as a date stamp, there is no guarantee that any particular Mk V (or Mk V*) is a wartime issue.

Hope that helps.
Colin


----------



## piot1940 (Aug 21, 2014)

It helps a bit.

The reason why I placed this topic lies a bit farther than the BSA Mk V story on itself.
A lot of BSA MK V and Mk V* have a stamp ABL under the saddle. This means that it was used by the belgian army after the war.
But some people say that this is a pre-war belgian army bicycle bought in great-britain in the late '30s. Belgium, like all other countries had it's own local compagnies who supplied to their Army. There are documents of this.

I have a copy of a manual "replacement parts BSA military bicycles Mark V Pattern". Unfortunately there is no date on it. 

regards, Jean


----------

