# USMCWR use of Victory bicycles in WW2



## Mercian (Dec 1, 2020)

Hi All,

Here's a couple of photos of the USMCWR at Marine Corps Air Station Cherry Point, Havelock, North Carolina, in 1944. They are using what appear to be standard Victory bicycles, probably 1942-43 production Huffmans or Columbias, with the distinctive unblacked out bar stem, but no frame badges or chain guards.





Detail from Getty Image, Photo by William C Shrout : https://www.gettyimages.co.uk/detai...corps-air-news-photo/1272666920?adppopup=true




Detail from Getty Image, Photo by William C Shrout : https://www.gettyimages.co.uk/detai...r-station-news-photo/1272665486?adppopup=true

Best Regards,

Adrian


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## Mercian (Dec 1, 2020)

Taking a closer look at the second picture, both bikes at the front appear to have Torrington 18 pedals?


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## Goldslinger (Dec 1, 2020)

Looks like the one I just picked up.


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## johan willaert (Dec 4, 2020)

Here's a photo showing WAVES riding WW2 era Westfield Columbia Vg296 s


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## johan willaert (Dec 4, 2020)

My all original G series Vg296


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## Goldslinger (Dec 4, 2020)

The welding and finish grinding on mine is not done very well. You can tell wartime labor shortages or hurried production . It also has Elgin black out hubs. 
Does it make it an Elgin or Westfield built with Elgin parts? It has wartime tires on it still ,so I imagine it is original.


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## Mercian (Dec 5, 2020)

Goldslinger said:


> The welding and finish grinding on mine is not done very well. You can tell wartime labor shortages or hurried production . It also has Elgin black out hubs.
> Does it make it an Elgin or Westfield built with Elgin parts? It has wartime tires on it still ,so I imagine it is original.





Hi, Elgin was a house brand of Sears catalogues, and several manufacturers produced bikes with this name.

Westfield made Elgins through most of the 1930's, and a few in the early 1940's as the contract moved to Murray.

I can't tell from your question if the hubs are marked 'Elgin'. But, the bike is a Westfield made Westfield VG296, which may have used parts left over from previous production of 'Elgin' bicycles.

The finish is not great, there was no brass for brazing, so they were gas welded (and all the good welders were building tanks etc.). Grinding anything but really sharp or interfering metal is a waste of time. There's a War on, don't you know? (-:

The chain guard is probably an add on, these were not specified at the time. The saddle seems correct, and these are quite fragile so rare.

Best Regards,

Adrian


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## Goldslinger (Dec 7, 2020)

Here is a few close up pics.


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## fordmike65 (Dec 7, 2020)

Goldslinger said:


> Here is a few close up pics.View attachment 1313975
> 
> View attachment 1313976
> 
> ...



Love the rough brazing & unfinished joints.


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## Goldslinger (Dec 7, 2020)

I plan on putting new tires, servicing it and preserving the paint. What method would you guys use for the paint? I was thinking steal wool and WD40.


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## kingsting (Jan 4, 2021)

I have Columbia and Schwinn wartime bikes with rough finished joints like that. Not sure about Columbia but Schwinn used lead to smooth out the joints back then. (I discovered this the hard way when I stripped a pre-war DX and made a mess out of the lead.) I'm sure the lead was deleted on the war bikes.


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## srfndoc (Jan 4, 2021)

Goldslinger said:


> I plan on putting new tires, servicing it and preserving the paint. What method would you guys use for the paint? I was thinking steal wool and WD40.



I would try just rubbing compound to start (if anything) or just give it a bath and ride it.


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