# Pre War Paratrooper Bicycle in Original Paint???



## miller32 (Sep 27, 2012)

My wife spotted this bike today at the swap meet. We think it is a paratrooper...pre war bike...but don't know enough about it to say exact.  It appears to be in original paint.  Not sure if the rack and the chainguard is original to bike....but they seem to be aged similar to the rest of the bike.  Anyway....pretty neat bike.  My wife found an ad with a bike similar to the one we found.....  Anyone have any info on these?  Thanks for any help ahead of time......


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## miller32 (Sep 27, 2012)

More pics and ad....


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## miller32 (Sep 27, 2012)

*Wrong section....*

Sorry for posting in this section....I meant to post in the Classic Balloon Tire Bicycles 1933-1965 section.....


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## Gary Mc (Sep 27, 2012)

Mr. Columbia just restored one of these as military olive drab.  See the history of the Westfield Compax at his website at URL:

http://www.vintagecolumbiabikes.com/id111.html

You can see his restored one here on the CABE at:

http://thecabe.com/vbulletin/showth...45-Compax-(-Military-)/page2&highlight=compax


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## miller32 (Sep 27, 2012)

Thanks Gary Mc for the links.  Mr. Columbia did a beautiful restoration on his!  These bikes are very interesting.  Mine appears to have wider fenders and a different chainguard.  Then it also has the rear rack.  Assuming it was not a war bike.....?  Thanks again Gary!!!


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## MrColumbia (Oct 2, 2012)

miller32 said:


> Thanks Gary Mc for the links.  Mr. Columbia did a beautiful restoration on his!  These bikes are very interesting.  Mine appears to have wider fenders and a different chainguard.  Then it also has the rear rack.  Assuming it was not a war bike.....?  Thanks again Gary!!!




It is probably post-war as I have not seen anything to show the Balloon tire model was made before the 1948 model year, that's according to the catalogs anyway. I have also not seen anything to show a luggage rack as comming original from the factory on any year or model.


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## miller32 (Oct 2, 2012)

MrColumbia said:


> It is probably post-war as I have not seen anything to show the Balloon tire model was made before the 1948 model year, that's according to the catalogs anyway. I have also not seen anything to show a luggage rack as comming original from the factory on any year or model.




I love what you did to your bike MrColumbia.  I agree with you...it appears to be post war....and the luggage rack does appear to be added at some point.  I am wondering now if I should leave original or paint it up as a military bike???


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## MrColumbia (Oct 3, 2012)

miller32 said:


> I love what you did to your bike MrColumbia.  I agree with you...it appears to be post war....and the luggage rack does appear to be added at some point.  I am wondering now if I should leave original or paint it up as a military bike???




I did mine military in part because it is a wartime produced bike that was purchased and used by the military during the war. It was not used in combat but the United States rarely did use bikes in that way, most being used on a base either stateside or in the UK. 
It would be great to see yours in it's correct civillian colors which is seems to be in now. 

Find the serial number so we can know the exact year. Here is the 1948.

What I do find odd is the fork truss rods. I have never seen them on a Compax.


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## rubblequeen (Oct 7, 2012)

Hiya nice bike but my experience of Parabikes is that they are stripped of everything such as the chain guards and fenders etc. Also on mine the pedals are just a bar that slide back into the bike frame so that when the Para was jumping they were out of the way.

Wasn't sure if yours folds up but would love to see it folded if it does please.

Tony


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## MrColumbia (Oct 7, 2012)

rubblequeen said:


> Hiya nice bike but my experience of Parabikes is that they are stripped of everything such as the chain guards and fenders etc. Also on mine the pedals are just a bar that slide back into the bike frame so that when the Para was jumping they were out of the way.
> 
> Wasn't sure if yours folds up but would love to see it folded if it does please.
> 
> Tony




My Compax was a _wartime civilian model bike _sold to the military. It was used on a stateside navy base. As many people will tell you, there was never a true military model Compax made for paratrooper use. The term "paratrooper" was used by Westfield in reference to "spectacular tests of new tacticts" performed by the US Marines before the US was in WWII as they stated in advertising during the war. I have documentation from Columbia that shows these folding pedals but I have never seen one on a Compax. Westfield Mfg made a lot of bikes for the military during WWII but one for the specific purpose of jumping out of planes was not one of them.


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## pelletman (Oct 7, 2012)

As I understand it, the paratroopers didn't jump out with the bikes on their backs either.  The bikes were dropped separately.


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## MrColumbia (Oct 8, 2012)

pelletman said:


> As I understand it, the paratroopers didn't jump out with the bikes on their backs either.  The bikes were dropped separately.




 Everything I have seen agrees with that. There would be skids or crates of supplies that may have included bicycles or as one picture shows, Simplex Servi-Cycles. The Brittish may have jumped with BSA's, I'm not sure. They were a lot lighter than the American made bikes. 
 Most of the US Military's interest in bicycles seems to have been for use on bases, not actual combat but I'm sure there were exceptions. I can invision US Airborn Troups "picking up" bicycles they "found" along the way after dropping into the French countryside.


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## eazywind (Oct 8, 2012)

*Here is my 46.*

Here is my 46. Looks to be all original as far as I can tell. Marc


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## MrColumbia (Oct 8, 2012)

eazywind said:


> Here is my 46. Looks to be all original as far as I can tell. Marc
> 
> View attachment 68775




What's the serial number? I had not seen a balloon model made before late 1947 and was not sure if they had made one.


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## rubblequeen (Oct 8, 2012)

Mr Columbia thanks that is very interesting and I know understand a bit more about American military bikes. I was basing my post on BSA Parabikes used in WW2 and were dropped with the paratroopers.  Although many were abandoned due to the muddy conditions.

These are great bikes - awful to ride but great fun.


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## pelletman (Oct 8, 2012)

I was basing my post on BSA paratroopers too.  I am pretty sure they were dropped separately from the jumpers


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## eazywind (Oct 8, 2012)

*My Bad, 1947. L serial number bike*

My Bad. It's a 47. L serial number bike........:o



MrColumbia said:


> What's the serial number? I had not seen a balloon model made before late 1947 and was not sure if they had made one.


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## MrColumbia (Oct 8, 2012)

eazywind said:


> My Bad. It's a 47. L serial number bike........:o




That makes more sense.


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