# G519 5 seat tandem



## Mercian (Dec 1, 2020)

Hi All,

Another model of G519 to collect (-:





Detail from Getty Image: https://www.gettyimages.co.uk/detai...seater-cycle-news-photo/3432934?adppopup=true

Photo taken on 19th May 1944, the five servicemen are from the US Army Service Corps. They seem to have cut up a G519 to make the tandem, or perhaps used spares?

The A435 is a road in the English Midlands, south of Birmingham, north of Evesham. I come from that way, but don't recognise the village.

On reflection, the signpost surprises me a little, as most were taken down early in the war as part of the anti invasion measures. I guess by mid 1944 this was considered less of a problem.

Best Regards,

Adrian


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## Mercian (Dec 1, 2020)

And I've just turned up another picture, and some more details...




Detail from Photo by © Hulton-Deutsch Collection/CORBIS/Corbis via Getty Images: https://www.gettyimages.co.uk/detai...he-problem-news-photo/646314404?adppopup=true

The original caption read: 

Americans at a West Country depot have solved the problem of after duty transport to the nearest town and country tours in the manner shown in the picture. The five seater cycle was made by two of the men in their spare time from an ordinary "G.I" cycle. The five seater is by no means a freak and handles extremely well on corners or in traffic, and owing to the high man power, has a remarkable performance on hills. 

Best Regards,

Adrian


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## johan willaert (Dec 2, 2020)

British style 1/2 inch chainrings and chain


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## JLF (Dec 3, 2020)

I imagine they would fly up hills on that!  Great photos!


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## Mountain Trail Andy (Dec 3, 2020)

Mercian said:


> And I've just turned up another picture, and some more details...
> 
> View attachment 1310137
> Detail from Photo by © Hulton-Deutsch Collection/CORBIS/Corbis via Getty Images: https://www.gettyimages.co.uk/detai...he-problem-news-photo/646314404?adppopup=true
> ...




I only see one coaster brake for stopping all that weight....Yikes!!!  Downhill would be a real thrill ride!!!


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## Rusty Zipper (Dec 5, 2020)

Looks cool and sounds like fun. Be Well, Rusty Zipper.


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## johan willaert (Dec 6, 2020)

Front and rear appear to be Huffman


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## blackcat (Dec 6, 2020)

Hello;
I would be more on a COLUMBIA with its gothic front fender and the rear chain tension adjustment brackets with also rear kickstand brackets as the HUFFMAN's not.

.
G519 Columbia 41-42

G519 Huffman 43

This is only my opinion.
Regards;
Serge


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## johan willaert (Dec 7, 2020)

Yes, correct, Serge..
I was especially looking at the fender and how the lower braces on the rear fender extend more or less horizontally in line with the frame


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## blackcat (Dec 7, 2020)

Hello Johan;
Yes indeed, the rear fender is a long Huffman.
I noticed that on the Huffman  from 42, there were long rear fenders and that in the year 43, there were long ones but also short ones like ours.
Regards;
Serge


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## johan willaert (Dec 7, 2020)

Indeed, my January 42 Huffy has the long fender


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## frankenbike (Dec 15, 2020)

Any idea if the bike still exists? Or if there is any evidence of two, three, or four seat examples of G.I. built "specials"?


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## Mercian (Dec 17, 2020)

frankenbike said:


> Any idea if the bike still exists? Or if there is any evidence of two, three, or four seat examples of G.I. built "specials"?




I did wonder if it still existed, propping up a barn roof in Gloucestershire somewhere.

With the photo being taken on May 19th 1944 (A Friday, incidentally), I imagine that this was practically their last free time to go cycling. As Army Service Corps, they would very shortly be preparing for DDay, if not actually taking part in the invasion themselves. You can see the bike being put to one side, not shipped to France or the US because it's too big to casually sneak into a corner.

I'm slightly surprised they were allowed to cut up a bike to do this, the Army can be funny about that sort of thing, especially items with serial numbers, which imply you should keep track of them. Being ASC they would have been responsible for the delivery of bikes, perhaps it arrived damaged and was written off?

Best regards,

Adrian


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## frankenbike (Dec 17, 2020)

If I lived in England I would spend a serious amount of time trying to locate that village and questioning the old timers about the bike. Most likely it was left behind as you say and there is a very good chance that it could have been put away in a barn or shed, covered up and forgotten about over the years. The hunt would be every bit as exciting as actually finding the bike. Who knows, a person could turn up other bike(s) and military odds and ends. Not being familiar with the area I would guess there was a base relatively close by as I doubt they would have taken off on a 40 or 50 KM. trip. This bike would be the ultimate "barn find" and well worth the effort. And if the service men could be identified there is a possibility of making contact with one or more of them. I'm sure they would have some stories to tell!

Thanks, Gary.


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## Mercian (Mar 6, 2021)

Hi All,

I finally got round to asking for help identifying where the picture was taken, from members of Historic Military Vehicle Forum in the UK. They had it solved in a couple of hours. (-:

The photo was taken about here on the junction of Church Road and Cheltenham Road, with The King's Head pub on the right:

https://www.google.com/maps/@51.947...4!1sPwnqHioH4DsRWKnHqrXSOg!2e0!7i13312!8i6656













I thought it very possible the the memorial had been moved, and the road renumbered, but all the other changes in that time too are incredible. That's one I would have been very unlikely to find.

The Memorial was moved in the 1980's, details can be found here:









						Bishop's Cleeve Cross
					

Other cross




					www.warmemorialsonline.org.uk
				




Yes, the 1940 date on the same image on the link is not possible!

Just north of here is Cheltenham. WIKI states that during the Second World War, the United States Army Service of Supply, European Theatre of Operations established its primary headquarters at Cheltenham under the direction of Lt. Gen. John C. H. Lee, with the flats of the Cheltenham Racecourse becoming a giant storage depot for countless trucks, jeeps, tanks and artillery pieces. Most of this materiel was reshipped to the continent for and after the D-Day invasion.

Best Regards,

Adrian


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## Whitey1736 (Mar 7, 2021)

Thanks for sharing and updating Adrian!


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## frankenbike (Mar 7, 2021)

Adrian, as always you have again contributed a very educational post. I certainly appreciate your time and effort, since I consider this bike to be one of the most important of the war effort. I hope that it still exists and that some day it will be found & offered to one of us so it can be returned to the states. This is something that belongs in a museum to be enjoyed by future generations. Thanks again, Gary.


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## Mercian (Mar 14, 2021)

Hi All,

In the end, I was looking in the wrong direction.

The conversation continued on HMVF, centered around the traffic sign appearing to face the wrong way. mtskull noted that:

_I think the photo was taken from outside the pub, looking away from it to the North with Church road on the right. If you look at the signpost, the visible part of the first letter is a vertical element, which cannot possibly be part of a “C” for Cheltenham, the next town in a Southerly direction. More likely, it is an “E” for Evesham, the next significant place heading North._

And then Welbike came up with this postcard which was very informative and proved that I was looking in the wrong direction, and mtskull was correct in his deduction.

Th pub is on the right, the traffic sign is outside it, and the building in the middle is certainly the one behind the cyclists,









Shockingly, the image below is about as close as you can get within the confines of Googlr Earth.













						Google Maps
					

Find local businesses, view maps and get driving directions in Google Maps.




					www.google.com
				




The change is so great, that you get the impression the local town planners regretted that the Luftwaffe didn't do the job for them. (-:

Best Regards,

Adrian


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