1941 Compax Mil. Promo. AD. Model

[HUFFMANBILL]

Has anyone ever thought about the well known advertisement showing the US Military paratrooper astride a 1941 Columbia Compax bicycle with Thompson Machine Gun in hand, and wondered who the model was that was used as the paratrooper? Well, according to original 1941 notations on the reverse side of a 1941 8x10 Press photo of that scene in my collection ( pictured with this post ) the male model is one Private Douglas Boyd, a Marine parachutist from Porter, Oklahoma. The photo was apparently shot at Lakehurst, N.J. where the Columbia Compax was being experimented with for possible paratrooper use. The credit line for Acme ( ACME NEWS PICTURES, Inc. ) at the bottom of the typed notation date is 9/18/41 and the photo date stamp is 9/25/41. If nothing else it is an interesting bit of info on Columbia Compax Military history.

Regards,
Bill

 

[redline1968]

Wow great info.. thank you

 

[MrColumbia]

Great info on a well known picture. Although the Marines never committed to jumping with the bikes ( they are somewhat heavy) Westfield still went ahead and made "Military Model" Compax bikes. These were sold to individual basses. One of my Compax bikes came from the navel Air Base at Lakehurst where this photo was taken. The bike in the picture is a pre-war civilian model. It's great to have a name and story to put with the Marine in the picture.