WLA pedigree

[DCoul]

Is there a way to find out where a WLA was in the war? Seems like with an engine number it may be possible. Or, maybe it wasn't shipped at all. Anyone know?

[17thairborne]

Here is what I have found out from asking the same question over the last many years.

Only sure way is to hope the original fender number was painted on the front under a few coats of paint. Carefully removing the upper layers might uncover that clue.

HD archives do not contain records of where WLAs were sent as far as units. They simply fulfilled the government ORD purchase contract and off they went.

My guess is that the G4 records of the individual divisions and independent units would contain a record of which SN's of all types of vehicles were under assigned to them. Each unit has a separate G4/S4 (Supply and logistics) record in the National Archives. With the more than hundred individual divisions and independent Regiments and Battalions in WW2, it would mean scouring thousands of records. (If they are in fact recorded there)

It would be nice if someone close to WDC could go to College Park MD and at least pull the G4 records from 1 Division and see if they did in fact record the vehicle Reg/SN.

That is about all I can add to this discussion.

[DCoul]

Thanks 17th. The fender that came with the bike is rusty, painted aftermarket so no help there. I believe only the engine is the WLA part. I thought it would be interesting to know for my grandson. He wanted the worn out drive sprocket as a WWII souvenir.

[Chris Haynes]

Palmer's Military book gives you the group of numbers your engine was assigned.

[DCoul]

Is that different from Palmers restoration book?

[Chris Haynes]

Is that different from Palmers restoration book?

How To Restore Your Military Harley-Davidson.

http://www.howtorestoreyourharleydav...d=5&Itemid=106

[DCoul]

Thanks Chris.

[vph-d]

I'd be inclined to think that if you have it, it was never overseas. Weren't the WLAs just destroyed/abandoned in place at the end of the war, like other suddenly surplus materiel? One of my uncles told me they flew their USMC PBJs to a collection point for destruction, and just walked away from them. Those Mitchells were worth a whole lot more that a motorcycle.
VPH-D

[Chris Haynes]

I'd be inclined to think that if you have it, it was never overseas. Weren't the WLAs just destroyed/abandoned in place at the end of the war, like other suddenly surplus materiel? One of my uncles told me they flew their USMC PBJs to a collection point for destruction, and just walked away from them. Those Mitchells were worth a whole lot more that a motorcycle.
VPH-D

[DCoul]

That would make a lot of sense VPH-D.

[Rubone]

Tons of WLA/WLC stuff was left overseas for use by our allies after the war. Lots in England, Germany, Holland, Greece, France, and Russia. And lots of it is still surfacing to this day. Also in Australia, New Zealand, and The Philippines. Most of our allies were struggling mightily and many motorcycles were left behind to help with that struggle. When i was gathering parts for my 40UA in the '90s, most of the NOS and good used stuff I found came from outside the US.

[oldsouthmcy]

In regards to the above photograph, note that all of the tanks are marked UNRRA (United Nations Relief and Rehabilitation Administration, formed in 1943 before the United Nations of today was formed in 1945). UNRRA received its funding and equipment from the 44 nations that originally formed the UNRRA.

The UNRRA received US manufactured motorcycles from the United States Army and the Canadian Department of National Defence. The motorcycles in the photograph are all 42WLC models received from Canada for UNRRA administrative duties in Greece. The photo was taken in Greece shortly after these were delivered.

[DCoul]

I noticed that a lot of parts on ebay are from The Russian Federation, Poland...