Colin Stevens with one of his BSA airborne bicycles and a military encampment (living history) at Fort Rodd Hill National Historic Site. c. 1999. In front of a 1944 Twin 6-Pounder gun turret.
2. Table of Surviving BSA Airborne Bicycles (those known to me)
Thank you to those who have sent in serial numbers. I have quite a few to add to the list when time permits.
THIS TABLE IS YEARS OUT OF DATE AND WILL BE UPDATED WHEN I GET A CHANCE
| Serial No# | First Name | Last Name | Prov/St | Country |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| R???70 | Richard | Tait | ||
| R923 | ? | ? | Netherlands? | |
| R1031 | Jim | Berger | Aukland | NZ |
| R1179 | Nigel | Silver | Derbyshire | England |
| R1228 | John | Neuenburg | CA | USA |
| R3493 | Gail | Lewis | BC | Canada |
| R5381 | John | Neuenburg | CA | USA |
| R6599 | Zeke | Cullen | Mass | USA |
| R7133 | ? | ? | UK? | |
| R7447 | ? | ? | USA | |
| R8348 | Allan | Franklin | CA | USA |
| R9945 | Luca | Bernardini | Italy | |
| R11098 | Ashton Garrison Museum | BC | Canada | |
| R12463 | Steve | MacKenzie | BC | Canada |
| R14015 | Sean | Lanktree | MB | Canada |
| R14045 | C. Th. | Verschure | Noord Holland | Netherlands |
| R16956 | Mike & Brent | Hamer | Netherlands | |
| R17378 | Dan | Jahn | BC | Canada |
| R17770 | Canadian Museum of Flight | BC | Canada | |
| R17807 | Canadian Military Engineers Museum | NB | Canada | |
| R17964 | Brian | Asbury | ON | Canada |
| R18353 | Mike & Brent | Hamer | Netherlands | |
| R20802 | Philip | Eckman | VA | USA |
| R22671 | Bill | King | CA | USA |
| R22763 | John | Bradshaw | Warwickshire | UK |
| R22889 | Henk | Joore | Netherlands | |
| R22909 | Michel | van Alphen | Holland | |
| R24603 | Debbie | Strassel | USA ? | |
| R25313 | K. Ross & L. | Hopkins | NZ | |
| R25347 | Colin | Stevens | BC | Canada |
| R25796 | 15 Field Regiment Museum, Royal Canadian Artillery | BC | Canada | |
| R25877 | Brian | Asbury | ON | Canada |
| R26356 | Peter | Miller | USA? | |
| R26816 | Ed | Storey | ON | Canada |
| R27321 | Wayne | Penhalagan | AB | Canada |
| R27336 | Henk | Makkinga | Netherlands | |
| R28087 | C. Th. | Verschure | Noord Holland | Netherlands |
| R28399 | Erwin | Wiesenfeld | Netherlands | |
| R29993 | Matt | Dorn | USA | |
| R30295 | Lawrence | Flint | PA | USA |
| R30741 | ? | USA | ||
| R31824 | Contact: Archie Millar | Saanich Historical Artifacts Society | BC | Canada |
| R31985 | Adrian | Hardgrave | Warwickshire | England |
| R32021 | Richard | Tait | ||
| R32320 | Erwin | Wiesenfeld | Netherlands | |
| R32388 | Frank | Jost | NH | USA |
| R32405 | Colin | Stevens | BC | Canada |
| R33127 | Remy | Harmsen | Holland | |
| R33738 | Daniel | Salcedo | CA | USA |
| R36442? | ? | ? | ||
| R36903 | Tank Museum | VA | USA | |
| R37618 | Elizabeth | Young | CA | USA |
| R38261 | Ruud | Folman | Zwolle | Holland |
| R38737 | Daniel | Dewar | Australia | |
| R38964 | Tank Museum | VA | USA | |
| R39502 | Jerry | Cleveland | USA | |
| R40538 | Bram | vd Meij | Holland | |
| R40582 | Donald | Wardlaw | ||
| R40782 | Wayne | Penhalagan | AB | Canada |
| R42364 | Brian | Asbury | ON | Canada |
| R42596 | Mike & Brent | Hamer | Netherlands | |
| R43007? | Allan | Franklin | CA | USA |
| R43066 | Frank | Doran | VA | USA |
| R43284 | Tim | Dawson | England | |
| R43737 | Michel | van Alphen | Holland | |
| R44655 | ? | UK? | ||
| R45895 | Daniel | Salcedo | CA | USA |
| R46501 | Wayne | Penhalagan | AB | Canada |
| R47096 | Steve | Knox | NC | USA |
| R47124 | Mike | Bilski | NY | USA |
| R48431 | Bill | ? | USA? | |
| R49099 | Bruce | Hafner | IL | USA |
| R49427 | Adrian | Hardgrave | Warwickshire | England |
| R50222 | Brennon | Magee | TX | USA |
| R51118 | David | Gordon | TX | USA |
| R52014 | Daniel | Salcedo | CA | USA |
| R52959 | Boris | Stefanovic | ON | Canada |
| R54444 | Matthew | Picciotto | ||
| R55163 | Merlin | Hanson ? (Was David Farnham’s) | MD | USA |
| R57055 | Alistair | Taylor | Scotland | |
| R57631 | Brian | Asbury | ON | Canada |
| R57789? | John | Hedgepeth | NC | USA |
| R58076 | K. Ross & L. | Hopkins | NZ | |
| R59563 | Craig | Johnson | WA | USA |
| R59713 | Gary | Treadwell | Conn | USA |
| R61888 | Dale | Aylward | FL | USA |
| R62432 | Wayne | Penhalagan | AB | Canada |
| R62787 | Andrew | Beute | The Hague | Holland |
| R62836 | Mike & Brent | Hamer | Netherlands | |
| R73380 | ? | ? | Netherlands | |
| R77527 | John | Neuenburg | CA | USA |
| ? | Gordon | Bartow | CA | USA |
| ? | Gordon | Bartow | CA | USA |
| ? | ? | BC | Canada | |
| ? | Nell | B_____ (confidential) | BC | Canada |
| ? | ? | WA? | USA | |
| ? | Ernie | Baals | NJ | USA |
| ? | Canadian War Museum | ON | Canada | |
| ? | Cap’s Cycle Museum | BC | Canada | |
| ? | Frank A. | Donnely | CA | USA |
| ? | David | Foy | Hertfordshire | UK |
| ? | Jonathan | Henken | NY | USA |
| ? | Garry | Howard | Surrey | UK |
| ? | Garry | Howard | Surrey | UK |
| ? | W. A. | Purchase | Suffolk | UK |
| ? | Keith | Thomas | Norfolk | UK |
| ? | Gianluigi | Usai | Italy | |
| ? | G. J. | Hancock | East Yorks | UK |
| ? | Tim | Price | UK | |
| ? | Gordon | Cumming | AB | Canada |
| ? | Canadian War Museum | ON | Canada | |
| ? | Canberra Bicycle Museum | Australia | ||
| ? | Bob | Brown | ON | Canada |
| ? | Alain | Fine | France | |
| ? | Tim | Glance | NC | USA |
| ? | Wayne | Penhaglen | AB | Canada |
| ? | Cobbaton Collection | Devon | England | |
| ? | Imperial Palace Auto Collection | NV | USA | |
| ? | Howard | Boyd | NH | USA |
| ? | Howard | Boyd | NH | USA |
| ? | Peter | Skelton | UK | |
| ? | Peter | Skelton | UK | |
| ? | Peter | Skelton | UK | |
| ? | Peter | Skelton | UK | |
| ? | Peter | Skelton | UK | |
| ? | Peter | Skelton | UK | |
| ? | Jonathan | Lewis | ? | |
| ? | Gary | Rubel | PA | USA |
| ? | Jim | Diamond | NJ | USA |
| ? | Fort Garry Horse Museum and Archives | MB | Canada | |
| ? | Dennis | Deck | CA | USA |
| ? | David “Spence” | Spencer | PA | USA |
| ? | Brent | McCunn | Australia | |
| ? | Knox | Adams | USA | |
| ? | Canadian Airborne Forces Museum | ON | Canada | |
| ? | Philip | Ross | ? | |
| ? | John? | Gray? | USA? | |
| ? | Hormazd | Mistry | India | |
| ? | David | Toppin | Maine | USA |
| 3G442 ? | Dirk | Leegwater | Noord Holland | Netherlands |
| ? | Mosey | Eames |
3. Where can you find a BSA airborne bicycle?
Many have been found in the United Kingdom of course, Western Canada, and the USA. Denmark sold a bunch off surplus about 2001.
A fair number were sold surplus in Western Canada by the Bay and by Capital Iron (surplus store). They sold for about $4 to $10 each. It has been reported that quite a few were repainted red and sold in the San Francisco area.
The best advice is to tell people what you are looking for. Check with bike stores, papers that sell bikes etc. The goal is to find one and buy it from the original owners, rather than from a militaria dealer. This way you will learn some of its history and also hopefully not have to pay as much.
I found one through a gun show contact, several in museums (not for sale), one in a bike shop (not for sale), two through a motorcycle collector, several through a friends of the families who owned them, several through eBay, and several from people seeing my web site and contacting me.
A local friend who was displaying his BSA M-20 motorcycle was asked by a farmer if he would like a BSA army bicycle to go with the motorcycle. Naturally he said yes, and the farmer gave it to him! It is rusty from outdoor storage, but it is the real thing.
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CLICK HERE TO GO TO MY PAGE ON BSA AIRBORNE BICYCLE