BSA Airborne Bicycle Survivors

BSA_now_we_wait_FRH_2002_WWII_Bty
BSA_now_we_wait_FRH_2002_WWII_Bty
BSA_front_view_DesMazes_WWII_Bty_FRH_2002
BSA_front_view_DesMazes_WWII_Bty_FRH_2002
BSA_&_Sten_Mk_V_2002_FRH
BSA_&_Sten_Mk_V_2002_FRH
BSA Colin_s with Colin at Fort Rodd Hill & 1944 turret 1999 May
BSA Colin_s with Colin at Fort Rodd Hill & 1944 turret 1999 May

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THIS TABLE IS YEARS OUT OF DATE AND WILL BE UPDATED WHEN I GET A CHANCE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.

 

Four BSA Airborne Bicycles - Colin Stevens Collection 2009. All have since been sold off.
Four BSA Airborne Bicycles – Colin Stevens Collection 2009. All have since been sold off.