julian57

Thanks to all who have posted so far and we are on the right track heading for the From Cinders to Shale link. We therefore appear to be closing in. Jim wasn't the one of the great riders of all time but was the first England team captain. From scrapbook of 1930's press cuttings passed to my wife from her family he was never the same after a nasty crash and left the sport mid 30's. Fortunately, for the brief time he was near the top his constant smile earned him his nickname 'Smiling' Jim and my wife and her mum are proud of him..so thanks for all the assistance in locating his Velocette. He enlisted at the start of the second world war and ferried planes to airfields. Sadly, in ferrying a plane to Germany, just after the war his plane hit cables and he was killed. We will update when we know more but thanks to all again.

Sorry...I am posting this topic under various sections but only because there is an urgency..... Can someone out there please help regarding the location of Jim's Velocette KTD. There is a website which is no longer maintained but, if you google search for Velocette KTD, will come up as Jim's bike. It looks, from the image on the site, as if it is on display somewhere but, try as we have, we cannot locate it. Jim was my wife's great uncle and her mum's uncle. She (Jim's neice is nearly 80 and would like to see the bike her uncle rode) so the tantalising photo is a case of so near yet so far as we cannot locate it. The website seemed to be hosted by an Andy at Exeter falcons but, again, this has drawn a blank. Anyone knowing where the bike is - please email me outside this forum. Thanks Julian