For Sale: Reproduction WWII WLA USA Number License Plates

Military Motorcycles, and Other Military Two and Three Wheeled Cycles, Wanted, For Sale (NO AUCTION or EBAY) and Knowledge Base
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Steve Greenberg
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For Sale: Reproduction WWII WLA USA Number License Plates

Post by Steve Greenberg » Wed Jun 10, 2009 8:58 pm

Hello,
For sale: Reproduction WWII Harley Davidson WLA USA number license plates. They are $45.00 each plus $7.90 priority postage in the USA. (The plates in the photo below have been sold already). This is a 10 year old post. All of these were sold a long time ago. I did another run limited run of plates last year. I only have a few of those left. Link to the new post: viewtopic.php?f=23&t=294170

Here is a list of numbers I have available:
Type I U.S.A. W-69925 thru U.S.A. W-69928
Type II U.S.A. W-613892 & U.S.A. W-613893
Type III U.S.A. W-625232 thru U.S.A. W-625234
Type IV U.S.A. 675125 thru U.S.A. 675129
Type V U.S.A. 695802 thru U.S.A. 695804
Type VII U.S.A. 6128600 & U.S.A 6128602
Thanks,
Steve 8)
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WLA plates.jpg
WLA plates.jpg (202.23 KiB) Viewed 4256 times
Last edited by Steve Greenberg on Sat Feb 09, 2019 9:42 am, edited 3 times in total.
42 M3A1 Stuart Light Tank
44 GMC 2 1/2 Ton Amphibian Truck (DUKW)


chris haynes
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Re: For Sale: Reproduction WWII WLA USA Number License Plates

Post by chris haynes » Wed Sep 02, 2009 6:49 pm

The military quit using motorcycle license plates in 1942 and simply has the USA number stencelled on the motorcycle.
1952 Ford U S NAVY Communications step van.
1967 Harley-Davidson XLA

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Steve Greenberg
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Re: For Sale: Reproduction WWII WLA USA Number License Plates

Post by Steve Greenberg » Wed Sep 02, 2009 7:14 pm

Chris,
You posted this before and once agian your information is not correct. The original plate I copied was USA 627580 which is off an original Type III WLA. I have seen original photos showing Type IV & V WLA's with USA # license plates. Maybe you should do some research before posting incorrect information for the 3rd time. viewtopic.php?f=23&t=130370" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
Steve 8)
42 M3A1 Stuart Light Tank
44 GMC 2 1/2 Ton Amphibian Truck (DUKW)

chris haynes
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Re: For Sale: Reproduction WWII WLA USA Number License Plates

Post by chris haynes » Wed Sep 02, 2009 8:02 pm

Steve Greenberg wrote:Chris,
You posted this before and once agian your information is not correct. The original plate I copied was USA 627580 which is off an original Type III WLA. I have seen original photos showing Type IV & V WLA's with USA # license plates. Maybe you should do some research before posting incorrect information for the 3rd time. viewtopic.php?f=23&t=130370" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
Steve 8)

Please show me documentation that you are correct. Show me WWII era photo of a type IV or V with a Red license plate on it. Are you sure the one you copied was an original? Yes they were all originally red. Some commands painted them OD.
1952 Ford U S NAVY Communications step van.
1967 Harley-Davidson XLA

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Steve Greenberg
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Re: For Sale: Reproduction WWII WLA USA Number License Plates

Post by Steve Greenberg » Wed Sep 02, 2009 8:15 pm

Chris,
Sorry, once again you are not correct. The original USA plate that is on the WLA I use to own is absolutly original and it is olive drab. Show me an original red WLA plate.
Steve 8)
42 M3A1 Stuart Light Tank
44 GMC 2 1/2 Ton Amphibian Truck (DUKW)

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Re: For Sale: Reproduction WWII WLA USA Number License Plates

Post by chris haynes » Wed Sep 02, 2009 9:13 pm

I have done my research. I have seen several. I found one that was originally red and had been painted OD. I gave it to Bruce Palmer III. You might want to ask him about it.
Sadly the photos of the bikes shown are so bad that the numbers on the plates can't be read. They also appear to be a two toned plate. If they cant be read we don't know what they are. Sure they show signs of later production machines but they could have also been given field upgrades.
The photo of the plate below on a 1941 WLA was entered into the Pohlman log on May 10, 1941. (Pohlman Studios held all the H-D negatives) Although it is a black and white photo you can see that the plate is not OD. Believe me when I tell you they were originally red. Also notice the registration number of W66500. This in May 1941
Image
1952 Ford U S NAVY Communications step van.
1967 Harley-Davidson XLA

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Re: For Sale: Reproduction WWII WLA USA Number License Plates

Post by Gumby42 » Tue Jun 08, 2010 6:12 am

I need your Ph.# or email so i can order a license plate . Thanks Alex Goolsby in Va 434-841-7883 or email gumby15@verizon.net :)

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Steve Greenberg
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Re: For Sale: Reproduction WWII WLA USA Number License Plates

Post by Steve Greenberg » Tue Jun 08, 2010 7:12 pm

Hello,
Here is a updated list of numbers I have available:
Type I U.S.A. W-69925 thru U.S.A. W-69928
Type II U.S.A. W-613893
Type IV U.S.A. 675125 thru U.S.A. 675129
Type V U.S.A. 695802 thru U.S.A. 695804
Type VII U.S.A. 6128600 & U.S.A 6128602
Thanks,
Steve 8)
42 M3A1 Stuart Light Tank
44 GMC 2 1/2 Ton Amphibian Truck (DUKW)

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Re: For Sale: Reproduction WWII WLA USA Number License Plates

Post by JimG » Tue Jan 15, 2019 9:09 am

I know this post is quite old, but do you have any plates still available for sale?

Thanks,
JIm

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Alex Schmidt
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Re: For Sale: Reproduction WWII WLA USA Number License Plates

Post by Alex Schmidt » Thu Jan 17, 2019 6:22 am

Re. the red/green plates, I have only ever seen them green, with white lettering, about 8 sofar, well one is a bit rusty, was recently found in Russia from a Lend Lease Harley.

I do know that Dave Sarafan had red ones made in the late eighties, but from the factory they were green, maybe one or two were made red for a special unit?


Here's my 100% Original Indian model 640 plate, the start of wanting/buying/restoring one!!

Image

Image

If there's anything to complain about it's not the color, that can be changed easily, the font is something else, that cannot be changed, also the originals were made from steel, not alu.

Here the one recently found in Russia;

Image

But great Steve is having these made!!!

Grtz,

Lex
1910 P&M R.F.C. mtrcycle
1939 White 704 S 5 ton
1940 Matchless G3
1940 Norton Big 4
1941 FordGP #16601
1943 G.E. 75mm Pack How.
1943 Welbike Parascooter
1944 Cushman Parascooter
1944 Cooper Parascooter prototype
1944 DKW RT 125 N.a.

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Re: For Sale: Reproduction WWII WLA USA Number License Plates

Post by 42WLA » Fri Apr 16, 2021 1:21 am

Hello,

Does anybody know if the Lend-Lease WLA's were shipped to Russia with USA reg. plates? Seems odd that they would ship them with a US Army reg. to a foreign country? Or was the plate put on at the factory and all of them regardless who they went to?

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Alex Schmidt
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Re: For Sale: Reproduction WWII WLA USA Number License Plates

Post by Alex Schmidt » Fri Apr 16, 2021 4:59 am

Yes, I do think so, as one re-appeared in Russia, I tried to buy it, but it's not for sale! (I only just saw I already posted this!!)

Here the picture, it was dug up 2-3 years ago in Russia.

Image

Alex
Last edited by Alex Schmidt on Fri Apr 16, 2021 5:19 am, edited 1 time in total.
1910 P&M R.F.C. mtrcycle
1939 White 704 S 5 ton
1940 Matchless G3
1940 Norton Big 4
1941 FordGP #16601
1943 G.E. 75mm Pack How.
1943 Welbike Parascooter
1944 Cushman Parascooter
1944 Cooper Parascooter prototype
1944 DKW RT 125 N.a.

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Alex Schmidt
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Re: For Sale: Reproduction WWII WLA USA Number License Plates

Post by Alex Schmidt » Fri Apr 16, 2021 5:18 am

The number tells us it was from a very large contract from 1942, 20313 bikes! so all Lend Lease?

Grtz,

Lex
1910 P&M R.F.C. mtrcycle
1939 White 704 S 5 ton
1940 Matchless G3
1940 Norton Big 4
1941 FordGP #16601
1943 G.E. 75mm Pack How.
1943 Welbike Parascooter
1944 Cushman Parascooter
1944 Cooper Parascooter prototype
1944 DKW RT 125 N.a.

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Johan WILLAERT
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Re: For Sale: Reproduction WWII WLA USA Number License Plates

Post by Johan WILLAERT » Tue Apr 20, 2021 3:49 am

The number on the Russia found plate came off a Type III 42WLA.
Wasn't part of the known Lend-Lease shipment to Russia, as that were mostly later types; but I guess anything goes.
Yes, the WLAs delivered to Russia did have a U.S. Army registration number from the factory, with the later types having the number painted in blue drab paint on the tip of the rear fender under the rear light bracket. Plenty of original surviving numbers confirm this.
The marking in white on the front of the rear fender between the luggage rack and the battery box, although prescribed from February 1945, wasn't really done until after the end of the hostilities in the Summer of 1945.
All described and illustrated on my website
MVPA#14204
Huffman D50546 (1942)
Westfield Columbia MG138969 & MG140418 (1943)
HD 42WLA31854 (1943)
Ford GPW272xxx (1945)
Bantam T3 56433(Est) (1945)
John Wood M3A4 17564 (1943)
Johnston Lawn Mower Co RL35-A 1255 (1944)
BSA Mark V* T136102 (1944)
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