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Introduction

The 15th ISDT was held 20 to 27th September 1933 in Wales, it’s first of many visits to Llandrindod Wells, the last time being the International Six Days Enduro (ISDE) in 1983, 50 years later.

With 141 Starters 88 finished and 56 gold medals 18 silver medals and 9 bronze medals were awarded. For more information on the results see the last section of this page which includes a link to download the FIM report

I am indebted to reader Michael Wryan who has scanned his copy of the 1933 ISDT programme so that visitors to this site can now read a copy online via our issuu.com library.

In the meantime we have acquired an original copy of the issue of ‘Motor Cycling‘ mentioned on the programme cover that contains the report on the event with the photos used in this page and results. a link to view it online can be found below.

The eight standing in the front row are in fact the German and British Trophy Team members. Germany won with the loss of one mark; the British team lost two marks – a close run competition, but it was reported that “we did genuinely consider the Germans had fully merited their victory”. The Germans are in white overalls, and the British in grey; British, l-r are Peter Bradley, Bert Perrigo, George Rowley, and Bert Tetstall.

Llandrindod Wells, Wales, 1933 ISDT was held there & the TROPHY award won by Germany, the team in white overalls is Germany, consisting of the listed Ernst Jakob Henne, Josef Stelzer, Josef Mauer-Mayer & Ludwig Kraus, a  most rare pic of them with the ‘Engish’ team as it was termed then, thanks to the efforts of Dave Martin. Michael Wryan says the British are George Rowley, seated on BMW (#71): Peter Bradley seated in sidecar: and Bert Perrigo standing between machines (#27 and #44); it could be Bert Tetstall looking over Rowley’s shoulder

We can always use names plus information on which rider is which, anecdotes, plus more pictures since this was the initial ISDT event at Llandrindod Wells. Listed winners of Silver Vase := Vic Brittain, Jack Williams & G F Povey, the ‘English’ Team, can anyone individually identify out there?.    Steve Dolling just identified P Norman Bradley the Sunbeam Works sc exponent who is second from left in the group.

Another version of this image appeared in the story on the 1933 ISDT in ‘Motor Cycling‘ and a copy of the photo is provided below captioned with all of the correct names.
1933 ISDT at Llandrindod Wells Wales for the first time had Germany’s Ernst Jakob Henne, Josef Stelzer, Josef Mauer Mayer & Ludwig Kraus take the Prized Silver Trophy. 140 Riders from 9 Countries inc. Morgan 3 Wheeler drivers competed, right up to the Speed trial day at Donnington Park, Germany emerged the winners by 1  Point.

[Dave Martin from New Orleans found an actual Pathe News film snip showing scenes on that Final day start, plus up to the chequered flag right.  I can always record to disc if anyone wants this as well as the 1938 ISDT Scenes & 1961 ISDT short footage.]

The ‘Motor Cycling‘ issue of 27th September 1933 had a full article covering the entire progress of the event and we are grateful to Morton’s Archive for their permission for the use of their material in this article. The pictures below are from that article:

‘Motor Cycling’ does not caption this image but the results tell us this was #107 F Ruttchen of the Germany Automobile Club (ADAC) on 500cc NSU who was part of the German Vase ‘A’ team that placed 4th. He went on to loose no points and gain Gold

G Berger is from Hungary retired on the 2nd day, de Ridder is from Holland and was in the Holland Vase ‘A’ team, the loss of another rider meant the possible 5th or better place was not achieved, he finished with a Gold. Lucas retired on the 3rd day. Bicknell lost only one point on the 3rd day but that left him with a silver medal.

James Beck is a self entered rider of some clear ability as he finished with a clean sheet and a Gold medal for his efforts. Fleischmann also finished clean with a Gold Medal, and his Vase team were 4th.

Waycott, one of the greatest Sidecar divers of his generation in all aspects of motorcycling, unfortunately retired on the 4th day. Spooner lost 9 points on day 3 and earned a Silver Medal riding for the Barnsley Motorcycle Club team who were 4th in the club team event. Stevenson on the factory Brough maintained a clean card and went on to get a Gold Medal. Mapstone dropped out on day 3

White is on a self entered Matchless and rode clean all week and earned a Gold Medal.

More great images from the Bwlch y Groes a venue for both the ISDT and later the Milk Race were attracted to its status of a hard climb to one of the highest passes in Wales. Stewart an Irish entrant rode on the Ireland Vase ‘B’ team another team defeated from a high result by one rider dropping out. He stayed clean all week and took a Gold Medal home.

Bwlch y Groes taken the other way, this is near the western end heading west and other magazine photo opportunities of the ISDT at the Bwlch y Groes other than the iconic view of the pass itself are often taken at the western hairpin. Mauer-Meyer riding in the victorious German Trophy team kept his time card clean all week and took a Gold Medal home with him. Harris also kept clean and bagged a Gold medal. Swift a private entrant also took a Gold medal home.

Without a map of the route, immediate instinct based on the subsequent loop of tracks used for the ISDT around Llangollen means this rider might be climbing either the road up Fron Bache, in which case the wood in the background is the wood alongside the Allt y Bady, or possibly he is riding up the Allt y Gwernant to the east of the Allt y Badi. Further local research will resolve this. The rider Len Heath won the Scottish Six Days in 1933 on an Ariel single and won the Scott Trial 4 times in the 1930’s including 1933. In the ISDT he was self entered and part of the 4th placed British Vase ‘B’ team and with a clean ride picked up a Gold Medal.

Part of the long list of international riders who found their way to the Allt y Bady either side of the WWII following the ISDT. Both self entered riders lost considerable road penalties over the week but were able to hang onto Bronze Medal finishes. Sybrandy was a member of the Holland Vase ‘B’ team that finished 6th.

Goodall managed to keep his time card clean all week and was rewarded with a Gold Medal.

Harris with Goodall were the only two of four Morgans entered that finished both picked a gold medal for doing so. Wood and Ashworth were both self entries who stayed clean all week picking up Gold medals at the finish.

Great photo showing although not dominating the Trophy in the home event Great Britain was a lead player in the international sport. In this photo we see the team overalls, no doubt battle stained, bearing the embroidered Union Jack insignia that became a cherished flag of honour on team Barbour jackets after 1937.

The press reported that in 1933, the British team riders “were issued with a special uniform of grey with a Union Jack embroidered on the breast pocket. The Trophy team wore gold armlets with blue lettering ‘I.S.D.T. Trophy, 1933’, and the Silver Vase teams a blue armlet with silver lettering.”

www.fottofinders.co.uk   Click to go to the man who runs the finest stock of motorcycle history images.
Programmed entry lists kindly sent to us from Bill Snelling who has something approaching a quarter of a million images of:
TT – 1907 to date
MGP – 1923 to date
Southern 100 – 1955 to date
Car racing 1933-1953
Andreas Racing 1966 to date
Ulster GP 1949 to 1959
ISDT events held on the Isle of Man  Many many thanks for Bill Snelling’s help & contributions.

Peveril IoM Club entry, Hughie Kelly centre whom you see below on first day at Llandovery, sadly retiring with a collapsed wheel later that Day.

The central rider is Hughie Kelly, on Ariel Red Hunter (#129) as shown in the below. The three riders formed the Club Team entered by the Peveril M.C.C., with Bill Marshall as passenger in J. Graham Oates’ sidecar outfit.

Steve Dolling worked darn hard to scan in & send on to here, I am fairly sure this is near Dinas Rock where a Bridge & Car Park exists nowadays. … Whoa there Taff, Michael Wryan has this more plausible description of this photo “This is not an I.S.D.T. picture (the competition number does not conform). It shows Peter Bradley on a flat tank Sunbeam, with his father Ernest in the sidecar; probably competing in an open one day trial in the Midlands.”

Another of Steve Dolling’s collection:- not certain if date is correct. White overalls say Germany, however who was driving & passenger in 82? 1933 results point to F E Thacker on a Works RE Entry..

Originally thought a 1933 ISDT photo is not an I.S.D.T. picture: it is Peter Bradley and Bert Tetstall (Sunbeam, Reg. JW 1189) competing in the 1934 Scottish Six Days Trial. In 1934, the Sunbeam ‘works’ trials team was issued with white riding kit!

1933 ISDT Bianchi Team, A small piece of research tells us that Bianchi started from Edoardo Bianchi’s small Milan shop from 1897 beginnings & fitting engines into strengthened frames from 1905, mid to late 1920’s saw a rise to being one of a batch of top class racing motorcycle producers, the designer engineer Albini Baldi had a riding force which reads like a who’s who, Tazio Nuvolari, Alberto Ascari, Amilcare Moretti, Mario Ghersi, Karl Kodric, Guido Cerato. The Alfa Romero GP & Mille Miglia exploits of several are legends & members of this bunch of as yet unidentified gents could perhaps tell us much more.

[HELP FROM ITALY NEEDED.]

Another shot of Dinas Rock area, #9 Graham Oates Ariel 600cc waits for a clear run behind #14 A G Mapstone Zenith 750cc rider, Oates passenger Bill Marshall in earnest conversation with Tom Loughborough of ACU.   H J Finden winner of Gold medal plus Stuart Waycott who retired his 348 Velocette can be seen.

The downhill corners run from Ystradfellte top, still remains virtually as seen here

Another  from Steve Dolling’s Collection, This background is Ystradfellte backroad, any body with a modern photo of this track? The following images are also believed to be from the Steve Dolling collection and were found on a Photobucket account as the original scanned photos.

This is not an I.S.D.T. picture (the competition number does not conform). It shows Peter Bradley and Bert Tetstall on Sunbeam, (probably UK 2884) possibly in the Mitchell Memorial Trial.

This is not an I.S.D.T. picture; it shows Peter Bradley, (Sunbeam, Reg. DA 8036) with his father Ernest in the sidecar, competing in the 1926 Scottish Six Days Trial, in which they won a silver cup, and the award for the best performance by a private owner on a sidecar.

Well done Dave Martin, here is Josef Mauer-Meyer whom you can see in the Team picture at a course feature which seemed regularly used in later ISDT.

Last Day Speed Trial:- Bill Marshall barely visible behind Graham Oates as they prepare to lap Harry Perry 645 Triumph who won the Maude’s Trophy with the same outfit later that year for 500 Miles in 500 Minutes around Donington, #83 is G Spooner on a 348 Ariel.

On the Map!

the 1933 Official Programme contains maps of the route which are reproduced below. Anybody wishing to enquire about copies at a greater resolution please contact us.

We have started a project to produce maps of the original route of this event onto modern mapping to improve understanding of the route and the historical changes that have taken places to the nature of these routes. Check out the 1933 map

What the Paper’s Said!

View the report in the September 1933 issue of ‘Motor Cycling‘ at our issuu.com library

The text of the magazine’s editorial overview can be read in this Speedtracktale blog.

The above report was found using the excellent TROVE site at the National Library of Australia where a scanned and index collection of historic newspapers featuring motoring sections can prove to be a useful record of the history of Motorcycling outside of Europe : http://trove.nla.gov.au

The event was very popular in daily local and national newspapers, the below extracts have been found at the British Library, sit back and have a read.

The Final Score: Results

International Trophy

1. Germany (1) penalty points
2. Great Britain (2)
3. Czechoslovakia (1100)
4. Italy (1400)

International Silver Vase

1. Great Britain A (0) penalty points
2. Ireland A (0)
3. Great Britain B (1)
4. Germany A (6)
5. Italy B (14)
6. Holland B (59)
7. Germany B (85)
8. Czechoslovakia (260)
9. Ireland B (500)
10. Holland A (600)
11. Italy A (1400)

Speedtracktales wishes to thank Marc Pétrier of FIM Information Resources who has facilitated the scanning of the FIM archive of ISDT results material and is allowing us to make it available here as a public service. Download a copy of the original Results and Stewards Report at the link below.

Download Stewards Report for the 1933 ISDT here

We always welcome personal memories of the event and those who took part contact us if you have something you wish to share with us.

Treasure hunted

Reproduced from a Stamp Designed by Clive Abbott issued 3 June 1993 by the Isle of Man Post Office

Wanted

Speedtracktales reader Roland has requested via the Guest Book if anyone can help him by providing images / photos of motorcycle’s number #28, #35 and #40 all three are MAS Motorcycles. Please drop us a note if you can find any.