Bike of the Month: The 1944 Triumph 3HW

A rare wartime Triumph with remarkable originality and a personal connection to D-Day has recently arrived at the National Motorcycle Museum on loan.

Our Bike of the Month for October is this 1944 Triumph 3HW – a 350cc military motorcycle built by Triumph during the Second World War.

It is a fascinating example of both British motorcycle engineering and the demands placed on manufacturers during wartime.

From Coventry to Meriden

The story of the 3HW begins with the Coventry Blitz.

Triumph’s factory on Priory Street was destroyed during the bombing of Coventry, forcing the company to establish a new production site at Meriden. By 1942, the War Department was favouring either 500cc side-valve motorcycles or 350cc overhead-valve machines.

Triumph chose to concentrate its wartime production on a 350cc overhead-valve motorcycle, developing the military 3HW from the civilian 3H.

The 3HW was designed specifically for military use and, as the war progressed, the motorcycle evolved in response to shortages of materials.

Rubber became increasingly scarce, leading to items such as footrest and handlebar rubbers being omitted. Shortages of aluminium also resulted in components including the chain case and oil pump cover being produced in pressed steel. Other changes included alterations to the headlight, handlebars, pannier arrangements and other equipment.

These details offer an insight into how even a motorcycle was affected by the demands and shortages of wartime production.

An exceptionally original example

This particular Triumph comes from Contract S5340, an order for 4,000 motorcycles placed in December 1943 and delivered between June and December 1944.

The machines were distributed through Littlewoods of Liverpool, the Mars factory at Slough and various Army vehicle receiving depots.

What makes this example particularly special is the amount of original equipment it retains.

It still has its full toolkit and rider’s manual, while the original puncture repair kit contains its individual components. The pannier bags are genuine 1944 items.

Perhaps the most unusual surviving feature is the original rear pillion seat cover, complete with its horsehair-reinforced front hump. According to the owner, it is an exceptionally rare item – one they had previously only seen in photographs.

The motorcycle was carefully restored by its previous owner, bringing it back to running condition while preserving its original character and historic details.

A connection to D-Day

The motorcycle’s military markings provide another fascinating link to its wartime history.

It is badged to the 30th Armoured Brigade Headquarters, part of the 79th Armoured Division – the formation associated with Major General Percy Hobart’s specialist armoured vehicles, famously known as Hobart’s Funnies.

There is also a very personal connection to the events of 1944.

The owner’s wife’s grandfather served with the 22nd Dragoons and was part of the D-Day landings on Juno Beach.

For the owner, that connection gives the motorcycle an added significance beyond its rarity and originality. It links a surviving piece of British motorcycle history to the people who used these machines and the events in which they played a part.

What happened to the 3HW after the war?

The 3HW’s military career was relatively short. After the war, many were bought back by Triumph and refurbished as civilian motorcycles as the company worked to restart commercial production.

This continued until around 1947, when available spares had been exhausted.

Other 3HWs were sent overseas, including to Greece and India as part of post-war aid. Some were subsequently converted for grass track racing, speedway and trials, while others were dismantled for spare parts.

As a result, genuinely original wartime 3HWs are now relatively uncommon.

See the Triumph 3HW at the National Motorcycle Museum

This remarkable 1944 Triumph 3HW is now on display at the National Motorcycle Museum, where visitors can see its original details up close and discover more about its wartime story.

It is a small but fascinating part of the much bigger story of British motorcycle production during the Second World War – and a reminder that every motorcycle in the Museum’s collection has a story of its own.

Want to see more? The National Motorcycle Museum houses more than 1,000 British motorcycles across five halls, spanning three centuries of motorcycle history.