BAR-NONE ENFIELD

Think of 29th October, 1944, Sunday afternoon. That’s the generally accepted date for the first-ever forces speedway race which took place at Trani in Italy. The event was originally designed as a morale-booster for the injured troops convalescing at the nearby hospital, as Sgt Peter Nuzum recalls.

‘We obtained permission to visit the REME depot where there was a dump of despatch rider machines, which had arrived from the UK minus parts and which were supposed to be attended to when someone got around to it. After three hours of applied scrounging we drove off with about 25 machines plus a considerable amount of spares and anything considered useful, considerably in excess of amounts we had been officially authorised to collect.

‘Nobby Stock, with willing helpers, built up four racing machines, stripped to the bare essentials, but still heavy by modern standards. By the time they had finished that, another group had converted the running track into a passable speedway circuit, the top surface consisting of the residue of clinkers from the local soap factory. I acquired some scaffolding and boards from my own engineering unit and constructed a small grandstand and judge’s bench.

‘Somebody even came up with a design for a starting