I have no first hand experience of cycling during this era and only know what I have read of the post war British cycling scene. I would also love to hear more first hand accounts.
It seems that European components had more cache with the riders from the BLRC (British League of Racing Cyclists AKA 'The League'). The BLRC were proponents of 'Massed start' races in a European style, as opposed to time trials (as sanctioned by the NCU National Cyclists Union 'the Union').
There was a lot of friction and enmity between these two organisations and that was reflected in equipment choice.
I'm not sure if a post war time trialist would have been infra dig http://www.phrases.org.uk/
More information needed please.
Simon Bird
London
England