From the Rolls-Royce experimental archive: a quarter of a million communications from Rolls-Royce, 1906 to 1960's. Documents from the Sir Henry Royce Memorial Foundation (SHRMF).
Accident report for a Bentley car involved in a collision with a bus in France.
| Identifier | ExFiles\Box 98\5\ scan0049 | |
| Date | 6th August 1939 | |
| 4509. To. Rm.{William Robotham - Chief Engineer} c. Mr. Lomas. (crossed out) c. Sr. (crossed out) c. Mr. Parsons (Paris) (crossed out) CHATEAUROUX. 3/6.8.39. I4.B.V.- BENTLEY. This car was involved in a collision with a bus at La{L. A. Archer} Chapelaude (Allier), 52 miles away from Châteauroux while travelling towards Montluçon at 4.45 P.M. on Saturday August 5th. I was approaching the left hand curve in the village and there was a bus with trailer coming towards me. When I was a short distance from the bus, it pulled sharp across in front of me towards an open space on my right, on which I afterwards discovered it was going to set down some passengers. I took the only course open to me, as the road was completely blocked by the bus and trailer, and applied my brakes and pulled to the right off the road onto the open space. The bus however, continued and struck my nearside (left hand) rear wheel which swung the Bentley round against a post which struck my offside (right hand) front wing just behind the front wheel. The driver of the bus gave no intimation of any kind of his sudden and unexpected manoeuvre. His front axle, nearside wing, and bumper were bent. The damage to the Bentley consists of:- N.S.R. Wheel buckled. N.S.R. Wing and wheel cover damaged. O.S.F. Wing damaged. The coachwork is otherwise undamaged. We cannot find any damage done to the chassis, but the nearside rear axle casing may be slightly distorted. The driving shaft is not bent however, and we do not think it necessary to strip the axle unless trouble develops. The bus, Berliet 7667 E.D. is the private property of Mr. Jean Desforges of Boussac (Creuse), who was driving. Full particulars, measurements and photographs were taken by Mr.J. Petit, Huissier, of Huriel (Allier), at our request. He will be sending in his report next week. There was no personal injury. Rm{William Robotham - Chief Engineer}/I.M.Waller. Frank. Waller | ||