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).
The death of engine expert Mr. Halliwell during an incident involving the Miss England boat, detailing salvage plans and provisions for his family.
| Identifier | ExFiles\Box 174\5\ img163 | |
| Date | 14th June 1930 guessed | |
| be taken of stating the special circumstances under which Mr. Halliwell came to be in the boat and met his death. DUTY FINISHED. "Mr. Halliwell was an employee of Bristol [unclear] and chief expert, specialist aero engine tester for Rolls-Royce Ltd., and his clients wished it to be made quite clear that his duty was finished when the boat was completed and the engines were found to be turning over satisfactorily. "The business of the firm was to supply the engines, and they later undertook to supervise their installation. When Sir Henry Segrave decided the time had come to make a time test, he said he would like a Rolls-Royce man in the boat, and suggested that Mr. Halliwell would be the best for the job. "One cannot help thinking Mr. Halliwell must have realised the great risk he was taking and the responsibility, for he had a wife and child, and he must also have realised that if the record was broken, it was broken, it would have been by Sir Henry Segrave and not Halliwell and Wilcocks. "He had nothing to gain except the consciousness of a job of work very well done. DEVOTED SKILL. "I am assured by those most closely associated with Sir Henry Segrave that one of the most striking characteristics of that man was that the fullest possible credit should be given to the men who had devoted skill, energy and ability to his service and sharing the risk that made Sir Henry Segrave's exploit possible. TYPICAL OF BRITAIN. "I am assured that if Sir Henry had survived he would have been the first to insist that the honour... should have been shared by the late Mr. Halliwell and Mr. Wilcocks, and not only secured to Sir Henry himself. Under these circumstances words were no consolation, but it might be of some service to Mr. Halliwell's widow and family that the manner of his death did typically all that is best of Britain and things British. "I desire on behalf of my clients to express regret at the death of a very brave man and to offer our profound sympathy on behalf of Sir Frederick H.{Arthur M. Hanbury - Head Complaints} Royce, Rolls-Royce, Ltd., and Mr. Cooper. "I understand," added Mr. Handley, "that the underwriters are attempting to salvage the boat, which may delay for some little time the information I undertook to supply to the Coroner as to the cause of the disaster." ...containing his lunch and immediately made a rough chart, taking cross bearings from landmarks on the shore. Afterwards he verified his position by dropping a piece of iron, and we believe we will find exactly where we expect... ON EVEN KEEL. "As far as I can tell she was lying on an even keel, a weight of her engines evidently having taken her down in this position. "We are starting to prepare our gear for raising her to-day, and to-morrow we expect to be on the spot. We shall use the pile driving barge at present on the lake. It will carry a weight of seven tons, and as Miss England submerged will not be more than three tons in dead weight I do not expect any great difficulty. "On the barge on which we shall have a derrick and a winch, we shall launch long lengths of steel chains, wrapped with ropes so as not to damage the fabric of the boat. These we shall try to wrap round Miss England's stern and stem. "The two chains will then be joined in the water and attached to a strong cable leading over the derrick to the winch, and we shall be able to raise Miss England off the bottom. FOUR LIFTS. "We shall not try to bring her out in one lift after raising her perhaps 40 or 50 feet, we shall drag her into shallower water. After adjustments of the tackle we shall raise her again and bring her still closer to the shore. "About four lifts should be necessary in all. The only real difficult part of the business will be getting the two loops of chain over Miss England's ends. "This will be rather a delicate job and may call for a lot of patience, but once we begin, with reasonable good fortune we ought to be able to bring her into the shed in about three or four days' time. We certainly hope to have her on the slips before the week-end. "Sir Henry Segrave's body was conveyed to his father's home at Hyde Park Square, London, on Sunday, and the funeral will take place on Tuesday. There will be a memorial service at St.{Capt. P. R. Strong} Margaret's, Westminster, at 12.15. OFFICIAL STATEMENT. A statement issued on Saturday and signed by the following technical experts - Messrs. Fred Cooper, Miss England's designer; A.{Mr Adams} Wormald (Director and Works Manager of Rolls-Royce), A.{Mr Adams} J.{Mr Johnson W.M.} Rowledge, E.{Mr Elliott - Chief Engineer} W. Hive, J.{Mr Johnson W.M.} E.{Mr Elliott - Chief Engineer} Ellor, all of the Rolls-Royce technical staff, indicated that the probable cause of the disaster was the striking... (Continued from adjoining column). ...of a log of wood by the craft, which consequently overturned. PROVISION FOR WIDOW. The following statement was issued to-day by Rolls-Royce Ltd.:- "'The matter of the provision for the widow and son of the late Mr. Halliwell has been having, and is still having, the careful consideration of all parties concerned, and it is hoped that the result will be that they will be adequately provided for.' "'No effort has been spared by Rolls-Royce Ltd. to meet all the immediate needs of Mrs. Halliwell and her son.'" The funeral will take place at Bristol on a date to be arranged. Mr. A.{Mr Adams} Wormald, Director and Works Manager of Rolls-Royce, and Mr. E.{Mr Elliott - Chief Engineer} W. Hive, Mr. Halliwell's chief, intend to represent the firm. | ||