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).
Urgent memo detailing a telephone report of an accident involving the experimental F.W.D. Cabriolet near Dieppe, France.
| Identifier | ExFiles\Box 181\M10\ img097 | |
| Date | 26th August 1924 | |
| URGENT. X4199 H2/TB/26.8.24. S/W. Hs.{Lord Ernest Hives - Chair} from H.{Arthur M. Hanbury - Head Complaints} Re:- 48-PK. Experimental F.W.D. Cabriolet. I received at 11-30 p.m. last night a telephone message from Henning, at Dieppe, reporting that this Car had had an accident, roughly asfollows (as far as could be gathered on the Cross-Channel telephone) - Henning was proceeding slowly, i.e., not more than 30 m.p.h. along a quite ordinary road in the neighbourhood of Dieppe, when suddenly the steering was snatched out of his hands, taking the car off the road into a small tree (little more than a sapling) where it overturned, gently he said, on to its near side, destroying the wings on that side. He claims to be unhurt, and has had the car towed into Tôtes, which I find is about 18 miles to the South of Dieppe. While being towed, he reports the car jerked, giving the impression that one or more of the brakes were on. I gathered that he had not had time to investigate anything, but he told me he was not using the brakes at all at the time of the accident. We think you should despatch a man at once to make your investigations and to take over the car. BJ. rules that it must not leave Tôtes with any appearance whatsoever of damage, unless it is removed in a packing case. CWB. who was taking the car over at Dieppe to-day for a further period of mileage in France, has not gone. The sooner you can send your man or men to take charge and to release Henning, who is required here, the better we shall be pleased. Henning's address is:- THE ROYAL HOTEL, DIEPPE. H.{Arthur M. Hanbury - Head Complaints} H = Hanbury. | ||