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).
Newspaper clippings reporting on the fatal crash of Sir Henry Segrave during a water speed record attempt.
| Identifier | ExFiles\Box 174\5\ img181 | |
| Date | 14th June 1930 guessed | |
| [Column 1] ...the hill it seemed as if the run was some seconds better, but before any calculations could be made Miss England was once more tearing up the lake to cover the mile for the third time. Half-way between the two buoys a cloud of spray higher than the rest leapt up from the flying boat. Without dropping from her speed of 100 miles an hour, Miss England gave a violent swerve to the left, turned over in a smother of spray, and disappeared. The bottom broke through the surface and two—perhaps three—white helmets could be seen in the water. Then the scene was obliterated by launches converging in from all sides of the lake. "DID WE BREAK THE RECORD?" SIR HENRY'S FIRST WORDS WHEN RESCUED. Mr. P. F.{Mr Friese} King, of Fauldbank, who was taking a photograph of Miss England II. at the time of the disaster, said: 'Miss England was directly opposite to [...] and without [...] she turned over and I saw a cloud of spray, but [...] she disappeared in it. Then I saw a launch which was coming up, as I did not worry about that one and instead concentrated upon the man who was struggling only 20 yards away.' 'Just as he became inert I saw it was Sir Henry Segrave, and I told Capt. Freeman of the launch, '[...] I dived overboard and went to [...] just as he was going down. Another launch then came and took them aboard, and I swam for the [...] to it and clambered aboard, and then [...] that had run out of the water.' 'Sir Henry was semi-conscious for about two minutes. He obviously did not know where he was, and then he asked, "Did we break the record?" and then dreams [...]' [Column 2] ...[have a hazy recol]lection of being attended by several [peop]le, and then I seemed to [find my]self lying in this bed. I am so pleased [we have] broken the record, but the job is [so co]stly.' Willcocks has one eye hurt and has [...] bruises, while he had a big gash in his side, yet he continued calmly to smoke the cigarette after another. LADY SEGRAVE'S PREMONITION "I FEEL THAT SOMETHING MAY HAPPEN." It was a tragedy of a wife's premonition writes the special correspondent of the 'Daily Mail.' Only two hours before Sir Henry set off on his ill-fated trip Lady Segrave said to me: 'I am nervous about to-day's attempt. I feel something may happen. I don't know how to explain it, but there is something that tells me that things are not going well. I have been confident all week, nothing has disturbed me, yet why should I feel like this to-day?' She was one of the first to reach Sir Henry's side when he had been taken by motor launch from the scene of the accident to Belle Grange, a house on the west side of the lake. Lady Segrave had watched the runs against time from the house of a friend, and on seeing the boat capsize or collect herself after the tragic ending to the run she dashed to Belle Grange and was with Sir Henry till the last [...] the prospects of his [...] And then [...] and there was [...] Lady Segrave was proud [...] Lady Segrave had [...] attempt who had [...] against the [...] of Miss England II [...] [Column 3] BOAT SUPPOSED TO HAVE STRUCK SUBMERGED OBJECT. THEORY THAT MOVEABLE "STEP" BECAME TWISTED. Mr. F.{Mr Friese} Bamford, of F.{Mr Friese} Bamford and Co., the Stockport engineers who supplied the bronze propeller with which Sir Henry set up the new world record yesterday, in an interview last night with a 'Manchester Guardian' reporter, said that he saw the crash from the Rolls-Royce official boat, in which one of the passengers, by the way, was Mr. Hives, whose interest was in the distributor. 'The propeller,' he said, 'was fetched by Sir Henry's car from Stockport at Bowness early yesterday morning, and had been specially made in the light of the experience gained in the trials. Sir Henry's plan was understood to be that after the journey up and down the measured mile he would examine the propeller before making a third attempt, but apparently he was so pleased with the performance at the end that he decided to make the third run with the same propeller. Sir Henry had never before been so confident in my opinion, but as the third run was faster than the first two, a very much higher speed was given to the prop[eller]. Mr. Willcocks, who was saved from the [...] was saying that the [...] of the conduct of the [boat] [...]. I am more inclined to think that [...] PROPELLER INTACT [...] was when she dropped that the [...]. engine had been racing, which suggests that the propeller was clear of the water. [Column 4] ...of men, 'I shall never forget his help and encouragement when I went to America for my speed attempt. He was one of [the greates]t importance to me.' The Manager of Saunders, Roe (who built "Miss England") "We deplore the death of a great adventurer and sportsman. We shall sadly miss him." Mr. Eric Laird (of Messrs. Laird and Co., Cowes, yacht builders): "Sir Henry was a very charming and very gallant gentleman, whose death the whole world will deplore." The Hon. Victor Bruce: "Sir Henry was a wonderfully skilful pilot and certainly the right man to make the attempt on the record." Mr. George Farrar (secretary of the Marine Motoring Association), which takes the official records): "By his death the sport of motor boating has suffered a severe loss." Mr. Stenson Cooke (secretary of the Automobile Association): "He has bravely and efficiently upheld British prestige on land, and air and in the sea." The Master of Sempill (president of the Royal Aeronautical Society), in a telegram to Lady Segrave): "The death of your gallant and much-talented husband has deeply [...] Captain Malcolm Campbell: 'I cannot find words to express the horror and grief with which I received the news of the death of Sir Henry Segrave when he was apparently on the point of consummating a record which I know it was his greatest desire to achieve.' Lord Wakefield: "I mourn the loss of a friend. To say that he was the most courageous man I ever met is only a small part of my conception of him. He was a man of outstanding character, capable of achieving that he had the clearest grasp of difficulties and the most complete deliberation and self-control. Among the [...] my head bowed with a quiet sorrow [...]" [...] associated with him. His loss is a tragic [...] He would have [...] | ||