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).
Page from 'The Autocar' magazine titled 'The Sport' by Vizor, detailing motorsport personalities' wartime roles and club news.
| Identifier | ExFiles\Box 160\5\ scan0171 | |
| Date | 15th November 1940 | |
| 408 The Autocar November 15th, 1940. The Sport BY VIZOR ★ Of People Rather Than Things ★ Appointments and Decorations ★ C.U.A.C. Dinner THERE is news of a whole lot of people, in, out of, and on the fringe of the Services, including Home Defence, much of which comes via the J.C.C. For instance, Urquhart Dykes, a member of the J.C.C. Council, has rejoined the R.A.F. Kenneth Simmonds is now a pilot officer and still running the Talbot Ten he took on the Budapest rally. “Bunny” Dyer, for so long secretary of the club, of course, and later a presiding genius of the Olympia Garage, is now on important work at the Ministry of Aircraft Production. Lieut. E.{Mr Elliott - Chief Engineer} R.{Sir Henry Royce} Hall, following exciting experiences at Dunkirk, has been sent to the Far East, Scannell, the B.R.D.C. secretary, of whom there seems to have been no news for some time, has an R.A.F. administrative job, Tommy Wisdom is now in the Middle East with the R.A.F. news service, H.{Arthur M. Hanbury - Head Complaints} N. Edwards, Crystal Palace organiser, is an R.A.S.C. captain and adjutant. In fact, from this particular source there is a whole packet of news of people, names which take one back in a flash to the blessed days of competition activity, recent and not so recent. Squadron-Leader Woolf Barnato is on factory defence schemes, and B. O.{Mr Oldham} Davis is in the same department. H.{Arthur M. Hanbury - Head Complaints} B. Browning (the late Humfrey Symons' companion on those great African trips) is on R.A.F. intelligence work, C. R.{Sir Henry Royce} Whitcroft is now a-Commander, R.N. Mrs. Urquhart Dykes, in the “Fannies,” recently chauffeused the King and Field-Marshal Lord Birdwood on an inspection, Rupert Riley is on War Office duties, C. L. Clayton is doing great work as secretary for the comforts fund in West Sussex, Hugh McConnell, J.C.C. stalwart, and an official scrutineer, of course, is busy in H.G., Upper Thames section, a damp task these nights, Reuben Harveyson is at the Ministry of Supply, and George Eyston is said to be busy in the matter of design of high-speed motor boats. Capt. Phillips, of the R.A.C., commands a Home Guard battalion; his son is a second lieutenant in his father's old regiment. As to women members—I apologise for having put them last—Miss Winifred Pink has been having plenty to do in bombed areas as a member of the W.V.S. Miss Beryl Plumpton has been sampling all sorts of Army vehicles on F.A.N.Y. duties, meanwhile gaining converts among her colleagues for future competition work, most of them apparently not having thought of motoring from that angle previously. From all this there is no doubt that the J.C.C. is keeping in touch with people more than any other club I can think of, for the moment that is, to judge by the plaints of some secretaries for news for their club journals. That this should be so is an excellent omen for the future, when people really can meet and get going on things together once again. Honorary membership of the R.S.A.C. has been arranged by Mr. A.{Mr Adams} K.{Mr Kilner} Stevenson for any J.C.C. members going North on Service duties, this including clubhouse facilities—a much appreciated action. Stevenson will always be remembered for his friendliness and spirit of helpfulness by southern competitors in the “Monte Carlo” “John o' Groats” contingent, and, of course, by Scottish Rally competitors. From Rivers Fletcher, chairman of the E.R.A. Club, I hear that one of the club's most enthusiastic members, Squadron-Leader D.{John DeLooze - Company Secretary} C. Yorke, R.A.F., has been awarded the D.S.O. His brother, also a member of the club, is a lieutenant, R.N. The North-East Centre secretary of the Riley club asks members who would like to make up a week-end party at the Majestic, Harrogate, to get in touch with him. Cambridge Club Active A NORMAL-SOUNDING item is the announcement of the Cambridge University club's annual dinner, on Saturday, November 30th, at the Red Lion Hotel, Cambridge. Tickets cost 8s. 6d. (10s. to non-members); from the secretary, J.{Mr Johnson W.M.} B. Jesty, A8, New Court, St.{Capt. P. R. Strong} John's College, Cambridge. All those interested in motoring sport, on four and two wheels, including members of H.M. Forces temporarily in Cambridge, are welcome. A general announcement is not being sent out this year to veteran members, owing to printing and paper difficulties, but it is hoped that all who can will come along to the dinner. It will be a great opportunity for the right sort of talk. The club is carrying on for the duration, and holding informal weekly meetings in members' rooms to “talk cars,” and refresh memories and themselves! Senior Service Story CHEERY news, as ever, of “Invicta” Donald Monro, c/o “H.M.Y. ______.” He tells the following tale of naval life, on its lighter side:— “One of the engineers aboard this ship exchanged a very much treasured half-pound of pipe tobacco with some fisherman for some shrimps and a lobster. He brought them into the mess with much pride, and it was understood the lobster was for himself and the shrimps could be shared up. “Now one of the crew (yes, I thank you—you’re correct!) had acquired a wonderful reputation on his turn as messman for doing the wrong thing to any food at the wrong time. So the chap hid the lobster in the galley, and when its owner came in late for tea his share of the shrimps was hidden, too, and there were only a few on his plate. It then got round that Donald had thrown the lobster overboard, because it turned red, and he thought it had gone bad. “On my return from afternoon shore leave I was ‘put wise.’ The engineer came to me, having been to all the others and told the same story, with variations for local colour, and was fairly cold with anger. “He said ‘Did you throw my lobster overboard, mate?’ I said: ‘Well, you see, it turned red.’ He said: ‘I left that lobster in the galley; what right had you to touch it?’ I answered: ‘Well, it was up to me to turn out any bad food in the galley, and it turned red when it was boiled, so, of course, we couldn't risk messing up the other food; it might have made the saucepan smell, too.’ “Finally, the lobster was recovered from behind a pile of saucepans, so we all lived happily afterwards, the slightly mollified engineer remarking: ‘Well, I didn't believe you were quite such a fool as to do that, mate.’ “I'm still not quite sure whether to take that as a compliment or not. “Otherwise—all goes quite well.” American Midget Racing TO meet current conditions in midget racing and to place National Championship title programmes within the reach of the regular midget racing “plants,” as well as some prominent half-mile and one-mile tracks, the A.A.A. Contest Board by a majority vote has approved, revision of the requirements originally put into effect in 1938. At that time there was virtually nothing to serve as a guide except the fact that a certain few races had paid a substantial A 28 | ||