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).
Typed report detailing a road accident involving car 35-PK and a lorry, caused by smoke from a rubbish fire.
| Identifier | Morton\M10\ img011 | |
| Date | 18th December 1923 | |
| COPY L.O's 1st drive with an R-R car. He was following H.s who was driving a '38 hp Hispano Suiza & they were to return from a visit to R at West WitteringHenry Royce's home town. to compare R-R progress with FWB with the H-S. 18.12.23. Re.Accident to 35-PK. I was proceeding from Chichester to Derby on the morning of the 17th inst. As I approached Crocker Hill - situated between Fareham and Wickham - I saw in front of me clouds of smoke blowing across the road from left to right and coming from a rubbish fire on the land of Mr. Thomas Parker, Charity Farm, Fareham. The fire was about four yards from the road-side hedge the smoke from which completely obliterated all vision. On approaching the smoke I reduce speed to a walking pace and pulled in as close as possible to the left so that the near side wheels were against the grass border on the road-side. On proceeding throught the smoke cloud the front of the car was struck violently by a motor lorry belonging to C.&.F.Freeman, Builders, Contractors & Timber Merchants, Cheriton, Alresford, Hants. Neither party could see the other at either at, or immediately after the impact. Our car was pushed backwards about a yard-and-a-half- the rubbish fire was immediately extinguished by those tending it in the field. The off-side frontwheel of the lorry (which was to their right of the centre of the road) had struck our off-side dumb iron and wheel, and rear of motor lorry had swung round to their left completely blocking the road. (contd). | ||