10 replies to this topic

[Jim Thurman]

Do any of our Australian members have more biographical details for Dinny Patterson? I know he died on June 3, 1947 from injuries suffered when he crashed during qualifying for a midget race at Balboa Stadium in San Diego, California on May 30, 1947. Reportedly it was his first race in the U.S. The San Diego Union newspaper reported that his wife had been notified of his death and that he had only recently arrived in the states.

Was his body returned to Australia? Can anyone add any information on his racing career? Any help or information would be appreciated.

Edited by Jim Thurman, 13 April 2011 - 22:29.

[brucemoxon]

James Cockington would be a good starting place.

He's in the NSW Southern Highlands (Bowral) and is in the phone book.



BM

[MatthewMagilton]

Assume you have searched "dinnie patterson" on the Trove newspapers archive website? Quite a bit of info there. Mentions a widow and children. Also mentions a story where he was pulled out of a plane crash in NSW and left in the mortuary for dead untill a doctor happened to check for a heatbeat!

What was Dinny's real first name?

Matthew.

[Jim Thurman]

D'oh! I do a lot of archive searches in the U.S., but did not stop to think about those for other countries. Thanks Matthew for pointing me to Trove. An outstanding resource.

Bruce, thanks for the contact, but I am in southern California. I actually attended high school football games at Balboa Stadium in San Diego, and for the first couple I attended, the peristyles (which Patterson likely hit) were still there.

As far as his first name, it is simply listed Dinny in the California Death Index, but then again, I don't know how much information they were able to get.

[MatthewMagilton]

I did not spot an Australian family death notice for Dinny (checked all Patterson's June 1947) so I am wondering if his family were in the US? Or the notice was in a small local paper. Was a middle name given in the death index? Place of birth? Can you search for a headstone inscription in San Diego?

Matthew.

[brucemoxon]

Bruce, thanks for the contact, but I am in southern California. I actually attended high school football games at Balboa Stadium in San Diego, and for the first couple I attended, the peristyles (which Patterson likely hit) were still there.

Ah! Righto, I'll try and find his email address. James is a very keen speedway historian.



Bruce Moxon

[Paul Newby]

James Cockington would be a good starting place.

He's in the NSW Southern Highlands (Bowral) and is in the phone book.

BM

It's a pity James isn't on TNF. He would be a good source of local knowledge...

[Ray Bell]

Would there be a funeral notice, rather than a death notice, in Australia at the time?

I would imagine so if the body was returned home.

[Jim Thurman]

Ray, I was hoping for a funeral notice. Matt, I did not find a death notice in my search either (thanks for checking). I don't even know if Patterson's body was returned home. I assume so, but can't confirm.

What about Jim McMahon? He apparently had been living in Los Angeles for a bit before his fatal accident at Carpinteria, California (about an hour northwest of Los Angeles).

In going through the Australian archives, the reports indicated Cal Niday invited Patterson to the states and that Patterson had left Australia on the 25th of May, just five days before his accident at Balboa Stadium. The accident occurred on his qualifying lap (which I've amended in the initial post to this thread).

[john medley]

I have snippets of stuff, more on Jim McMahon than Dinny Patterson, but I would imagine serious Australian speedway people would have much more

Jim McMahon's aircooled headed, Ford V8/60 engine was in Lincoln Nebraska last I heard

Perhaps start with a question to Brian Darby at his Historic Speedway site?( I will do likewise)

[john medley]

Jim McMahon was one of those remarkable people who were more widely talented than most-- speedway racer, road racer, film actor, inventor, car designer......I found a Pathe film of his/ Ivor Stark's World War 2 economy car that he later raced at Bathurst early postwar, fashioned after a DKW. He raced the Willys Special " Little Pig" at Bathurst prewar. He raced several self built speedway cars. He appeared in several Australian movies in the 1930s, and in movie histories. He built a Ford V8 based special with, I am led to believe, air cooled heads, and raced it on the speedway in Australia and the USA ( this is the one last heard of in Lincoln Nebraska). We all need to know more of him. I contacted Brian Darby (on his website Brian Darby's Historic Speedway@Homestead.com) and he even has a book for sale on " Australia's First V8" on Jim McMahon

He tells me he is searching for more on Dinny Patterson