12 replies to this topic

[dgs]

The Victoria Cross came into being when Queen Victoria signed the royal warrant on 29th June 1856. The first recipient being Charles Lucas who won his VC for bravery on the 21st June 1854.

Since then a total of 1359 medals have been issued including No 1151 to the Unknown American Soldier of WW1 and three winners who also won a bar to medal.

But how many VC winners had an involvement with Motor Racing? A difficult subject to research as although many books available on VC winners, including winners in particular wars or even books on winners who were born in a particular city. These books tend to describe how the winner got his medal, and miss out on his civilian life.

A few have come to light:

Winner No 606: Second Lieutenant William Bernard Rhodes-Moorhouse.Winner of the first air VC whilst in the Royal Flying Corp(1915). He raced a 90HP FIAT at the 3rd Easter Private Compettitors Senior Handicap race at Brooklands in 1909, finishing 3rd.

Winner No 699: Second Lieutenant Edward Felix Baxter. He competed in the 1910 IOM motorcylce race

Winner No 1153: Lieutenant Colonel Herbert ('H') Jones. He raced as a novice driver in a Lotus 7 at several British circuits in 1962, including Snetterton, Brands Hatch & Goodwood. At the 55th Members Meeting-Scratch race held at Goodwood on 6th October 1962, he finished 6th.

These are all I have found.

Of course the son of a VC medal winner Denny Hulme went on to win the 1967 Grand Prix Drivers Championship. His father Sergeant Alfred Clive Hulme (No 1187) won a VC in May 1941.

And on a lighter note, a VC winner who had a 'brush' with motorsport was winner No 616, Acting Corporal Charles Sharpe, who spent part of his later working life as a labourer at the BRM works in Bourne, Lincolnshire.

When it comes to the second highest gallantry medal the George Cross (total issued 161) including two to countries Malta & Northern Ireland, I can find no record of a winner being involved with a motor racing career.

But perhaps some are out there?

Edited by dgs, 27 January 2013 - 14:09.

[Vitesse2]

There's an extensive thread on both the Rhodes-Moorhouses - father and son:

http://forums.autosp...howtopic=109110

[Vitesse2]

Also related, a thread on drivers who won the MC:

http://forums.autosp...howtopic=141846

There is also a thread on Clive Hulme, but for some reason it got bumped over to the Paddock Club:

http://forums.autosp...showtopic=86932

[Tim Murray]

There is also a thread on Clive Hulme, but for some reason it got bumped over to the Paddock Club:

http://forums.autosp...showtopic=86932

It's also difficult to follow as it's somehow become corrupted and the posts are no longer in chronological order - the thread actually began with post 4.

Here's a VC winner enjoying last year's Goodwood Revival:

I was somewhat taken aback to bump into this young man enjoying the action at Goodwood on Sunday.....


By giraffe138 at 2012-09-18

Corporal Johnson Beharry VC

[Hieronymus]

It's also difficult to follow as it's somehow become corrupted and the posts are no longer in chronological order - the thread actually began with post 4.

Here's a VC winner enjoying last year's Goodwood Revival:

http://en.wikipedia....Johnson_Beharry

[sabrejet]

Just a small correction: I think the accepted term is 'recipient', rather than 'winner'. The latter seems inappropriate considering the actions that go behind each Victoria Cross.

In a similar manner the term 'victory' or 'claim' used to be used for aircraft shot down, whereas nowadays the term 'kill' seems accepted, but again it seems inappropriate.

[RS2000]

Johnson Beharry surely qualifies for the motorsport connection simply by being born in Grenada where, according to the visiting drag racers from several other islands a few years ago, every taxi driver drives as if he's competing. One of the Antigua driver contingent is reported to have baled out after pleading "I can't take no more of this sh*t". No evidence that Lewis Hamilton's grandfather was the taxi driver, although he apparently was then still keeping his hand in that way.

Edited by RS2000, 27 January 2013 - 16:54.

[taylov]

"A few have come to light:

Winner No 699: Second Lieutenant Edward Felix Baxter. He competed in the 1910 IOM motorcylce race"



2nd Lt. Edward Felix Baxter, late L'pool R. 1916

For most conspicuous bravery. Prior to a raid on the hostile line he was engaged during two nights in cutting wire close to the enemy's trenches. The enemy could be heard on the other side of the parapet.

Second Lieutenant Baxter, while assisting in the wire cutting, held a bomb in his hand with the pin withdrawn ready to throw. On one occasion the bomb slipped and fell to the ground, but he instantly picked it up, unscrewed the base plug, and took out the detonator, which he smothered in the ground, thereby preventing the alarm being given, and undoubtedly saving many casualties.

Later, he led the left storming party with the greatest gallantry, and was the first man into the trench, shooting the sentry with his revolver. He then assisted to bomb dugouts, and finally climbed out of the trench and assisted the last man over the parapet.

After this he was not seen again, though search parties went out at once to look for him. There seems no doubt that he lost his life in his great devotion to duty.



Another name of note is that of Robert Peverell Hichens DSO & Bar, DSC & Two Bars (2 March 1909 – 13 April 1943). Apparently he was also recommended for a Victoria Cross after being killed in action in April 1943.

Before the Second World War, Hichens was a keen sportsman who rowed for Magdalen College, Oxford and competed in the Double sculls at the Henley Regatta. He also competed in International Fourteen sailing events and three times participated in the Fastnet race. On land he raced in hill climbing events in Somerset and also entered the 24 Hours of Le Mans race three times, 1937 to 1939, racing an Aston Martin each time.

During the Second World War, he rose in rank to become a lieutenant commander and commanded the 6th Motor Gun Boat Flotilla and later the 8th Motor Gun Boat Flotilla.

(WARNING some of this comes from Wiki)


Tony

Edited by taylov, 27 January 2013 - 19:03.

[john medley]

WW2 South Australian George Gosse courageously deloused underwater mines and received the George Cross, so he became George Gosse George Cross, but was perhaps just as well known for driving his vintage Bentley around Adelaide carrying two "Men at Work" signs and several bottles of beer. He hillclimbed a (sort of)"Shelseley Special", and his brother Jim's 1929 Alvis Silver Eagle(a 21st birthday present) is now raced by me much modified. The Gosse/ Barr Smith/ Downer/etc families in South Australia have long been associated with motor sport-- over 100 years at last count

[Vitesse2]

Robert Hichens' partly-completed war memoirs, with the self-explanatory title "We fought them in gunboats" were published posthumously in 1944.

His 1937 drive at Le Mans was with Mort Morris-Goodall: they won the 1936/7 Biennial Cup.

[Tim Murray]

Here's DCN on Hichens:

(etc)

Secondly, Lt Cdr Robert Hichens qualifies very strongly for inclusion here. He co-drove his Aston Martin Ulster with Mort Morris-Goodall at Le Mans in 1937-38-39. As a member of the 'Wavy Navy', the Royal Navy Volunteer Reserve, he became the most distinguished CO within Coastal Forces, and the most decorated officer in the RNVR, earning the DSO and Bar, DSC and two Bars plus three Mentions in Despatches, before ultimately being recommended to receive the Victoria Cross, an accolade he asked to be refused on grounds that he had endangered other boats in his flotilla by seeking to rescue friends on the burning MGB 79...

'Hich' was killed by a final burst of fire from a pair of burning German escort vessels after he had broken off action against them, and was turning his Motor Gun Boat, MGB 77, away. He died on the night of April 12/13, 1943.

DCN

[Doug Nye]

Leslie Brooke - sometime Brooke Special, ERA and Brooke-Weston V8 engine fame - is worthy of honourable mention here. I remember failing to find him in a list of George Medal winners - the 'second level civilian VC' for wider distribution than the George Cross - despite having been assured by many who knew him that he had been awarded the GM for his heroism during the Coventry blitz. I am sure someone here with more stamina than I could pin this down...? Times online? London Gazette?

DCN

Edited by Doug Nye, 27 January 2013 - 23:33.

[Vitesse2]

Here's the citation, Doug:

http://www.london-ga...upplements/1640

Looks very much deserved