64 replies to this topic

[thunder427]

Ron Flockhart, My Mother came home after the 'Drivers' Function,held in Christchurch,Thursday evening prior to 'The Lady Wigram Tropy Race',quite excited that she had got for me ,along with some bloke called Stirling Moss (whom, just happened to be my all time 'HERO'!)a dashing Gentlemans signature ,who would be racing on Saturday,"You ,Must watch him, his name is Ron Flockhart",she also gave me a postcard sized picture, in 'Black and White'of our 'New' hero driving a BRM...............I seem to remember he had problems on the day with the car,may have been 'over heating'...........next thing I know is that he's been 'Killed' flying a 'World War 2' ,Mustang Fighter plane in Melbourne ,Australia...all these years later I realise I still don't know much about the Man .......................regards427

[D-Type]

Like you I know very little. Twice winner of Le Mans for Ecurie Ecosse. One time owner of ERA R4D which he raced in club racing in the early fifties. I'll be interested to see what information people have.

[David McKinney]

Collectively TNF might know everything, but there's nothing wrong with google for finding things out, eg
http://www.historicr...70&AlphaIndex=F
http://en.wikipedia..../Ron_Flockhart_(auto_racing)

[simonlewisbooks]

He also ran R1A before buying the rather more potent ex Mays R4D. Here he is at BoNess in 1952 in the earlier car.


copyright; Simon Lewis Transport Books.

[Stephen W]

Ron Flockhart competed in the British Hillclimb Championship in 1952 and 1953. Finishing 6th in '52 despite only doing the 2 Scottish rounds at Bo'ness and Rest-and-be-Thankful (there were only 6 rounds in total). In '53 he won the opening round at Bo'ness and placed 5th at the Rest; again he only did these two rounds finishing 6th overall in the final rankings.

[RA Historian]

Didn't Ron win the Lady Wigram Trophy race in a BRM P-25 in 1959? I seem to recall that.

I remember the all-Scot lineup at Team Lotus in a 1960 race (Reims?) of Ireland, Clark, and Flockhart, all in Lotus 18s.

I imagine he is remembered best for his in effect leading Ecurie Ecosse for several years, running around the world in the dark blue cars. I seem to recall that he drove a D Jag for them at Watkins Glen in 1960 but it was very obsolete by then. Edit: faulty memory. Paul O'Shea was in the D Jag, not Flockhart

But two wins in two years at Le Mans driving for an independent team--that is a fine legacy.

Tom

[Graham Gauld]

There is a considerable amount of information on Ron Flockhart in the book Scottish Motor Racing and Drivers
Help the aged. Buy my book !!!!! (Check out www.SMRH.co.UK)

[Doug Nye]

...and for his BRM and Cooper exploits...buy mine? For his ERA exploits, buy David Weguelin's...

By DCN

[Bjorn Kjer]

There was an article in Autosport 26 March 1954 with pics of ERA and his transporter(a bus) as well as texrt oon Connaught and DB3S exploits , at least. My copy of the article is so bad that I barely can read or see.....would love a good one.

[LB]

'Credit crunch' (urgh!) seems to have arrived to the nostalgia forum authors society! On that note; Buy more oil!! I need to get back offshore!!;)

On a more serious note I have Mr Gauld's book and it is a fantastic read and highly recommended!

[RCH]

Ron Flockhart, one of those great drivers sadly probably only remembered these days by contributors to this forum. Don't forget his fine efforts with a D type in the 1957 Mille Miglia, was fifth when he retired due to the petrol tank shaking loose. I seem to remember reading he had been as high as second on the early straighter bits but can't find that info now.

[David McKinney]

Originally posted by Doug Nye
...and for his BRM and Cooper exploits...buy mine? For his ERA exploits, buy David Weguelin's...

...and mine for his sole (and unfortunate) race in a 250F Maserati

[Tim Murray]

Ron Flockhart and his P-51 Mustangs

[bradbury west]

I have not checked the magazines etc yet, but ISTR - odd thing to recall, I know - he was involved with an F2 Emeryson 1960ish
Roger Lund

[Barry Boor]

For my humble part, I am keeping Ron Flockhart's memory alive. He recently finished second driving a B.R.M in the Oulton Park Gold Cup, behind Tony Brooks' Vanwall.

I know, I'm sorry.... I'll get me coat!

[llmaurice]

Ron Flockhart also drove for John Coombes in his Lotus 11 in (I believe) '57 at Goodwood

[RS2000]

Was the 2.4 Jaguar he drove at the (delayed to September) 57 Daily Express Silverstone meeting his own car? My late father was ecstatic to see a Riley win the class, Harold Grace's Pathfinder passing Flockart on the last lap.

[Zagato99]

It may interest you all to know that a 1934 Riley MPH that Ron Flockhart used to own is coming up for auction at my company, Brightwells of Leominster, on 24th June 2009. The MPH bears the registration number JH 9506 and was also owned by Leslie Hawthorn, father of legendary racing driver Mike Hawthorn, who drove the car on many occasions. For the last 30 years or so the car had been owned by engineer and car collector, Ivor Halbert, who died a few weeks ago. It is the executors of his estate who have consigned the car to Brightwells. Only 15 Riley MPH cars are thought to have been built and JH 9506 is perhaps the best documented one of all. Brightwells have yet to set an estimate for the car but we believe that it will fetch in excess of £150,000. If anyone has any more information about the car, or would like more details about Brightwells and the sale, please do not hesitate to get in touch, either by emailing classiccars@brightwells.com or phoning me on my mobile (07970 309907). Regards, James Dennison (Brightwells).

[onelung]

Found this excellent shot of R.F's Mustang at Athens, June 1961.
click here

[wdm]

thunder427: There seems to be a problem with your e-mail... I've PM'd you

[thunder427]

wdm,Thank you and 'Sorry' ,I'm like Having a 5speed gear box fitted to my computer,stepped up a notch,so to speak,and the line is down at this time, please try again in a couple of days,I'm at present staying in touch with the 'TNF' world,courtesy of my partners computer,I need my daily dose of 'TNF' (she, reminds me there was atime !!!!!!!!!!!!!!)............regards427..........(or try for the time being... st3ph_53@hotmail.com)

[Bauble]

Ron Flockhart was a very fine driver, as many have discussed here, and I remember him well from the fifties,
I recall him driving an Austin Healey at Silverstone and a friend and I passing him on our bikes in the traffic after the meeting and making a remark about speed. He looked a little suprised and none to pleased.
I can recommend 'A Gentleman's Motor Racing Diary' DVD's* which contain excellent amateur footage of racing in the fifties and having several shots of Ron. I obtained mine from a local garden centre at £4.99 each, marvellous value for 90 minutes each disc. (www.fastforwardmusic.co.uk). Also the videos from Rivers-Fletcher on the BRM organisation contain much about him.

* Also DVD's on Mike Hawthorn, Rob Walker and Jim Clark.

bauble

[Derek Pitt]

Ron Flockhart also raced in Australia in 1961 and 1962.

In January 1961 he drove Jack Brabham's 2.5 T51 Cooper at Warwick Farm and a couple of weeks later at Ballarat, he appeared in JB's T53 lowline.

His Warwick Farm appearance was highlighted by a meteoric start (captured in a famous photograph) where he stormed into the lead from the second or third row. Unfortunately and like the rest of the field, RF and/or his car, succumbed to the extreme heat in which the race was run and did not feature in the results.

Ballarat was a different story, for here and at last in competitive car, RF was right up with the pace the lowline matching the pace of Ireland's works Lotus 18 and the two factory BRM's of Hill and Gurney.

Indeed, if my memory serves me correctly, RF finished ahead of Clark (3rd?) in identical Lotus 18's in the French GP of 1960. I always thought RF was strangely under-rated by the motor sport media throughout his career

In 1962 RF brought a tired 2.5 Lotus 18 and a Mini Cooper to Sandown Park. Unfortunately the Lotus gave every impression of being "clapped out" and was very unimpressive, easily being outpaced by the top locals in their Coopers. The mini was a different story and RF's performances caught the imagination of spectators with RF became hugely popular with the motor racing public as a result.

Sadly, on a foggy and wet afternoon in May 1962, I can clearly remember standing on a surburban railway station and seeing a fellow walk by me reading the evening Melbourne Herald which featured the banner headline "FLOCKHART KILLED IN THE DANDENONGS"

Australian Jaguar Magazine featured a comprehensive article on RF approx January 2001 and is well worth getting hold of for those interested in finding more out about the man and his career.

Derek Pitt

[David McKinney]

Flockhart was one of the British drivers Australians were able to see in action after promoters in that country finally got around to taking advantage of the large number of European-based cars and drivers in their part of the world for the New Zealand races.

Flockhart raced in NZ three times. In 1959 with a works BRM he retired in the NZ GP, then won at Wigram after a race-long tussle with Jack Brabham’s 2-litre Cooper-Climax, and was second at Teretonga, between winner McLaren and Brabham.

With Brabham’s T51 two years later he raced only in the NZGP, finishing fourth behind the works low-lines of Brabham and McLaren and Hill’s BRM P48. As DP said, and David McKay subsequently found, the car’s acceleration was phenomonal, and Flockhart led the early stages of both his heat and the main race.

The Lotus 18 he raced in 1962 was, as DP says, somewhat uncompetitive and also unreliable, retiring in the rain-soaked GP and again at Wigram

He was however always a great favourite with NZ spectators

[Simon Taylor]

Originally posted by RS2000
Was the 2.4 Jaguar he drove at the (delayed to September) 57 Daily Express Silverstone meeting his own car? My late father was ecstatic to see a Riley win the class, Harold Grace's Pathfinder passing Flockart on the last lap.

No, it was a John Coombs entry, wearing his cherished number BUY 1. When Coombs stopped racing himself due to pressure of business and became an entrant, his good friend Ron Flockhart was actually the first driver he hired - the first of many. See "Lunch With....John Coombs" in the current issue of Motor Sport!

That September 14 1957 Silverstone was the usual May International Trophy meeting, delayed by petrol rationing - to my delight, because I was always back at boarding school for the May date. Now it was just before the start of the autumn term and I was able to persuade my father to fire up the Ford Zephyr and take me.

It was a typically busy day for Flockhart. He was one of three works BRM drivers in a sparse F1 field, finishing second in his heat to Behra and third in the final behind Behra and Schell. He won the small sports car race in John Coombs' twin-cam Climax-powered Lotus 11. In the large sports car race he was in the Ecurie Ecosse long-nose D-type with which he and Ivor Bueb had won Le Mans, but he spun it on Lap 1. (Another spinner was Graham Hill, unfamiliar in a Tojeiro-Jaguar. This race had a classic Salvadori DBR1 versus Scott-Brown Lister-Jaguar battle at the front, which Salvadori finally won.)

As you say, RS2000, in the touring car race Harold Grace's Riley Pathfinder narrowly beat Flockhart's Jaguar 2.4 to win the class. They finished fourth and fifth overall. Ahead of them were the 3.4 Jaguars of Mike Hawthorn, Duncan Hamilton and Ivor Bueb in that order, Hawthorn driving the car registered RVC 592. Archie Scott-Brown made a rare appearance in a 3.4 Jaguar, and was devastating as always. This car was registered MBM 2, and was entered by Murketts, the Cambridge Jaguar dealer. He battled for the lead with Hawthorn, even though - according to Robert Edwards' biography - his car had drum brakes whereas Hawthorn already had the discs. He nosed ahead of Hawthorn and into the lead approaching Copse, but found the brakes had gone away completely. He slowed the car by jamming into second gear, parked on the verge and called it a day, but he shared a new class lap record with Hawthorn.

[fuzzi]

Just for the record, Mr Taylor's finger slipped when he wrote:

"This race had a classic Salvadori DBR1 versus Scott-Brown Lister-Jaguar battle at the front, which Salvadori finally won.)"

Salvadori was of course in the DBR2 with the larger 3.7litre engine.

[hiteknz]

Originally posted by thunder427
Ron Flockhart, My Mother came home after the 'Drivers' Function,held in Christchurch,Thursday evening prior to 'The Lady Wigram Tropy Race',quite excited that she had got for me ,along with some bloke called Stirling Moss (whom, just happened to be my all time 'HERO'!)a dashing Gentlemans signature ,who would be racing on Saturday,"You ,Must watch him, his name is Ron Flockhart",she also gave me a postcard sized picture, in 'Black and White'of our 'New' hero driving a BRM...............I seem to remember he had problems on the day with the car,may have been 'over heating'...........next thing I know is that he's been 'Killed' flying a 'World War 2' ,Mustang Fighter plane in Melbourne ,Australia...all these years later I realise I still don't know much about the Man .......................regards427

Thunder,
I have one of those post card size photos of Flockhart as well ,its not signed ,but if you PM me I can email a scan if you want it or don't have it
Bob

[Simon Taylor]

Originally posted by fuzzi
Just for the record, Mr Taylor's finger slipped when he wrote:

"This race had a classic Salvadori DBR1 versus Scott-Brown Lister-Jaguar battle at the front, which Salvadori finally won.)"

Salvadori was of course in the DBR2 with the larger 3.7litre engine.

Of course he was - mea culpa. Apologies, Fuzzi - my memory is getting fuzzy...

[fastflo]

Ron Flockhart, My Mother came home after the 'Drivers' Function,held in Christchurch,Thursday evening prior to 'The Lady Wigram Tropy Race',quite excited that she had got for me ,along with some bloke called Stirling Moss (whom, just happened to be my all time 'HERO'!)a dashing Gentlemans signature ,who would be racing on Saturday,"You ,Must watch him, his name is Ron Flockhart",she also gave me a postcard sized picture, in 'Black and White'of our 'New' hero driving a BRM...............I seem to remember he had problems on the day with the car,may have been 'over heating'...........next thing I know is that he's been 'Killed' flying a 'World War 2' ,Mustang Fighter plane in Melbourne ,Australia...all these years later I realise I still don't know much about the Man .......................regards427

My dad told me this story, he was a 'one of a kind' and I never heard him exagerate or make up a story, anyway Ron [Ron Flockhart] or Ronnie as the family called him had had an 'incident' with the D type jag, that he did not want anyone to know. so he brought it down to my grandad's [George Flockhart] who lived in Rothesay Mews a couple of miles from the garage in Merchiston Mews where Ecurie Ecosse were based. Ron lived with his parents in Greenhill Gardens which is a very exclusive suburb of Edinburgh a stones throw from Merchiston. My uncle Bill [William Flockhart] lived with my grandad, he was recovering having been a p.o.w. in Shangai jail during ww2, he hadn't surrendered at the right time and had to pass the war as an Irish sailor, so was imprisoned in Shangai as a non-combatant his cell mate was the former Governor of the Jail who Knew how to 'escape' so they went out to barter for eggs and other food stuffs. to trade with the Japanese guards. After the war He ran a vehicle repairers from the garage below my grandad's flat in Rothesay Mews he specialised in vehicle refinishing. Ronnie arrive with the jag to be resprayed, which it was, Bill working all night. Ronnie found the car was slower having had the paint sprayed over the existing paint. He brought the car back and asked for a bare metal respray. Bill then employed my dad Jim [James Flockhart] to help him strip the car and respray it. They did this and finished late into the following day. By night the paint had dried and all was well. In true Scottish style the pair of them decided that a job well done required some reward so they fired up the D type and roared off up Rothesay Mews and into the town where they headed for a fish and chip shop. After a couple of fish tea's they took the D type for a spin around Edinburgh roaring round the cobbled streets in the dead of night before returning to the garage at Rothesay Mews. Ronnie returned for the car in the morning an no one was the wiser for its late night jaunt.

[cooper997]

My dad told me this story, he was a 'one of a kind' and I never heard him exagerate or make up a story, anyway Ron [Ron Flockhart] or Ronnie as the family called him had had an 'incident' with the D type jag, that he did not want anyone to know. so he brought it down to my grandad's [George Flockhart] who lived in Rothesay Mews a couple of miles from the garage in Merchiston Mews where Ecurie Ecosse were based. Ron lived with his parents in Greenhill Gardens which is a very exclusive suburb of Edinburgh a stones throw from Merchiston. My uncle Bill [William Flockhart] lived with my grandad, he was recovering having been a p.o.w. in Shangai jail during ww2, he hadn't surrendered at the right time and had to pass the war as an Irish sailor, so was imprisoned in Shangai as a non-combatant his cell mate was the former Governor of the Jail who Knew how to 'escape' so they went out to barter for eggs and other food stuffs. to trade with the Japanese guards. After the war He ran a vehicle repairers from the garage below my grandad's flat in Rothesay Mews he specialised in vehicle refinishing. Ronnie arrive with the jag to be resprayed, which it was, Bill working all night. Ronnie found the car was slower having had the paint sprayed over the existing paint. He brought the car back and asked for a bare metal respray. Bill then employed my dad Jim [James Flockhart] to help him strip the car and respray it. They did this and finished late into the following day. By night the paint had dried and all was well. In true Scottish style the pair of them decided that a job well done required some reward so they fired up the D type and roared off up Rothesay Mews and into the town where they headed for a fish and chip shop. After a couple of fish tea's they took the D type for a spin around Edinburgh roaring round the cobbled streets in the dead of night before returning to the garage at Rothesay Mews. Ronnie returned for the car in the morning an no one was the wiser for its late night jaunt.

Hi fastflo,

Welcome to TNF.

Your story is the sort of stuff that I really enjoy reading on TNF. Those snippets of history that often only a family member can divulge. Are you able to elaborate on the incident with the D Type? Also any other snippets about Ron (Ronnie) and the Flockhart clan.

Many thanks,
Stephen

[fines]

Superb stuff, fastflo! And a hearty welcome from me, too.

[275 GTB-4]

My dad told me this story, he was a 'one of a kind' and I never heard him exagerate or make up a story, anyway Ron [Ron Flockhart] or Ronnie as the family called him had had an 'incident' with the D type jag, that he did not want anyone to know. so he brought it down to my grandad's [George Flockhart] who lived in Rothesay Mews a couple of miles from the garage in Merchiston Mews where Ecurie Ecosse were based. Ron lived with his parents in Greenhill Gardens which is a very exclusive suburb of Edinburgh a stones throw from Merchiston. My uncle Bill [William Flockhart] lived with my grandad, he was recovering having been a p.o.w. in Shangai jail during ww2, he hadn't surrendered at the right time and had to pass the war as an Irish sailor, so was imprisoned in Shangai as a non-combatant his cell mate was the former Governor of the Jail who Knew how to 'escape' so they went out to barter for eggs and other food stuffs. to trade with the Japanese guards. After the war He ran a vehicle repairers from the garage below my grandad's flat in Rothesay Mews he specialised in vehicle refinishing. Ronnie arrive with the jag to be resprayed, which it was, Bill working all night. Ronnie found the car was slower having had the paint sprayed over the existing paint. He brought the car back and asked for a bare metal respray. Bill then employed my dad Jim [James Flockhart] to help him strip the car and respray it. They did this and finished late into the following day. By night the paint had dried and all was well. In true Scottish style the pair of them decided that a job well done required some reward so they fired up the D type and roared off up Rothesay Mews and into the town where they headed for a fish and chip shop. After a couple of fish tea's they took the D type for a spin around Edinburgh roaring round the cobbled streets in the dead of night before returning to the garage at Rothesay Mews. Ronnie returned for the car in the morning an no one was the wiser for its late night jaunt.

Welcome Fastf.....terrific story

BTW did you mean Changi?

History

First prison and POW camp

Changi Prison was constructed by the British administration of the Straits Settlements as a civilian prison, in 1936.

During World War II, following the Fall of Singapore in February 1942, the Japanese military detained about 3,000 civilians in Changi Prison, which was built to house only 600 prisoners. The Japanese used the British Army's Selarang Barracks, near the prison, as a prisoner of war camp, holding some 50,000 Allied — predominantly British and Australian soldiers.[1] Although POWs were rarely if ever held in the civilian prison, the name Changi became synonymous in the UK, Australia, and elsewhere with the POW camp.

About 850 POWs died during their internment in Changi during the Japanese occupation [2], a relatively low rate compared to the overall death rate of 27% for POWs in Japanese camps.[3] However, many more prisoners died after being transferred from Changi to various labour camps outside Singapore, including the Burma Railway and the Sandakan airfield.

Allied POWs, mainly Australians, built a chapel at the prison in 1944 using simple tools and found materials. British airman Stanley Warren painted a series of murals at the chapel. Another British POW, Sgt. Harry Stodgen built a Christian cross out of a used artillery shell. After the war, the Chapel was dismantled and shipped to Australia, while the cross was sent to the UK. The chapel was reconstructed in 1988, and is now located at the Royal Military College Duntroon, Canberra.

Second prison

In 2000, the prison was demolished and its inmates were relocated to a new consolidated prison complex in a neighbouring site. In view of its historical significance, the Preservation of Monuments Board worked with the Singapore Prison Service and the Urban Redevelopment Authority to allow the front gates of the old prison to be preserved and moved to the new prison.

In 1994 Changi Women’s Prison and Drug Rehabilitation Centre was opened.

Presently, the new Changi Prison houses the most serious criminal offenders in the country, including criminal offenders who are serving long sentences and those who have been sentenced to death. It serves as the detention site for death row inmates at Changi, before they are executed by hanging, traditionally on a Friday morning.

Changi Prison is also one of the main places (though not the only one) where judicial corporal punishment by caning is carried out. Caning sessions at Changi are held twice per week. A former employee of the prison has been quoted as saying: "They are flogging more and more these days. Before they were doing maybe 60 on Tuesdays and Fridays, now they're doing a hundred".[4].

[edit] Changi Chapel and Museum
Main article: Changi Museum
Changi chapel, built by Australian POWs in 1944, later relocated to Duntroon, Canberra

In 1988, Singapore built a replica chapel and museum next to the Changi Prison. When Changi Prison was expanded in 2001, the chapel and museum was relocated to a new site 1 km away and the Changi chapel and museum was officially established on 15 February 2001.

[edit] Prominent detainees

[edit] Prisoners of war

* Lieutenant-General Arthur Ernest Percival, commander of Allied forces in Singapore, following his surrender to the Japanese; he was moved to a camp in China in late 1942
* Sheila Bruhn (née Allan), who wrote about her experiences in Diary of a Girl in Changi
* James Clavell is one of the most famous survivors; he wrote about his experiences in the book King Rat
* Eugene Ernest Colman, chess master
* Carl Alexander Gibson-Hill, medical doctor and Director of the Raffles Museum
* John Hayter, Anglican priest who later wrote of his experiences in Priest in Prison[5]
* Sir Alexander Oppenheim, mathematician. In 1984, he published "The prisoner's walk: an exercise in number theory", based in part of his experiences at Changi
* Sydney Piddington, postwar Australian mentalist entertainer with wife Leslie, "The Piddingtons" ABC and BBC radio and stage mindreading team, who developed his verbal code in Changi
* Ronald Searle, cartoonist
* Colonel Julian Taylor FRCS, surgeon
* Ernest Tipson, linguist
* Stanley Warren, artist and art teacher; murals produced during his incarceration remain at the prison
* Leonard Wilson, Bishop of Singapore, and later Bishop of Birmingham
* Michael Woodruff, surgeon and scientist
* Percy Herbert (actor),
* Sir Norman Alexander

[D-Type]

Welcome Fastf.....terrific story

BTW did you mean Changi?

fastflo wrote "Shangai" which could be Shanghai (China) or Changi (Singapore); I read it as Shanghai.

[fastflo]

fastflo wrote "Shangai" which could be Shanghai (China) or Changi (Singapore); I read it as Shanghai.

My appologies,
it is of course Changi not Shangai, in Singapore were Bill Flockhart resided during the Japanese occupation of Singapore. He went under the name of B Kelly an Irish sailor as he surrendered after the official surrender and feared he would be executed if it was discovered he was in the British Forces.

[sandy]

In the early 1960's I lived near the Moorabbin airfield near Melbourne and one day I took a couple of photos of a P51 Mustang that was flying about at the time. On seeing this topic it occured to me that it might have been Ron Flockhart's aircraft and so I have spent the past day or so rummaging through my vast collection of absolutely uncatalogued and unsorted slides, eventually finding the 2 photos. I then attempted to determine as to whether this was one of Flockart's P51s, finally ending up with David Jones, the Technical Curator of the RAAF Museum at Point Cook. He referred me to his book "Mustangs in Australia and New Zealand" which has quite a bit of info on Flockhart and his P51s, including colored and BXW photos and colored drawings. As it turns out the Mustang of which I took the photos was not that of Flockharts.

David Jones email address is david.jones29@defence.gov.au and he was quite happy to send to me images out of his book of the relevant aircraft. Alternatively, if any one wants his copies from me let me know and I will pass them on.

Just for the hell of it I will also post an image of the P51 that I took in the early 60's. It has real appeal in that the pilot is wearing a WW2 helmet and the patina is that of a well used aircraft. Which is leading me to submit a post in this forum taking the position that whereas patina of use is admirable in old aircraft, it is not necessaily so with cars.

[sandy]

The P51 that was flyimg out of Moorabbin in the early '60s, at the time of Ron Flochart's flying another P51 at the same field. Note the WW2 helmet.

[fastflo]

Fantastic picture, I can see why Ron would want to set off in one of these, you can almost feel the power straining to propel you down the runway!

Anyway if anyone is interested in Ron's background, this is purely from word of mouth recollections.

Ron Flockhart's Grandfather was William Flockhart, a successful fish merchant and trawler owner from Prestonpans in East Lothian near Edinburgh.
William had six sons and three daughters!!

The fishing business of Flockhart and Sons moved to Newhaven with the advent of steam power, where Ron's father Alex and his brothers Willie, Johnnie and George (my Grandfather) carried on the businesss and prospered with some six boats.

During world war 2 four boats were requisitioned for the war effort. Sadly Johnnie's trawler, one of those remaining was sunk by a U-boat, the only survivor testified that the crew were machine gunned in the lifeboat.

This money making enterprise was wound up in the late 1950's when it was discovered that the firm had two sets of accounts and was prosecuted by the Inland Revenue!!

His fathers' business skills allowed Ron to live in the very desirable area of Greenhill Gardens in Edinburgh and to attend or so I believe, Edinburgh's Daniel Stewart's College and Edinburgh University. Motor Racing at this time was an expensive pastime as others better qualified than me can confirm.

Alex Flockhart's life was one full of tragedy though, as his wife Ron's mother died very young from Cancer?? And Ron's sister's (her name escapes me) life was blighted by Polio?? she was also to die young. Then there was the untimely death of his only son Ron.

Ron's cousins were my dad James and my uncle Bill Flockhart, I was told Ron studied Engineering, my dad was a Marine Engineer to trade and Bill was trained as an Aero Engineer by Rolls Royce.

All members of the family were mad keen on just about anything with an engine that could be sailed, ridden or driven, so I was weaned on stories of daring deeds on Arial four-squares or in Jowette Javelins or the Essex Terraplane coupe, not to mention the one about the Privateers who went to France with a couple of ex-works Jaguars...

Anyway I watched the fabulous video of Jaguar at LeMans 1956/57 (by Random Film Productions Ltd which I obtained from Duke Video who are on the Isle of Man) which recounts the Ecurie Ecosse team's finest 48 hours in full colour to boot! Well worth 60 mins of your time.

cheers!

[D-Type]

Graham Gauld's Ecurie Ecosse says he attended Daniel Stewart's followed by a BSc from Edinburgh University in mechanical engineering then wartime service in the REME attaining the rank of captain.

[thunder427]

fastflo,Brilliant!!,Now we are learning about the Man,Ron Flockhart........ and his family background,fantastic!!!......regards427

[quattro20v]

Graham Gauld's Ecurie Ecosse says he attended Daniel Stewart's followed by a BSc from Edinburgh University in mechanical engineering then wartime service in the REME attaining the rank of captain.

We have a photograph of my father who was a Staff Sergeant or Sergeant Major in the REME and Ron Flockart, both in army uniform. I believe this was taken in North Africa during WWII. (I'll have to ask my brother if there is anything written on the back to indicate where it was taken.)This ties up with RF being in the REME. Apparently he used to visit my parents just after the war in Liverpool, turning up more often than not on a Triumph Speed Twin! I'm not sure when they lost touch, but I would have been about 9 or 10 years old when he drove the D-type at Le mans.I remember by father mentioning his disappearance in Australia.

[cdrewett]

He also ran R1A before buying the rather more potent ex Mays R4D. Here he is at BoNess in 1952 in the earlier car.


copyright; Simon Lewis Transport Books.

I was thumbing through Motor Sport May 1954 and came across Ron Flockhart's advertisement for R4D, which gives his contact address as Charles Clark and Son Chapel Ash Wolverhampton, and I wondered what the connection was.
Incidentally R4D is descibed as having a "special chassis constructed in 1946 and a special post-war Rolls Royce block".
The asking price was £1500!
Chris

[wdm]

I was thumbing through Motor Sport May 1954 and came across Ron Flockhart's advertisement for R4D, which gives his contact address as Charles Clark and Son Chapel Ash Wolverhampton, and I wondered what the connection was.
Chris

Ron's "day job" was as car salesman for Charles Clark & Son... They (like BRM, by '54) were a satellite company of the Owen Organisation.

[decembr14]

I'm "reviving" this thread because I am also looking for some information on Ron Flockhart, and maybe one of you good folks can help.

My cousin's wife Claire is a Flockhart, and her father was Ron Flockhart's cousin. Over the last couple of years Claire has been researching the family (which is quite big and dispersed), and recently she has been learning about Ron. What she is trying to find out in particular is:

1. Did Ron have any siblings, and if so, who and where are they?

2. After Ron's death in Australia, was his body returned to the UK? Where was he buried? Claire has searched for burial records in Edinburgh, but so far without success.

It would be particularly good to hear from the member 'fastflo', as it is clear from fastflo's posting in this thread that fastflo is a Flockhart and so must be related to Claire.

I'll be grateful for any pointers.

[David McKinney]

Dec - if 'fastflo' doesn't respond, you can send him/her a personal message. Find him from the Members list (top of every page) and take the relevant option

[Doug Nye]

I did quite a detailed feature story on Ron Flockhart sometime in the '80s, I think, published in 'Classic & Sportscar' - again, I think. He was a partner in an engineering business based in Ascot, Berkshire, and his BRM team negotiations were conducted largely upon the firm's headed note paper. He tried terribly hard to improve upon his Formula 1 contract with the Owen Organisation through 1958-59 but was only ever regarded as a third-string racing driver, though quite a useful test driver. There are several references in the team archives of his value as a test driver being perhaps reduced by his "willingness to please". He was regarded by the management as a very polite and engaging fellow, while the mechanics seem to have found him rather remote and occasionally demanding. Not sure how much that tells us about him, and how much about BRM's mechanics. Cooper and Lotus quite liked him, while their regular drivers regarded him as "no problem" out on track. Which is probably the very last thing any self-respecting racer would ever want to hear. Oh - and apparently Raymond Mays was very smitten with the young fair-haired and personable Flockhart when he was driving the ERA early in the 1950s, and the somewhat naive and certainly straightforward young Scot apparently hadn't a clue what RM's orientation was all about. Rivers Fletcher told me he was asked by RF to explain why it was that people like John Bolster and Duncan Hamilton seemed to be sniggering about RM all the time...and passing comments which Ron, from the naice saide of Edinburgh, frankly did not understand. Once Rivers had spelled it out, Ron was apparently a) devastated and b) absolutely bloody furious.

DCN

Edited by Doug Nye, 10 April 2010 - 17:50.

[wdm]

1. Did Ron have any siblings, and if so, who and where are they?

2. After Ron's death in Australia, was his body returned to the UK? Where was he buried? Claire has searched for burial records in Edinburgh, but so far without success.

It would be particularly good to hear from the member 'fastflo', as it is clear from fastflo's posting in this thread that fastflo is a Flockhart and so must be related to Claire.

Hopefully 'fastflo' will get in touch with you, but in the meantime, I can answer your questions...

1. Ron's only sibling was a sister, who predeceased him.

2. His ashes were scattered over the Pentland Hills, near Edinburgh. (I must admit I've no idea how, if at all, such a thing is officially registered.)

I'll drop you a PM - I might be able to assist further...

[decembr14]

@David McKinney: Thanks David, I had already given that a shot -- I'm just trying as many approaches as possible. From the profile info, it seems as if fastflo only ever made a single post to this forum, and hasn't been back since July 2009, so I don't have much hope of getting a reply to the PM.

@Doug Nye: Thanks Doug, that adds a little more to the body of knowledge. There's also a copy of Graham Gauld's Ecurie Ecosse book on the way to me, which might reveal some more.

@wdm: That's very helpful, thank you. I'll drop you a note.

[Bjorn Kjer]

I have a 1 page article on RF with a picture of his transporter , early 50's.

[decembr14]

@Bjørn Kjer

Hi Bjørn -- I'd be very interested to see that. Do you have a scan/digital copy available?

[Bjorn Kjer]

I remember something was not quite ok with that page. It is hardly readable , and there must be more pages. I am not sure where I got it , will try to search , but it is from :

Autosport March 26 1954.

If you find it , or anyone here have it , I would very much like a copy , as I am sure you would .

Edited by Bjørn Kjer, 13 April 2010 - 21:28.