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Willy Cave RIP

Started by Dick Dastardly , Mar 15 2022 08:33

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8 replies to this topic

#1 Dick Dastardly

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Joined: August 09

Posted 15 March 2022 - 08:33

Long time Navigating legend Willy Cave has passed away.

Willy started navigating in the 1950s for the then BMC team and continued until very recently on historic rallies.

He was also a former WW2 Spitfire pilot.

RIP Willy

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#2 Dipster

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Joined: April 10

Posted 15 March 2022 - 08:58

Long time Navigating legend Willy Cave has passed away.

Willy started navigating in the 1950s for the then BMC team and continued until very recently on historic rallies.

He was also a former WW2 Spitfire pilot.

RIP Willy

Sorry to hear this. Was he any relation to Mick Cave who raced an A40 in club racing in the 60's?

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#3 Allan Lupton

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Posted 15 March 2022 - 15:10

Four or five years ago Willy came with us to one of the Hertfordshire talks/film shows when we had a rally theme. One of many who have helped make those events interesting.

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#4 Doug Nye

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Posted 15 March 2022 - 17:13

Willy Cave I first recall as being mentioned by Raymond Baxter on one of his "wizard prang", "ten-tenths through the snow drifts" radio bulletins direct from "the Monte" - "Hyar we are in gay Paree" - "This is Roland Thaxter reporting now from Chambéry" - "Good evening from the balmy warmth of Monte Carlo in January" - etc etc.

DCN

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#5 mikeC

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Posted 15 March 2022 - 20:21

Another sad loss, I have fond memories of competing against Willy in historic rallying in the 1990s; he was always willing to share his knowledge and experience with aa relative novice.

Not a very good pic, but here's a young Willy climbing back into the Works TR4 of John Sprinzel in the 1962 RAC Rally:

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#6 cooper997

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Posted 16 March 2022 - 00:35

Here's Willy in his later rallying career.

There is a book on Willy by Pablo Raybould (however I don't have a copy)

My condolences to the Cave family and friends.

Stephen

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#7 bradbury west

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Posted 16 March 2022 - 11:36

It is called “A biography of a rally navigator” and is just that, and in brilliant detail, taken from Willy’s own records etc., over 200 pages of A4 softback. Broad and meticulous in their detail, they make a fascinating tale, with some excellent photographs, covering many decades, and very informative in terms of those people and cars and events with which he was involved.
If you can locate a copy I recommend it strongly, if that is your interest. As a pure historical record of a period in time it is worth buying.

Pablo Raybould is on Facebook and especially via the BMC Competition Cars page. I have Pablo’s e mail address.

Pablo also published books in conjunction with Christabel Carlisle, and the diaries and memoirs of celebrated period navigator Tony Ambrose, both of which I find most enjoyable.

Usual disclaimers

Roger Lund