The King's Cup 1922- 1938
Between the wars, the annual race around Britain for the cup originally presented by King George V, was Britain's premier air race: the event to be seen in. |
The King's Cup Race had its detractors - most people moaned about the handicapping system (sometimes justifiably), and it could be a bit boring to watch, but my dear, everyone who was anyone competed in it at some stage. It had an absolutely fascinating mixture of aeroplanes and aviators. The aeroplanes (remember that the race started in 1922) were, to begin with, G-E-registered stringbags, barely able to stagger off the ground, let alone do 800-plus miles round Britain; only half of them actually finished the first race. Then the ubiquitous de Havilland Moth swept all before it for a few years but, by 1935, the race was regularly being won by the new breed of racing aeroplanes like the Percival Gull, eventually averaging well over 200 mph. And then there are the names; positively famous people, like Geoffrey de Havilland himself (and his two sons, Geoffrey junior and Peter); the Atcherley brothers Richard (of Schneider Trophy fame) and David; the Honourable Lady Mary Bailey; Alex Henshaw; Bert Hinkler; Caspar, the son of Augustus John ... Nick Comper and Edgar Percival ... 'Mutt' Summers...'Roly' Falk...The splendidly-named Rollo Amyatt Wolseley de Haga Haig, Charles Frederick Le Poer Trench, and who can forget William Francis Forbes-Sempill, 19th Lord Sempill (even if some would like to)? |
1922
A Band of Pioneers |
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Winner: Frank Barnard
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1923
A Decidedly Interesting Race |
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Winner: Frank Courtney
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1924
Landplanes and Seaplanes |
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Winner: Alan Cobham
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1925
We All got Lost in the Fog |
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Winner: Frank Barnard
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1926
The Triumph of the Light Plane |
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Winner: Hubert Broad
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1927
A Terrible Handicap |
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Winner: Wally Hope
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1928
Miss Spooner bags Third but Guy Warwick crashes |
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Winner: Wally Hope
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1929
Amateurs and Pros |
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Winner: Richard Atcherley
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1930
Over 100 entries, but Winnie Brown wins |
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Winner: Winifred Sawley Brown
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1931
Sphinx Triumphant |
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Winner: E C T Edwards
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1932
Easy Third for Wally |
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Winner: Wally Hope
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1933
Sir Geoffrey First, on his Own Ground |
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Winner: Geoffrey de Havilland
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1934
Gabrielle's Lament |
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Winner: Harry Schofield
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1935
Tommy Rose to the Occasion |
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Winner: Tommy Rose
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1936
Charles the First |
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Winner: Charles Gardner
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1937
Charles the Second, but two more fatalities |
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Winner: Charles Gardner
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1938
Under Darkening Skies |
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Winner: Alex Henshaw
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