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Friday 3- Saturday 4th July, 1925. Croydon

Weather: Lousy. Rain; thick fog on Friday 3rd, especially over the Chilterns.

The story of the race:

"A Great Disappointment". Only three finishers, mostly due to the fog on the first day. "Fog can be dealt with by an organised airline... the cross-channel pilots know the routes, so to speak, blindfold, and the possession of wireless apparatus gives them a confidence in facing thick fog. It was far otherwise with the racers ... It should have been called off."

 Pilot - see 'The Aviators' below Aircraft   Race No Fate
  Capt Geoffrey de Havilland D.H.60 Moth G-EBKU

First Reg 10.2.25

Owned by Bernard MTS Leete

Struck overhead wires on landing Lahore 2.4.27 and overturned; Bernard Leete and Lady Hailey (wife of Governor of the Punjab) slightly hurt. Regn cld  13.6.27. 

1 retired Hemel Hempstead - fog - "landed near Mr. Cobham, and they both went to Stag Lane"
  Mr Alan J Cobham D.H.60 Moth G-EBKT

The prototype DH.60 Moth.

First Reg 10.2.25

Owned by Mrs Sophie C Elliott-Lynn & Norman H Jones; The London Aero Club Ltd

Spun in and crashed Dennis Lane, Stanmore, Middlesex 21.8.27; P/O Stanley Pritchard-Barrett & wife injured. Regn cld 20.1.28.

2 retired St Albans - fog - and went to Stag Lane
  Mr Herbert H Perry Avro 548A G-EBKN

First Reg. Dec 1924

Owned by Aircraft Disposal Co Ltd; AG Head

Wfu 29.6.28 Canc 12.32 pts used to rebuild G-EBJE in .69

3 retired Luton - fog - and returned to Croydon
  Colonel the Master of Sempill D.H.51A G-EBIQ

First Reg 22.1.24

Owned by Air Cmdr JG Weir; Taxiplanes Ltd (Clevedon); LG Anderson

Wfu 5.7.30 Scrapped Hanworth .33

5 retired Olney (or Bedford) - fog
  Capt C D Barnard D.H.51A G-EBIM

'Come on Steve'

First Reg Nov 1923

Owned by F/O GEF Boyes

Sold Australia 11.4.27 Overturned landing Sydney Harbour 3.2.31

6 retired Newcastle - not meeting handicap speed
  Mr Bert Hinkler Avro 504N G-EBKQ

First Reg Dec 1924

Owned by Air Service Training Ltd

Wfu 12.6.31 as an instructional airframe

7 retired after Day 1 - had lost too much time
  Maj H Hemming D.H.37 "Sylvia" G-EBDO

'Sylvia' later 'Lois'

First Reg. 22.6.22

Owned by AS Butler

Crashed Ensbury Park Bournemouth 4.6.27

8 3rd
  Mr T W Campbell Bristol Bloodhound G-EBGG

First Reg. 3.5.23

Owned by Bristol Aeroplane Co Ltd

Canc 1.29 scrapped .31

9 retired Luton (or Bedford) - fog
  Capt Frank T Courtney A.W. Ajax II G-EBLM

First Reg 4.6.25

Owned by Sir WG Armstrong Whitworth Aircraft Ltd

To Air Ministry 1.28

10 crashed at Newcastle - hit ditch while landing (the same ditch as James Bennett-Baggs)
  Maj P WS Bulman Hawker Woodcock II G-EBMA

First Reg 1.7.25

Owned by HG Hawker Engineering Co Ltd

Crashed landing Luton 3.7.25

11 retired Luton - fog, then ran into a tree
  Sqn-Ldr WTH Longton Martinsyde ADC1 G-EBKL

First Reg 28.11.24

Owned by Aircraft Disposal Co Ltd

Wfu 21.4.27 Burnt Croydon .30

12 retired Durham - encountered a heavy storm and landed on Nottingham Racecourse
  Capt J LN Bennett-Baggs A. W. Siskin V G-EBLN

First Reg 4.6.25

Owned by Sir WG Armstrong Whitworth Aircraft Ltd

Dbr landing Town Moor Newcastle 1.1.27

13 crashed at Newcastle - hit ditch while landing (the same ditch as Frank Courtney)
  Capt Frank L Barnard A. W. Siskin V G-EBLQ

First Reg 4.6.25

Owned by Sir WG Armstrong Whitworth Aircraft Ltd

Crashed Whitley 19.7.26
14

Winner

He said "The fog was thick over London, and at Luton the visibility dropped to 800 yards. I had to fly over the tree-tops for the greater part of the way to Harrogate... Finally I got down to a railway line where at times it was necessary to fly below the level of the telegraph wires to see the rails."

  Sqn-Ldr H WG Jones A. W. Siskin IV G-EBLL

First Reg 4.6.25

Owned by Sir WG Armstrong Whitworth Aircraft Ltd

Wfu .26
15 2nd

Starters: 14 (out of 15 entrants)

Did not start:

Mr John H 'Jimmy' James  A.N.E.C. I (owned by Maj Savage) G-EBIL 4 engine problems

Finishers: 3

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