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Among their ranks were three from Yorkshire, including a Mr Shaw, from Nunthorpe, Mr Brook, from Harrogate and Mr Stack, from the East Riding. Sadly, their first names have not come down to us.

The MacRobertson International Air Race was the biggest event of its day and at a time of world-wide economic recession it was to capture the imagination and attention of people right around the globe.

This month marks the 75th anniversary of that air race, which took place toward the end of October and the start of November 1934 and saw the intrepid pilots – the Top Guns of their day – race from London to Melbourne.

Pilots

The attrition rate was high and only a handful of pilots completed the 12,000 mile trip.

Paul Sortehaug, of Dunedin, New Zealand was kind enough to provide Yorkshire Diary with details.

He said: "It was undoubtedly the greatest air race of the 20th Century. It was staged to commemorate the Australian State of Victoria's centenary year by Sir Macpherson Robertson, a wealthy industrialist. He sponsored the race and put up £15,000 in prize-money.

"As well as celebrating a significant occasion it was anticipated that the event would hasten the development of air services between Europe and Australia.

"Initial interest was phenomenal. The impressive monetary prize, coupled with daring adventure, was too hard to resist and more than 60 entrants registered.

"However, on the day of the race only 20 competing aircraft fronted up, eight from the British Isles. Other entrants came from the USA, New Zealand, Australia, Holland, Denmark and New Guinea."

The race rules were relatively straight forward, aviators being required to have a minimum of 100 hours flying experience and conditions being imposed as to what safety provisions each aircraft was to carry.

The race was divided into two, a speed and a handicap section, run simultaneously – the flight-paths were in tune with recognised airline routes of the day.

Aircraft flew across Europe, the Middle and Far East and South East Asia, before negotiating the Timor Sea to reach the northern coast of Australia. The distance covered was to be in the order of 12,000 miles (20,000 km) and there were designated landing strips en route where aircraft were required to land to have logbooks certified.

At daybreak on October 20, 1934, a crowd of 60,000 gathered to bid farewell to competitors as the first machines took to the sky from Mildenhall, Suffolk – Mildenhall being the newest of the Royal Air Force's bomber stations.

Mechanical malfunctions, accidents, and the sheer scale of such a journey resulted in only nine of the 20 starters finishing.

Mr Sortehaug continued: "Every entrant had major moments of drama. A Fairey Fox biplane crashed in the south of Italy in poor weather with the loss of its two New Zealand crew; the jet black Comet under Captain Jim and Amy (Johnson) Mollison was forced to withdraw upon reaching Allahabad, India, after major engine problems; Stack and Turner had to retire at Marseilles and H L Brook and Miss E M Lay, in a Miles Falcon, had to pull out at Rome with a broken propeller.

"Flight Lieutenant Shaw became disorientated in thick cloud over the Pyrenees and made a forced-landing in Spain and Flying Officer Cyril Davies and Lieutenant Commander C N Hill got to Cyprus in a Fairey III before their aeroplane suffered a snapped aileron cable."

The winners were Britons Charles Scott and Thomas Campbell Black, who completed the flight in 71 hours in their bright red Comet.

The last aircraft arrived at Melbourne on November 3.

Mr Sortehaug said: "If readers are able to provide information
about any of our New Zealand airmen, I would naturally be interested."


Singing England's praises

Your letters...

Regarding Mrs Norma Wilson's letter (Yorkshire Diary, October 31), about a song she remembered at school. It's name was England and the lines she recalled formed the chorus. The whole song went like this: Soft grey clouds on the dusky hills are falling now; Soft grey dreams to the lovers in the vale; Down along the misty lanes, the little English twisty lanes; Bedecked with woodland flowers and wet with English rains; With here and there the note of a bird and everywhere so free; Oh England is the fairest land where I am so proud to be.

Chorus: Oh England I love you, your ever changing sky, your spinnies, your pastures, your streams that wander by, a mother to be proud of where ever her children roam, there's joy in such an island, forever she is my land, Oh England I love you. England my home.

Warm soft days in the quiet simple villages; Warm wet winds blowing gently from the west; Friends who love to laugh with you; Friends who love to quaff with you and mug of English ale and snatch an hour of rest; With here and there the bark of a dog; and everywhere to free; Oh England is the fairest where I am proud to be.

Hoping you find my letter as interesting as the song! We went to the Sacred Heart of Jesus RC School. I am 10 years Mrs Wilson's junior but it was a very popular song during my day too.

Mrs M Marsden, Moortown, Leeds.




I was very interested in the story about Dennis Lemon (Yorkshire Diary, September 12), who reported being photographed in a German aeroplane, which crash-landed in a field at Wilsic Arches, about 10 miles outside Doncaster.

I recognise from the photograph the aeroplane as a Luftwaffe Messerschmitt Bf. 109.

I am astonished this type of aircraft would have been seen in Yorkshire area, basically because its flying range, normally 350 miles, made it not possible to fly to that area with the hope of returning to its base, even were it to be based near to the main European coastline.

The only situation I believe it could have been would be the intention of the pilot, as a so-called 'defector', who obviously had no intention of returning to base.

Surprisingly, there appears to be no record of a defector arriving in Yorkshire and whilst my correspondence certainly does not have the intention of doubting on your excellent Yorkshire Diary issues, I certainly wish to be able to establish what produced this situation.

Albert Pritchard, aviation historian, Swillington, Leeds



Guess the year

Yorkshire-born Isle of Man TT race-ace David Jeffries, who lost his life while practising for the 2003 event, was literally born into racing after his mother, Pauline, went into labour just after watching her husband, Tony, crash. David Jeffries was the undisputed master of the TT race and was the first man to lap the 37-mile course at an average speed of 125mph and to win three consecutive TT races. In what year was David Jeffries born? Answer next week.

Last week's question: The Great Yorkshire Show has been run on the same weekend in July for more than 150 years.
The first show was held at Fulford near York but nowadays it is held in Harrogate. The long running tradition was started by the Yorkshire Agricultural Society, who wanted to meet annually to display farmstock, implements and promote agriculture. The society was formed in 1837 but when was the first Yorkshire show? Answer: 1838.


Did you know?

There is an ancient stone cross on the North York Moors called Fat Betty (above). Sometimes also referred to as White Cross, it stands just north of the road from Blakey Rigg to Rosedale Abbey, near the junction of the Danby, Westerdale and Rosedale.

The head of the cross is an ancient wheelhead painted white, set into a large stone base, half of which is also painted.

It is thought that the wheel could date from Norman times and is only one of two known wheelheads on the North York Moors.

EP 7 November 2009