Brooklands Stories: Sir Henry Segrave
11 December
In this Brooklands Stories, volunteer Peter Kearns explores the story of Land Speed Record holder and racing driver Sir Henry Segrave.
Born just ten years after Carl Benz patented the first horseless carriage, Henry Segrave was destined for speed. At the age of 31 he pushed the world land speed record to over mph. He then went on to achieve a world speed record on the water.
Sir Henry O’Neal de Hane Segrave was born in the USA in September , his father was Irish, and his mother was American. At that time, of course, being Irish also meant being British. The young Henry spent his early years in Ireland and at Eton.
First World War Service
At the outbreak of the First World War, Henry Segrave joined the Royal Military Academy, Sandhurst, where the officer training course had been cut from two years to just three months. He volunteered to join the Royal Warwickshire Regiment, that had suffered heavy casualties and was quickly in the thick of the fighting. It is said that, as an eighteen-year-old Subaltern, he was referred to by his men as “the Lion’s Cub”.
In one offensive, he led his men into an enemy trench and confr
Grace's Guide To British Industrial History
Sir Henry O'Neil de Hane Segrave (22 September – 13 June ) was famous for setting three land speed records and the water speed record. He was the first person to hold both the land and water speed records simultaneously. He was the first person to travel at over mph ( km/h) in a land vehicle. The Segrave Trophy was established in to commemorate his life.
A British national, Segrave was born in Baltimore, Maryland of an American mother and an Irish father Charles William Segrave. He was raised in Ireland and attended Eton College in England.
He was commissioned into the Royal Warwickshire Regiment in and served as a fighter pilot with the Royal Flying Corps from January (although he retained his commission in the Royal Warwickshire Regiment).
He was wounded twice, in and In July he became a flight commander as a temporary captain.
In he transferred to the Royal Air Force Administrative Branch, but soon resigned his commission due to his wounds. Segrave bragged that he would drive a car at over miles per hour. People thought that the war had made him mad.
He was the first Briton to win a Grand Prix in a B
22/9/ - 13/6/
Record updated Jun
Henry Segrave was famous for setting three land speed records and the water speed record. He was the first person to hold both the land and water speed records simultaneously and was the first person to travel at over mph ( km/h).
A British national, Henry O’Neal de Hane Segrave was born in Baltimore, Maryland of an American mother and an Irish father. He was raised in Ireland and attended Eton College in England.
He left Eton when the War broke out, went to Sandhurst. There he was promoted to the rank of lieutenant in the infantry and sent to fight on the front in France. There on May 17, he was shot during hand to hand combat in what was thought to be an abandoned German trench. Segrave was rescued and taken to a field hospital. Near death for days, he was eventually well enough to be sent back to England where he convalesced.
Once recovered he joined the British Air Service and returned to action on April 14, In less than two months he was promoted to captain and flight commander. He shot down four enemy planes before he himself was downed. He was found late that same day battered and bruised in the remains of
Sir Henry Segrave: The legacy of the mph record breaker
His wife, Lady Doris, was determined to carry on his legacy and established an honour called The Segrave Trophy, awarded by the Royal Automobile Club (RAC) in his name to motor racing champions from onwards.
Previous recipients include Stirling Moss, Amy Johnson, Barry Sheene and Damon Hill.
Ben Cussons, who is on the trophy's committee, says Segrave was "multi-talented and very good at what he did", as well as being a self-made man.
Sir Henry was motivated by a desire "to be the best" at what he did, he says. "He earned his peers' respect because he funded his endeavours and found the funds and did not rely on family money."
"Segrave was not too bad an aviator, then he went into motor racing before land speed records, then water. He was always looking for the next new technology, which is what inspired him," he adds.
The fact a wider legacy eludes his name is more down to timing than talent, Mr Cussons believes.
He was simply not as well known as Malcolm Campbell because Campbell was Britain's first professional sportsman, backed by sponsorship (luxury watch br
Biographies you may also like
Pippa middleton born Philippa Charlotte “Pippa” Middleton, born on September 6, , in Reading, Berkshire, England, is a British socialite, author, and columnist. She gained international .
Abdullah al andalusi biography of michael The old poem was called a ‘Converse of Wisdom’, but I decided to rename it ‘Converses of Wisdom’ to illustrate the many conversations being had, and how each line was Missing: michael.
Maya angelou poem biography of michael jackson Maya Angelou () was not just a poet, of course: she was an influential civil rights campaigner in the United States, and her autobiography, I Know Why The Caged Bird Sings, Missing: michael jackson.
Crocodile dundee wife linda kozlowski and paul Co-starring in Crocodile Dundee in , she and Paul Hogan married four years later – the Aussie actor famously leaving his wife Noelene for her. But Linda says that, after 23 .
Heinz erhardt und rudi carrell biography Heinz Erhardt, in Riga geboren, studierte in Leipzig Musik. Als die politische Lage in seiner Heimat schwieriger wurde, ging er zunächst nach Danzig, wo ihm ein Missing: rudi carrell.
Vj anusha biography of martin He is a son of SP Kundra (a businessman) and Suneeta Kundra (a homemaker). He is the youngest child in a family with three elder sisters namely Poonam Malhotra(a doctor Missing: martin.
Define biography and autobiography venn Compare and contrast Biographies and Autobiographies using Venn Diagram.