Wal L Handley

Car Racing

He was also involved with car racing, driving Rileys. In 1931 he co-drove Freddie Dixon’s Riley at Brooklands in the 500 Miles race, but holed the crankcase. [ [http://www.brooklandstrack.co.uk/Race1/31_5.htm] BrooklandsTrack.co.uk 1931 500 miles race (Retrieved December 10 2006)] In 1934 he co-drove a MG Magnette, but crashed on the banking when an axle bearing seized. [ [http://www.brooklandstrack.co.uk/Race1/34_5.htm] BrooklandsTrack.co.uk 1934 500 miles race (Retrieved December 10 2006)] In the Brooklands 1934 International Trophy Race, Handley drove an MG Magnette well, until a back axle broke late in the race. [ [http://www.brooklandstrack.co.uk/Race2/34it.htm] BrooklandsTrack.co.uk 1934 International Trophy (Retrieved December 10 2006)]

He entered the 1933 Mannin Moar in an Alfa Romeo Monza 2.3 litre Straight-8, and in the 1934 Mannin Beg race he led for the first lap and retired on the second. [ [http://www.triple-mregister.org/uploads/retro/scan86.2.pdf] TripleMRegister.org 1934 Mannin Beg (Retrieved December 10 2006)] He also entered the 1935 Mannin Beg at the Isle of Man.

Handley and Pat Driscoll entered a 2 litre Riley in the first ever GP road race held in Britain at Donington Park , October 5 1935, but only completed five laps of the 120 lap, 492.8 km race. [ [http://www.kolumbus.fi/leif.snellman/gp356.htm#47] Kolumbis.fi "1935 Grand Prix season" (Retrieved December 15 2006)]

He had a bad crash at the 1936 British Empire Trophy after taking over Freddie Dixon’s third placed Riley and broke an arm.

World War II

Capt W.L.Handley was killed flying a RAF Airacobra I on the 15th November 1941, [cite book|author=Chorlton, Martin|title=Cumbria Airfields in the Second World War including The Isle of Man|publisher=Countryside Books|date=25 October 2006 pp.143 ISBN 1-85306-983-3] while serving with the Air Transport Auxiliary as a pilot, at Kirkbride airfield (Ordnance Survey Map NY 227 558 GB Grid) near Kirkbampton, Cumberland. The aircraft involved was a Bell P-39 Airacobra which crashed just after take-off. [cite book|author=McDiarmid, Mac|title=The Magic of the TT|publisher=Haynes Group|month=August | year=2004 page 133 ISBN 1-84425-002-4] The accident was described by an eye-witness;-

"Walter took-off from an aerodrome....and crashed into a ploughed-field within five minutes of being airborne. He was piloting an Airacobra. When he took-off the motor was 'moving' hard with an awful din and when he throttled down, it appeared to cut for a few seconds and then finally died out. Wal side-slipped towards a wood with it seemed the intention of putting his craft into the tree-tops. He missed the wood by feet. The starboard-wing hit the ground first and the machine immediately exploded." [Letter from P.W.Bulman - page 14. "TT Special" 1956 edited by G.S.Davison dated 29th May 1956]

The aircraft crash was described as a loss of control, 2 miles east of RAF Kirkbride near Fingland. [Title: "Cumbria Airfields in the Second World War including The Isle of Man", Author: Martin Chorlton, Publisher: Countryside Books (25 Oct 2006), pp143, ISBN 1-85306-983-3 ]

ources

External links

* [http://www.iomtt.com/TTDatabase/Riders.aspx?ride_id=426 TT database rider profile] iomtt.com
* [http://www.iomtt.com/TTDatabase/Races.aspx?meet_code=ALL&ride_id=426 TT database TT results] iomtt.com