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Remembered Today:

WW1 Military Motors - 1916 set x 50 cards


Lancashire Fusilier

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After taking part in an Air Display given for the King & Queen, held at Hendon Aerodrome, King George V meets with, and congratulates Captain B. C. Hucks for having completed two ' Loop the Loops '.

LF

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Here is an extremely interesting 1914 diagram signed by B. C. Hucks, showing details of his aircraft's flight path when manoeuvring through a sequence of ' Looping the Loop ' 10 times, from the point where he first dives to gain momentum before completing the 1st looping, through to landing after completing the 10th looping.

This sequence of 10 loopings, which also included his flying ' upside-down ', being the highlight of his much admired aerial display, given throughout Britain before the start of WW1.

LF

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On September 26th, 1918, B. C. Hucks filed an application ( No. 255,873 ) for an American Patent for his ' Means for starting the engine of aeroplanes ' invention.

His U.S. Patent No.1,313,693 was subsequently granted on August 19th, 1919.

Hucks' U.S. Patent application, signed by both B. C. Hucks and his American Attorney, was accompanied by 4 detailed technical drawings with numbered annotations, matching with 5 pages of notes which explained in detail the workings of his ' Aircraft Engine Starter '.

Attached is a sample drawing No.1 from his U.S. Patent application, and to make the notes much easier to read, here is also a link to Hucks' full U.S. Patent application for his ' Means for starting the engine of aeroplanes ' invention.

LF

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To link to the U.S. Patent application, it will require the link to be copied and pasted into your computer's search box.

LF

file:///C:/Users/Owner/Downloads/US1313693.pdf

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Before moving on to a new topic, here are two photographs of Bentfield Charles Hucks, the first being the only photograph I have found so far, which was taken during the time he was serving with the Royal Flying Corps in France prior to his being invalided out of the RFC.



Captain B. C. Hucks, RFC.



LF





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Finally, a more formal photograph of Bentfield Charles Hucks ( 25th October 1884 - 7th November 1918 ), Captain, Royal Flying Corps, inventor of the ' Hucks Aircraft Engine Starter ', and first British Pilot to complete a ' Looping the Loop ' aerial manoeuvre.

LF

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The WW1 ' Indian ' Motorcycle




As we have seen with so many other WW1 era motorcycle and motorcar companies, they had their origins in the manufacture of bicycles, as was the case with the ' Indian ' motorcycle.


George Mallory Hendee was born in Watertown, Massachusetts, U.S.A., on 2nd October 1866, and being an avid cyclist, by age 16 he had taken up competitive bicycle racing and in 1886, at age 20, he became an American bicycle racing champion and set a new world record on a half-mile dirt track of 2 minutes 27.4 seconds.


In 1892, George Hendee retired from bicycle racing and in 1895 founded his own bicycle manufacturing company the ' Hendee & Nelson Manufacturing Company ' and began manufacturing his own range of bicycles using the brand name ' Silver King ' bicycles for men and ' Silver Queen ' bicycles for women.

Unfortunately, Hendee's initial business venture was not a financial success, and in 1898, George Hendee formed a new bicycle manufacturing company the ' Hendee Manufacturing Company ' making bicycles under the ' American Indian ' brand, with his bicycle's brand name soon being shortened to just ' Indian '.


George Hendee sponsored various bicycle races in which he entered his ' Indian ' bicycles, and it was at one such bicycle race event that he met Carl Oscar Hedstrom, whose family had emigrated from Sweden to America in 1880 and settled in Brooklyn, New York.


Like George Hendee, Carl Hedstrom was an avid bicyclist, who in his spare time built high quality racing bicycles, eventually designing a bicycle to which he fitted a small petrol engine.

Those motorized bicycles, known as ' Pacers ' were often used during bicycle races as pace bicycles, and Hedstrom's ' Pacers ' soon gained a solid reputation for reliability on the bicycle race track.


Being impressed with Hedstrom's ' Pacers ', George Hendee invited Carl Hedstrom to design a motorized version of his ' Indian ' bicycle, and following the development of a successful prototype for a motorized ' Indian ' bicycle, in January 1901 Hendee and Hedstrom formed a business partnership to design and manufacture ' Indian ' motorcycles, with Carl Hedstrom taking the role of Chief Engineer.


Hendee & Hedstrom's first ' Indian ' chain driven motorcycle were introduced in 1902, and in 1903 Hedstrom himself riding an ' Indian ' motorcycle, set a new world motorcycle speed record of 56 mph.


In 1904 ' Indian ' motorcycles began being painted with a deep red paint finish which was to become the ' Indian ' motorcycles distinctive red trademark colour.

In 1905, the first ' Indian ' V-twin motorcycle was built, and by 1912, The Hendee Manufacturing Company was the world's largest motorcycle manufacturer, with a peak manufacturing year being 1913, when 32,000 ' Indian ' motorcycles were produced.


The success of the ' Indian ' motorcycle was not just confined to the U.S., ' Indian ' motorcycles were also being exported, particularly to Britain, with ' Indian ' motorcycles being exhibited at the 1910 Olympia Cycle & Motorcycle Exhibition.

' Indian ' motorcyles soon gained an excellent reputation in Britain for their speed, quality and reliability, with the ' Indian ' factory team winning the first three places in the 1911 Isle of Man Tourist Trophy.

From 1911, the Hendee Manufacturing Company had offices and an ' Indian ' motorcycle showroom in London.

The ' Indian ' motorcycles were also extremely successful at Brooklands, where ' Indian ' motorcyles set several speed records.


In 1916, the ' Indian Powerplus ' side-valve V-twin 1000 cc motorcycle with a top speed of 60 mph, was introduced, and it was the ' Indian Powerplus ' motorcycle which was supplied to the American Army and America's Allies, including Britain during WW1, with all of the ' Indian ' motorcycle production for 1917 and 1918 going to the military as part of the war effort.


Having been the creators of the ' Indian ' motorcycle in 1902, Hedstrom left the Company in 1913 and Hendee followed, retiring in 1916.

George Hendee died in 1943 aged 76, and Carl Hedstrom died in 1960 aged 89.


As was the case with many of the early motorcycle companies, the Indian Motorcycle Manufacturing Company ceased trading in 1953.


However, in 2011, the ' Indian ' motorcycle brand was resurrected and today ' Indian ' motorcycles are once again being manufactured.


The first of a series of ' Indian ' photographs show George Hendee and Carl Hedstrom with their early ' Indian ' motorcycles, starting with George Hendee riding an early ' Indian ' motorcycle.


LF



This image is reproduced strictly for non-commercial research and private study purposes as permitted under the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988, as amended and revised.













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Carl Oscar Hedstrom riding an early ' Indian ' motorcycle.

LF

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A Power Plus

johnboy,

That was the excellent side-valve V-twin 1000 cc motorcycle with a top speed of 60 mph, introduced in 1916, and supplied to American Army and America's Allies, including Britain during WW1.

Regards,

LF

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An extremely rare circa 1895 badge from a ' Silver King ' men's bicycle made by George Hendee's first bicycle manufacturing company the ' Hendee & Nelson Manufacturing Company '.

Unfortunately, Hendee's initial business venture was not a financial success, and in 1898, George Hendee formed a new bicycle manufacturing company the ' Hendee Manufacturing Company ' making bicycles under the ' American Indian ' brand, with his bicycle's brand name soon being shortened to just ' Indian '.


LF



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From Hendee & Hedstrom's early years, here are examples of ' Indian ' motorcycles from 1902, 1904 and 1906, starting with a 1902 ' Indian ' motorcycle.

LF

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1904.

LF

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1906.

LF

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The Indian's streamlined petrol tank fitted over the rear-wheel, was a particularly unusual feature on the early ' Indian ' motorcycles.

LF

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As with cycle racing, motorcycle racing became more and more popular in the years preceding WW1, and in addition to the first dirt-tracks, large ' Board Tracks ' or ' Motordromes ' began to be constructed.

Named ' Board Tracks ' after their method of construction, using 2 x 4 inch wooden boards laid lengthwise on a wooden framework around a 1.5 to 2 miles banked oval track, with the track's banking ranging from 25 to 60 degrees.

The first motorcycle racing ' Board Track ', was built in America in March 1909.


On these very fast ' Board Tracks ' motorcycles reached then high speeds of 100 mph, and being the manufacturers of the fastest motorcycles at that time, Hendee & Hedstrom's ' Indian Racers ' were at the forefront of motorcycle racing on the American ' Board Tracks ', and also at the Isle of Man TT races, and Brooklands.


Here are some interesting photographs of motorcycle racing ' Board Tracks ' under construction, showing their wooden board method of construction.


Motorcycles raced on Board Tracks, were not surprisingly known as ' Board Track Racers '.


LF




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2.

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A 1914 motorcycle racing ' Board Track ', showing the steep banking, which ranged from 25 to 60 degrees.

LF

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An Indian V-twin ' Board Track Racer ', with a distinctive ' Torpedo ' petrol tank.

LF

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A ' Board Track ' motorcycle race in progress on the steep banking, with ' Indian ' and ' Hendee Manufacturing ' being major advertisers.

LF

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' Indian Racers ', the first a 1907 which again has a distinctive ' Torpedo ' petrol tank.

LF

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A 1911 ' Indian Racer '.

LF

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A beautifully restored 1911 V-twin ' Indian Racer '.

LF

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There is an extremely interesting connection between an ' Indian Racer ' motorcycle, an English Royal Flying Corps Pilot, and the Isle of Man Senior TT Race of 1911.


Oliver Cyril Godfrey was born in London in 1887, and when in his early teens, his family emigrated to Australia. However, his mother returned to England along with Oliver, re-married and Oliver lived with his mother and step-father in Finchley, North London, where Oliver worked as a Machinist.


Oliver being an avid cyclist/motorcyclist became interested in motorcycle racing, and by age 19 was already racing competitively, including racing in the Isle of Man races, starting in 1907.


In 1911, Oliver Cyril Godfrey, a small muscular man, known as ' O.C. ', was one of 5 racers selected to make up an ' Indian Factory Team ' sponsored by the Hendee Manufacturing Company's London Office and managed by their London Agent, Billy Wells, and to be entered in the 1911 Isle of Man Senior TT Race held on Monday, July 3rd, 1911. It was also to be the first time that the Senior TT race was to be run over the challenging Snaefell Mountain Course. The Indian Team's Technical Advisor for the race, was the Company's co-founder Carl Oscar Hedstrom.


Although all members of the Indian Team raced extremely well, with only one member crashing and not finishing, it was No. 26, Oliver C. Godfrey riding superbly on a 580 cc V-Twin ' Indian Racer ' who finished first in the 5-lap 189 mile Senior TT Race in 3 hours, 56 minutes, 10 seconds with an average speed of 47.63 mph, his ' Indian ' team-mates Franklin and Moorhouse placed second and third, giving ' Indian ' a 1-2-3 clean sweep.


It was also the first time that a foreign motorcycle manufacturer had won an Isle of Man Senior TT Race, and the first time there had been a 1-2-3 clean sweep by any ' factory ' team.


After his tremendous TT win of 1911, Oliver Godfrey continued motorcycle racing with further racing successes including wins at Brooklands.

Following the outbreak of WW1 in 1914, Oliver Godfrey enlisted in the Royal Flying Corps, and after training, earned his Royal Aero Club Aviator's Certificate No. 2264 on 12th January 1916, flying in a Beatty-Wright bi-plane at Hendon Aerodrome.


After completing his RFC training and obtaining his Aviator's Certificate, 2nd Lieutenant Oliver C. Godfrey, R.F.C., was posted to 27 Squadron RFC., which was formed in Hounslow, Middlesex in November 1915.

2nd Lt. O. C. Godfrey was posted to France with 27 Squadron on 2nd March 1916, and by June 1916, 27 Squadron was based at Fienvillers, some 10 miles west of Albert.


27 Squadron were the only RFC Squadron equipped exclusively with the Martinsyde G100 single-seater fighter bomber aeroplane, nicknamed ' The Elephant ' due to it's relatively large size and lack of manoeuvrability.


On 23rd September 1916, six Martinsyde G100s from 27 Squadron, including one ( No. 7480 ) flown by 2nd Lt. O. C. Godfrey, were sent out on an offensive patrol, and the events of that fateful day are described in a history of 27th Squadron written by Chaz Bowyer, as follows :-


"On September 22nd bombing raids were carried out on Quievrechain railway station. One pilot, seeing that his bombs had failed to explode, proceeded to strafe the engine driver of a train attempting to leave the station quickly. Later in the day, fifty six 20lb bombs were scattered in Havrincourt Wood, suspected of harbouring German infantry. The following day 27 Squadron sent six Elephants on an Offensive Patrol over Cambrai, setting out at 8.30 am. All six were attacked over Cambrai by five Scouts of Jagdstaffel 2 led by Boelcke in person - with disastrous results for the Martinsydes. Sgt. H. Bellerby in Martinsyde 7841 was shot down almost immediately by Manfred von Richthofen (his 2nd official victory) while within seconds two more Elephants piloted by 2/Lts. E.J. Roberts and O.C. Godfrey were destroyed by Leutnants Erwin Boehme and Hans Reimann. Recovering from the shock of the first German onslaught, the remaining three Martinsydes continued the fight despite being outnumbered and outclassed by superior German aircraft. Lt. L.F. Forbes having exhausted all of his ammunition made one last defiant gesture by deliberately charging at the Albatros piloted by Hans Reimann, ramming the German scout in a near head-on collision. Reimann spun to earth and his death in a crushed cockpit, but Forbes, in spite of one collapsed wing with aileron controls shattered, managed to nurse his crippled Martinsyde towards base."


2nd Lt. Oliver C. Godfrey was aged 28, and is buried in the Point Du Jour Military Cemetery at Athies-les- Arras in the Nord-Pas-de-Calais region of Northern France.


The attached photograph shows Oliver C. Godfrey ' O.C. ' riding his 580 cc V-Twin Indian Racer No. 26 on which he won the 1911 Isle of Man Senior TT Race.


LF




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A superb and historic photograph taken on Monday, July 3, 1911 showing No. 26, Oliver C. Godfrey riding a 580 cc V-Twin ' Indian Racer ' crossing the finish line and taking the flag to win the 5-lap 189 mile Senior TT Race in 3 hours, 56 minutes, 10 seconds with an average speed of 47.63 mph, his ' Indian ' team-mates Franklin and Moorhouse placed second and third, giving ' Indian ' a 1-2-3 clean sweep.

LF

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