Taking on new Rolls
I enjoyed the March edition, particularly Aaron Mckayʼs Classified pick of the Rolls-royce Phantom II at P&A Wood. As well as my love of cars Iʼm a keen glider pilot, and I was reminded of the above photograph of a Rolls-royce used by the Yorkshire Gliding Club as a winch in the late ʼ30s.
Sited at the top of an escarpment above the Kilburn White Horse, the club was one of the first to be formed in the mid-ʼ30s and Amy Johnson was a member before her famous flight to Australia. The intrepid gentleman with his foot on the impromptu ʻbrakeʼ is Harold Holdsworth, who was the clubʼs ground mechanic.
Harold wrote in his ledger: ʻIn the spring of 1937 the YGC bought a 1923 Silver Ghost for fifty pounds and spent a further fifty pounds on its conversion. This was a big investment at the time, but a very good one and was appreciated more as time went on. The car was reputed to be one of only three of this particular type. It was absolutely ideal for the job. In spite of its age, it was in very good condition mechanically. The bodywork was heavy aluminium, unpainted and polished. Because of its great weight and high-press tyres, it could be difficult to move over soft ground. At first I heartily disliked it, but once I acquired the official manual and got to know how to drive and maintain it, I got to love it. It was a convertible, with real leather hood and upholstery, a six-cylinder engine rated at RAC 49hp, a four-speed gearbox, disc wheels and everything massively made. Last but not least, dual ignition, six plugs on coil and six on magneto. One got the best of both systems. During the time I used it, I never knew it to fail.ʼ
As the war approached and the club had to close, Harold left its employment and the Royce was put into storage. Unfortunately, no one thought to drain the engine and it froze, cracking the block. The future value of the car was not appreciated, and when the club reopened the Rolls was sadly consigned to the scrapyard.
Prior to the Royce, the club used a Studebaker that proved not to be particularly reliable and was replaced. There is an interesting and amusing video on the clubʼs website (ygc.co.uk) that shows the Studebaker being used. The club now has a state-of-the-art Skylaunch winch, as well as modern aerotow facilities. Graham Evison
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