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Bizarre TT Crash.


The Sick Moon

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I'm surprised it hasn't been picked up on such a pro TT forum as Manx Forums, but the day before yesterday was the centenary of the accident which claimed the life of Fred J. Walker, a 28 year old hat manufacturer from Ireland, although his actual death was several days later. As reported here on Motorsport Memorial,

 

 

"Fred J. Walker was a newcomer participating in the 1914 Isle of Man Junior Tourist Trophy. He was a 28-year-old hat manufacturer, said to be from Kingstown, County Dublin, Ireland - a territory that at the time was part of the United Kingdom. It is believed, although not yet confirmed, that he was a native of that town.
Rather surprisingly for a rider making his debut at such a demanding circuit, Walker led the forty nine competitors of the Junior Tourist Trophy for three of the five laps of the race. During the last lap, at approximately 09h30, his Royal Enfield developed serious tyre problems, and at Hillberry Corner it mounted the grass bank on the left side of the road and then ran into a gutter. Walker was thrown into the road, but remounted and set off again, following the course.
As Walker approached the Willaston Corner both wheels of his machine locked and skidded on the road surface and he fell on his side. Without assistance, he remounted a second time and continued along Ballanard Road to finish the race in third place overall behind Eric Williams, the winner and Cyril Williams, both on AJS machines.
After passing the judges box - thus effectively after the completion of his race - Walker failed to turn right onto Bray Hill where the official examination of machines was to take place. Traveling at high speed, and with his head down, he continued on past St. Ninians Church in the direction of Broadway before eventually colliding with a wooden barrier which had been placed across the road to keep traffic off the course. The impact hurled Walker from the saddle, and he landed on his head. The rider was transported to Noble's Hospital of Douglas, where he succumbed to his injuries on Sunday, 24 May, four days after the accident."
The history of the TT has seen some unusual and crazy accidents, the length and nature of the course pretty much guarantees that, but is this rider's death unique in that it happened after he'd completed the race? Not only completed, but finishing in an impressive third place. Peculiar thing to happen.
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I'm surprised it hasn't been picked up on such a pro TT forum as Manx Forums, but the day before yesterday was the centenary of the accident which claimed the life of Fred J. Walker, a 28 year old hat manufacturer from Ireland, although his actual death was several days later.

Surprising that he didn't have the means to manufacturer a sturdier hat.

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I've been away from MF for a few days, is this a TJ reincarnation (or PL in some new guise)?

 

Catch me up someone.

 

Surely not another Lonan3 sockpuppet, just happening to return from a few days away? The subscription fees must cost you a fortune!

 

 

 

Pierrot Lunaire, Part 1, poem 7 Der kranke Mond (The Sick Moon)

 

Say what you see.

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I believe she hates pointless trolls.

 

But lacks the vocabulary to effectively express herself? Yes, I think you may be right. I've seen self loathing before, and it's rarely pretty.

in a mirror at Box Hill?biggrin.png

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