Who was Donald Campbell?
Donald Campbell was a land and water speed record
holder.
Date and Place of Birth:
23rd March 1921, Povey Cross, Horley, Surrey,
England.
Family Background:
Son of Sir Malcolm Campbell,
Land speed record holder.
Education:
School at Horsham, then St. Peter's School, Seaford
then to Uppingham Public School, Rutland. (The same as his father).
Chronology/Biography of Donald Campbell:
1924: Birth of his
sister Jean.
1930's: His first
job was as a junior office boy with Alexander Howden and Company,
insurance brokers in London.
1939-45: During
the period of the Second World War he was turned down as a fighter
pilot because of contracting Rheumatic fever when he was younger.
Not wanting to join the R.A.F. in a non-flying capacity, he worked
for two civilian firms. One making defence equipment for airfields
and another making aircraft spares.
1951: Suffered a
170 m.p.h. crash in the boat K4.
1955: 23rd July
Ullswater, Cumbria, England. Donald Campbell was the first to complete
an officially timed run in a jet-propelled hydroplane (K7) of 202.32
m.p.h.
1960: Crashed in
Utah, USA after attempting the land speed record from which he had
to spend a long convalescent period.
1964:
July 17th: Achieved 403.1 m.p.h. in a jet propelled car at Lake
Eyre Salt Flats in Australia. December 31st: Set a water speed record
of 276.33 at Durnbleyung Lake in Australia. Thus becoming the only
man to achieve land and water speed records in the same year.
Donald Campbell Memorial, Coniston, Cumbria
(© Anthony Blagg)
1967: (4th January)
Donald Campbell achieved a run of 297 m.p.h. on his first leg at
Coniston Water, Cumbria and was traveling at over 300 m.p.h. on
the return leg when his boat Bluebird flipped over backwards and
he crashed to his death. Many theories were advanced as to why he
had started too quickly on his return leg but it is clear that the
waves on the lake unsettled the boat. Ideas that he had committed
suicide were quickly discounted by his family.
(2001): A Diving
team from Northumberland finally retrieved Bluebird and later the
remains of Donald Campbell so he could be given a proper burial.
Marriage:
1. 1945 to Daphne Harvey, Caxton Hall Registry
Office, London under special Licence as Daphne's parents had forbidden
Donald to marry her.
2. To Dorothy McKegg.
3. 24th December 1958 to Tonia Bern, Caxton Hall, Registry Office,
London.
Date and Place of Death:
4th January 1967, Died in accident during a speed
record attempt in Bluebird on Coniston Water, Cumbria, England whilst
exceeding 300 m.p.h.
Age at Death:
45.
Site of Grave:
Bluebird K7 boat and body found and retrieved
in May 2001. Remains finally buried in, Coniston Cemetry, Cumbria,
12th September 2001.
The grave where Donald Campbell was finally interred 34
years after his death,
Coniston Cemetery
(© Anthony Blagg)
Speed Records:
LAND:
July 1964: Lake
Eyre, Australia. (403.1 m.p.h.)
WATER:
July 1955: Ullswater,
Cumbria. (202.32 m.p.h.)
November 1955: Lake
Mead, U.S.A. (216.2 m.p.h.)
September 1956:
Coniston Water, Cumbria. (225.63 m.p.h.)
November 1957: Coniston
Water, Cumbria. (239.07 m.p.h.)
November 1958: Coniston
Water, Cumbria. (248.62 m.p.h.)
May 1959: Coniston
Water, Cumbria. (260.33 m.p.h.)
December 1964: Lake
Dumbleyung, Australia (276.33 m.p.h.)
Places of Interest:
CUMBRIA:
Coniston Water.
Ruskin Museum, Coniston.
Memorial in Coniston near St Andrew's Church
HAMPSHIRE:
National Motor Museum, Bealieu.
