Wal Handley facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Wal Handley
Wal Handley in 1930
Nationality	British
Born	(1902-04-05)5 April 1902 Aston, Birmingham, England
Died	15 November 1941(1941-11-15) (aged 39)
Motorcycle racing career statistics Isle of Man TT career TTs contested 13 (1922-1934) TT wins 4 First TT win 1925 Junior TT Last TT win 1930 Senior TT Podiums 9

Walter Leslie Handley (born April 5, 1902, died November 15, 1941), known as Wal Handley, was a famous British motorcycle racer. He was born in Aston, Birmingham. Wal won four times at the exciting Isle of Man TT Races. Later, in the 1930s, he also raced cars. Sadly, he died in a plane crash during World War II while working as a pilot.

Wal Handley's Early Life and Racing Start

Walter Handley was born on April 5, 1902. He had a tough childhood. His father passed away when Walter was only nine. This meant Walter had to start working early to help his family.

At just 12 years old, he left school. He tried different jobs before joining the OK motorcycle company. There, he worked as a junior tester and general helper.

Wal's motorcycle journey began with smaller races. These included reliability trials, hill climbs, and speed trials.

First Steps at the Isle of Man TT

In 1922, when Wal was 20, he got a chance to race an OK motorcycle. This was in the first Lightweight TT race on the Isle of Man.

A funny story from his practice session is well-known. Wal accidentally rode the course in the wrong direction! The newspapers made fun of him, which made him even more determined.

On race day, he set the fastest lap right from the start. But his lead ended on the second lap due to a broken engine part.

His bad luck continued into 1923. In the Lightweight Race, he led for the first three laps. He still managed to finish eighth, showing great courage. He even won an award for his "pluck and endurance."

From "Unlucky Handley" to Champion

By 1924, Wal joined the Rex Acme Company. His bad luck seemed to follow him. He often had mechanical problems while leading races. People started calling him "Unlucky Handley."

But in 1925, everything changed! Wal became the first rider ever to win two TT races in one week. He also set three fastest laps.

His first TT victory was the Junior TT. He won at a record speed of 65.02 miles per hour. This was over 35 minutes faster than the previous year's winner!

More TT Victories and Heroic Actions

The next year, 1926, he finished second in his first Senior TT. He had been delayed by over seven minutes with a spark plug issue. He bravely moved from 22nd place to finish second.

In 1927, he won the Lightweight TT, beating his Italian rivals by over eight minutes.

In 1929, he placed second in the Junior TT. Later that week, the Senior TT started in the rain. Several riders, including Wal, crashed on the first lap. Wal was not hurt. He quickly moved the fallen riders and their bikes off the road. This prevented more accidents. He then went to get help. The race organizers later thanked him for putting others first.

His fourth TT win came in the rainy 1930 Senior TT. Wal won on his Rudge motorcycle at a record speed of 74.24 miles per hour. He was the first rider to complete the mountain course in under 30 minutes. He was also the first to do two laps in under an hour and four laps in under two hours. This race was also the first TT race ever broadcast live by the BBC!

Success Beyond the TT Races

Wal was successful on both race tracks and roads. At Brooklands, he won both solo and sidecar 200-mile events.

In 1929, he won the 350cc class at Switzerland's Klausen Hill Climb. He set a record speed on his Motosacoche bike.

He also had many Grand Prix victories in Europe. He became European champion three times. He won the 350cc class twice (1928 and 1935) and the 500cc class once (1928).

Wal also set many motorcycle world records in 1930 in France. Earlier, in 1926, he broke the 200-mile world records for all classes up to 1000cc on his 350cc Rex Acme. On the same day, he set the classic hour record for solo 500cc machines at 91.20 mph, using a 350cc bike. This was a unique achievement!

In 1933, he won two 250cc Grand Prix races in Europe on Moto Guzzi bikes. That same year, he broke Norton's winning streak by winning the 350cc class of the Ulster Grand Prix.

In 1934, he raced Norton motorcycles. He won his fifth Grand Prix in Belgium. In 1937, he earned a special "gold star" for BSA. He lapped the Brooklands circuit at over 107 mph. Many people thought he had retired, but he proved them wrong!

Racing Cars: A New Challenge

In 1934, Wal started racing cars. He joined George Eyston's MG team. People quickly noticed his car racing skills at Brooklands. He also did well in the Isle of Man "Round the Houses" races.

He raced cars at Donington and in Northern Ireland. After MG stopped motor racing, he teamed up with Freddie Dixon. In 1935, he became Dixon's co-driver. They raced the Dixon Riley at Brooklands. They even won the Race Team Award in the 1935 500-mile race.

In 1936, Wal had a serious crash at Donington. The Riley car flipped over. He suffered bad injuries to his spine and ribs. As soon as he recovered, he was looking for another chance to race. But then, World War II began.

Flying and War Service

Wal's favorite hobby was flying planes. His flying teacher was Tommy Rose, who later became a famous pilot. Wal quickly became an important member of the Midland Aero Club. He owned several planes, including an SE 5A and a Puss Moth.

By the time World War II started, he had flown for over 700 hours. This was a lot for a private pilot back then. When the war began, he immediately volunteered to join the Air Transport Auxiliary (ATA). The ATA delivered planes to different places. Wal became the commanding officer at Hawarden, which was the largest ATA base.

Wal Handley's Final Flight

Wal Handley died on November 15, 1941. He was 39 years old. His Bell P39 Airacobra plane crashed after its engine caught fire. This happened shortly after he took off near Kirkbride in Cumberland.

The ATA Accident Committee could not figure out why the engine caught fire.

A friend and fellow racer, Geoff Davison, said Wal had many friends. He described Wal as a superb rider.

An eyewitness described the crash: "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."

Wal Handley was buried at Yardley Cemetery, Birmingham.

Remembering a Legend

Many people paid tribute to Wal Handley after his death. One writer said, "Walter was one of our greatest aces."

Wal was the first rider to be remembered in two places on the TT course. One place is "Handley's Cottage." This is a bend where he had his only high-speed crash during a TT race in 1932. The other place is a Memorial Seat in Douglas. The inscription on it reads:

In Memory of Walter L. Handley, Maker of Tourist Trophy Race History, Killed, Serving His Country, 15 November 1941 None Ever Passed This Way More Bravely

Isle of Man TT Race Career

Wal Handley competed in the Isle of Man TT races 13 times between 1922 and 1934. He won four races and achieved nine podium finishes (finishing in the top three).

TT Race Victories

TT Career Summary

Car Racing Highlights

Wal Handley also had a career in car racing. He drove for teams like MG and Riley.

In 1934, he joined the MG works team. He drove well in races, but sometimes had bad luck with mechanical issues. For example, in the 1934 BRDC International Trophy Race, his car's axle broke. He also crashed in another race when an axle bearing seized.

He raced MGs in the Isle of Man 'Mannin Beg' races in 1934 and 1935. In 1934, he led on the first lap but crashed. In 1935, he had to retire due to an axle failure.

In 1935, he co-drove with Freddie Dixon in a Riley car at Brooklands. They were competing for third place when a part of the engine broke.

In 1936, Wal had a serious crash at the British Empire Trophy race. He took over Freddie Dixon's Riley and suffered severe injuries to his spine and ribs.