Background

 

Sunbeam became a household name throughout much of the world as a result of the company’s many motor racing successes, both at home and abroad. Motor racing is a dangerous sport and all too often accidents occur, sometimes resulting in serious injury or even loss of life.

 

Until 1924 many racing cars were two seaters, with one seat for the driver and the other for the mechanic. Over the years many mechanics were badly injured or even lost there lives in horrific accidents. The story that follows has a tragic ending, but it was not in vain, it would change motor racing rules forever and reduce the number of injuries and loss of life.

 

Beginnings

George and Ann Barrett. Courtesy of Tom Barrett.

 

 

George Barrett was born in Ashdon, near Saffron Walden in Essex. He moved to the midlands to find a job in one of the many factories in the area and started work for Tangye of Birmingham, who made pumps.

 

George married Ann Walton from West Bromwich on 26th October, 1872 and they moved to Wolverhampton when George got a job at Joseph Evans & Sons, who made pumps at Culwell Works, Heath Town. They lived at number 3 Woden Road, which was close to the works.

 

The couple soon moved to Lea Cottage, Prestwood Road, and later to 207 Prestwood Road. They had 9 children: Albert, Alfred, Elizabeth, Emily, Jessica, Lillian, Mary, Tom and William.

 

 

Tom Barrett

 

Tom Barrett was born on 21st November, 1891 at Prestwood Road. He attended Holy Trinity day School and Sunday School at Heath Town, and also Holy Trinity Church, where he was confirmed, and became a member of the church choir. He was remembered at the church as having a quiet dignity and also being full of fun.
The Barrett boys. Left to right: Albert, Tom, William, Alfred. Courtesy of Tom Barrett.


Tom Barrett. Courtesy of Jan Jeavons.

He served his apprenticeship at Culwell Works along with his eldest brother William, and afterwards worked for Guy Motors, where he worked on the Dragonfly and Wasp aero engines. They were produced as part of the company’s war work during the First World War, and as Tom was involved in vital war work, he wasn’t called-up into the forces.

 

At the end of hostilities in 1918, Guy’s involvement with aero engines ended, when any outstanding wartime orders were cancelled. The only other Wolverhampton company that continued to produce aero engines after the war was Sunbeam. Tom managed to get a job there to work on aero engines.

 

At this time orders for new aircraft engines were few and far between and so the company decided to concentrate on airship engines, as this form of transport appeared to have a good future.
In 1919 two Maori engines were fitted to the British R.33 airship, and another two to the R.34. The R.34 even paid a visit to Wolverhampton and flew over the Sunbeam factory.

Sunbeam also supplied Cossack engines for the R.36 and R.37 airships. The last airship to be fitted with Sunbeam engines was the tragic R.38. It was sold to the U.S. Navy and crashed over the Humber estuary, on 23rd August 1921, killing a large number of the crew. The R.34 also tragically crashed earlier in the same year, in bad weather, luckily without loss of life.

Airships were seen to be dangerous and it is believed that due to the crashes Tom wanted to work on something different, not related to airships. As a result he moved into the Experimental Department where his expertise with engines would be most welcome. He was now a mechanic, working on the company’s successful racing cars.


Tom at work.

Sunbeam employees. Front row: Alec Broome, ? Jack Ridley, ? Frank Bills (lying down), ? Tom Barrett. Courtesy of Jan Jeavons.		 Tom married Lillian Ivy Worthington-Roberts on 27th June, 1915. She came from Cannock Road, Wolverhampton, and they moved to 39 Burleigh Road, not too far from the Sunbeam works.

He continued to be an active church goer and became a member of St. John’s Church choir.
Not a lot is known about Tom’s time in the Experimental Department until the tragic circumstances that would soon lead to his untimely death. On September 3rd, 1924 Dario Resta and mechanic Bill Perkins competed for the company in the International Class ‘E’ Records meeting at Brooklands, in a 6 cylinder Sunbeam Grand Prix car. Things went badly wrong during the race when a tyre came off the wheel rim and Resta lost control of the car. Unfortunately Resta was instantly killed and Perkins badly injured.

The 1924 Spanish Grand Prix
Kenelm Lee Guinness and Tom Barrett before the start of the 1924 Spanish Grand Prix. Courtesy of Jan Jeavons.
Sunbeam’s next major event was the 1924 Spanish Grand Prix at Lasarte, San Sebastian on September 27th. Two of the company’s drivers, Henry Segrave and Kenelm Lee Guinness took part in the race along with their mechanics.

 Perkins should have joined the team as Guinness’s mechanic, but he was still in hospital recovering from the injuries that he received in the Brooklands crash, three weeks earlier. A replacement mechanic was required and Tom agreed to go in Perkin’s place.
Tom’s wife Lillian often told how he went to Spain as Segrave’s mechanic, the other mechanic being Marocchi from Italy.

The senior of the two drivers was Guinness, and as Marocchi’s English was not good, and Guinness couldn’t speak Italian, he preferred Barrett.

Segrave agreed to Guinness’s request as he could speak a little Italian, and took Marocchi instead.


Another view of Tom before the race. Courtesy of Jan Jeavons.

In a letter written to his mother and brother on the day before the race (Friday 26th September), Tom said that he was working long hours on the car. It had taken 5 days to get the car and spares to the course, and during that time he had to stay with the car and keep an eye on it at all times. He also mentioned that he was looking forward to returning home.

 

Segrave mentioned in an article in the “Autocar” magazine that there had been a great deal of rain before the race. There were lots of curves to negotiate, and the slippery road surface made the course very dangerous indeed. It was decided that sand had to be scattered onto the road to improve matters. Unfortunately there was no sand locally and so clay was taken from the surrounding fields and used instead. This converted the race into a very good imitation of a trial for non-skid devices, and led to Tom's disastrous accident.

 

On the day of the race all went well until the 11th lap. The road surface was still slippery and Guinness's speeding car hit a rut in the road, causing him to loose control. The two litre Sunbeam car left the road, turned completely round, went up the opposite bank, rolled over, then crossed the road again before coming to rest. Both driver and mechanic were thrown clear into a steep railway cutting. Unfortunately Tom landed badly and was instantly killed. Guinness hit some telegraph wires, which broke his fall. He suffered serious head and limb injuries and never raced again.
The damaged car after the race.
Courtesy of Jan Jeavons.
Another view of the damaged car after the crash. Louis Coatalen is standing behind the car (in the raincoat) and to the right is a countess. The look on their faces records the horror of what has just happened. Courtesy of Jan Jeavons.
Segrave crossing the line at the end of the 1924 Spanish Grand Prix. He finished in first place.

From the Autocar Magazine, 10th October, 1924.
Segrave, his mechanic and Count Florio after the 1924 Spanish Grand Prix. Count Florio was the donor of the cup. From the Autocar Magazine, 10th October, 1924.

The sad look on Segrave's face is presumably because he had just heard of the outcome of the tragic accident that had happened to his colleagues.
After the Race


Courtesy of Jan Jeavons.


Tom's grave at Heath Town. Courtesy of Jan Jeavons.

Tom’s funeral took place on October 16th at his familiar Heath Town Church and he was buried in the graveyard behind the church.

 

Many of Tom's ex-colleagues from both Sunbeam and Joseph Evans came along to pay their last respects.

 

 

Due to the accident, the rules regarding mechanics riding in cars were changed, and they would no longer ride in the car with the driver.

 

Due to this, Tom’s untimely death must have saved many lives and greatly reduced the number of injuries sustained in the sport.

 

After the accident Lillian Barrett was given a job at Sunbeam, in the office. She later worked as an auxiliary nurse at the Royal Hospital.


Another view of the grave. Courtesy of Tom Barrett.

The grave as it is today.
We would like to thank Jan Jeavons, Tom’s granddaughter, and Tom Barrett, Tom’s nephew for their help in producing this section.
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