Henry Segrave

SIR HENRY SEGRAVE d1930. British motor-racing speed record hero, famous for being the first man ever to exceed 200mph and the first Briton to win a Grand Prix in a British car in France (1923). He went on to set three official Land Speed Records along with the water speed record combined in 1930 ; 1926 Sunbeam (174 mph) / 1927 Sunbeam (203 mph) and finally in March 1929 (231 mph) in the notably beautiful "Golden Arrow" car, which was to never again turn a wheel. Henry Segrave was knighted in 1929 for his motorsport achievements. On Friday 13th June 1930, driving his famous speed-boat  Miss England 2 on Lake Windermere, he made an attempt on the World Water Speed Record ; on the return pass his boat hit wood debris and captised. Following this accident Henry Segrave only regained conciousness for a short time in the hospital and was told that he had indeed still broken the water-speed record ; sadly to die very soon after of his injuries. Fellow speed pioneer Kaye Don later went on to twice break the water speed record in the restored Miss England during the 1930s..