Tom Campbell Black

TOM CAMPBELL BLACK d1936. English aviator who became world famous when he and CWA Scott won the London to Melbourne Centenary Air Race in 1934. They achieved the feat in an incredible 71 hours, winning a cash prize of 10,000 pounds and were awarded The Brittania Trophy by The Royal Aero-Club. In 1936 Campbell Black entered an air race from England to Johannesburg South Africa ; "The Schlesinger Race" (flown between the 29th September 1936 to 1st October 1936). The race offered a prize of £10,000 to the winner. He was one of the three favourites to win the race, all flying Percival E2H Mew Gulls. On the 19th September 1936 while preparing for the race, Tom Campbell Black was killed at the UK's Speke Airport Liverpool in a ground collision with another aircraft. A RAF bomber that had landed, ran into his Mew Gull as he taxiied-out for take off (he was reputed to have been looking down at his map at the time). The propeller of the large biplane tore through the side of Campbell Black's cockpit, striking and mortally wounding him in the chest and shoulder. He died on the way to hospital aged just 36. He left a widow (the English actress Florence Desmond) whom he had married in 1935.