DONALD CAMPBELL CBE

 

 

 

 

Donald Campbell's K7 jet powered water speed record Bluebird three point hydroplane

 

 

 

 

 

Victor Von Woolfe was friends with Paul Foulkes-Halbard (PFH), a collector of historic vehicles, the then owner of Filching Manor Motor Museum, located a couple of miles from Polegate in East Sussex, England. PFH was an expert on all things Campbell. He'd recently acquired the rotting wreckage of Sir Malcolm Campbell's K3 water speed record hydroplane from Thorpe Park. Which he set about restoring, but could not get a substitute Rolls Royce Meteor based tank engine to start. Victor had visited the National Motor Museum at Beaulieu, many times, admiring their superb collection of land speed record cars. But no boats of course.

 

Victor met with Ken Norris, the designer of Donald Campbell's CN7 and K7 land and water record car and boat. The proposal for Victor's all wheel drive electric Bluebird codenamed BE1, was approved of, since the K7 was very similar structurally to the K7 and Goldenrod, by the Summers brothers. Ken was impressed that Victor was skillful enough to personally construct the proposed vehicle using a steel spaceframe, with aluminium bodywork.

 

This included appreciation of the built in energy cartridge refuelling system, billed in publicity leaflets as being a significant performance advantage if using nickel-cadmium batteries, where at the time, lithium batteries did not exist. And even so, there would still be a range or performance gain. Whether lithium or hydrogen fuel cell, the technology being future proofed by virtue of near instant energy cartridge exchanges. Meaning that to upgrade, or swap from one storage chemistry to another, could be accomplished at the flick of a switch.

 

Donald Campbell was the recipient of the Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE) from Queen Elizabeth, but in 1967 we had no Empire, just a Commonwealth. Hence, Donald became part of the establishment, that denies English citizens a right to an effective remedy. Now falling to King Charles to correct.

 

This situation is sinful, mentally torturing his subjects, and must be remedied. Since King Charles is not only the head of the at present dysfunctional government in debt to the tune of £2.4 trillion pounds, but also head of the Church of England. A religion invented by the British butcher, Henry VIII, to enable him to bed multiple wives. Where the Catholic faith would not allow such multiple sexual liaisons in purity.

 

Indeed, as the Prince of Wales, the divorce from Diana, Princess of Wales, is worth a second look, constitutionally. It is high time Britons considered a Written Constitution to replace the at present Constitutional Monarchy, so shot to bits as to Human Rights abuses. Instead of the present system of Gongs, that upset the independence of the Courts.

 

Donald Campbell had three wives. Tonia Berne, Dorothy McKegg and Daphne Harvey.

 

Daphne Harvey was married to Donald Malcolm Campbell in 1945, giving birth to Georgina (Gina born on 19 September 1946) Campbell before divorcing in 1951.

In 1952 he married Dorothy McKegg (1928–2008). At 19 Dorothy McKegg auditioned in front of Laurence Olivier and Vivien Leigh for a place at the Old Vic Theatre School. She was one of two New Zealanders who were successful. But when the start of her trip was delayed a year while new student premises were being built, she went to the Ministry of Internal Affairs and said that she was one of six children and desperately wanted to go overseas and study.

She sang for the conductor of the newly formed National Orchestra and was awarded a scholarship to the Royal College of Music in Britain. "All went well in England until I met Donald Campbell, gave up the scholarship and learned a little bit about life." They were married for six years.

McKegg revealed that Campbell wanted an open marriage. He was unfaithful, always chasing women. "It was either leave or lose my sanity." So she divorced and returned to New Zealand.

Some months later she was walking to work at Broadcasting House in Wellington when she saw a Truth billboard proclaiming: "How Speed King Finds NZ Wife Erring." Even now, she is still "appalled" by it. There is a happy ending to the story. Dorothy married Hans Wenk and had three children.

Then in 1958 he married Tonia Bern (1928–2021) in December 1958, which lasted until his death in 1967. Campbell was intensely superstitious, hating the colour green, the number thirteen and believing nothing good ever happened on a Friday. He also had some interest in the paranormal, which he nurtured as a member of the Ghost Club.

His marital exploits more or less reflect the Seven Year Itch. Save for his infidelities in between. For sure his flitting between relationships had an effect on his daughter,
Gina. Who subsequently entered the water speed and offshore power-boating arena herself.

 

 

 

 

 

Much as PFH and many others had been caught up in the Campbell racing cars, Victor had named one of his steeds in recognition of Donald and Sir Malcolm Campbell's achievements. It was rather unfortunate that Don Wales, the son of Dorothy Campbell, daughter of Sir Malcom, did not have the same surname as his ancestors, meaning considerably more branding and public relations effort would be required on Victor's part. But despite this branding drawback, and the lack of racing experience of the visitor to Bexhill, Victor offered Don Wales that chance to drive his 'Bluebird-Electric LSR vehicle.' This was a verbal offer.

 

Don fancied himself as a Malcolm Campbell look-alike, and indeed, there is a family resemblance. He tried to distance himself from Donald Campbell to begin with, because of his uncle's tragic death on Coniston Water in 1967, and crash in the CN7 at the Bonneville Salt Flats. These events generating the so-called 'Campbell Curse,' the media sometimes published. Where, such articles could put potential sponsors off, from becoming involved in any project where a relative of a Campbell was included, as being bad luck.

 

Then, Don Wales locked Victor out of his own project, with (it is alleged) the cooperation of Lord John Gould of Worth Farm, Uckfield, who had provided a shed in which Victor's BE2 was stored temporarily, pending display in London, at Sir Terence Conran's Bluebird Store.

 

It took a hearing in the London Patent Court, where return of Victor's vehicle was Ordered. It seemed that Mr Wales believed that Victor would simply walk away from being cheated. But, £62,000 pounds in 1998 was quite a bit of money to have invested in a project, then have what amounted to a guest driver, steal the concept. Don Wales even denied the project was conceived by Victor Woolfe. Doing his utmost to conceal the facts from potential sponsors and the Press.

 

That was until Victor published a Deed of Covenant relating to further trademark issues. A copy of the Deed was made available to potential backers mentioned in several newspapers. They had no idea they'd been duped, until they saw the paperwork for themselves. Much as you are reading this here, probably thinking it cannot be true. But it is. Or, we'd be liable in libel. All the documents are verifiable. If you'd like additional clarification, or would like to add your own experience of dealing with Don Wales, Donald Campbell or Gina Campbell, we'd like to hear from you. Please write to the Injustice Alliance Trust. Care of, Herstmonceux Museum, BN27 1RF, United Kingdom. All information received will be treated in strict confidence, unless advised otherwise.

 

 

 

 

Court Order 10th December 1998, for return of Glassfibre bodywork, chassis and wheels, and not to infringe the right of the Plaintiff in the Registered Design for Bluebird-Electric. Note, that by this time the vehicle had been displayed at the Bluebird Store in London, and at Pendine Sands for Bluebird Holiday Homes. Generating some £155,000 pounds income. Whereas, the money claim attaching was around £62,000 pounds. The Plaintiff subsequently offered to take half the claim @ £31,000. But Don Wales refused to countenance any payment. Preferring to transfer the assets of the Bluebird Electric Limited, to another company, to take them out of reach of the Claimant. It is alleged that such a move may constitute Fraud, under the Theft Act 1968, when viewed against the applicable Company law.

 

There is no statute of limitations in cases of fraud. However, Sussex police refused to look into the allegation of fraud. Instead, they raided the Plaintiff's offices, on the complaint of Don Wales, that such documents were not genuine. On discovery that the documents were genuine. They did not prosecute Don Wales for wasting police time. This is just one element of a claim against Sussex police, alleging institutional discrimination and victimization. Where Sussex police is alleged to have conspired with Wealden District Council's officers, to avoid investigating multiple allegations of Planning Fraud. Don Wales is known to have at least one friend serving as a District Councillor. It is also alleged, the Wealden illegally passed documents they had on file, to Don Wales. These documents have been redacted to protect the identity of the Plaintiff. Don Wales, Neil Carr-Jones and/or Lord Gould, elected to deliver the Bluebird-Electric 2, to Herstmonceux. Indeed, it was delivered back on the day of the hearing. Presumably, in an attempt to head off more costs.

 

 

 

Then came the raising and restoration of Donald Campbell's Bluebird K7, by Bill Smith. This project took fifteen years of labour and attendant specialist rebuild of the wreckage, in which Donald lost his life. But, Ruskin Museum refused to honour the terms of an agreement with Mr Smith. It appears, expecting him to do all that work for no reward. At time of writing (25 January 2023) the case continues.

 

 

REFERENCE

 

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  DONALD CAMPBELL CBE WAS THE SON OF THE ORIGINAL SPEED ACE, SIR MALCOM, WHO FIRST COINED THE NAME 'BLUEBIRD' FOLLOWING IN THE FOOTSTEPS OF HIS FATHER WITH THE CN7 AND K7 CARS AND BOATS

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