Robert Leslie Graham DFC RAFVR – 166 Squadron – 1944.
Bomber pilot with 166 Squadron at Kirmington - 13 Base.
Outstanding professional racing motorcyclist in the pre war and post war eras
This item is somewhat off topic as it relates to 166 Squadron at Kirmington. However 166 Squadron was a 13 Base unit and it was an enjoyable item to write so I have included it anyway
Les was born in Wallasey on the 12, September 1911, the second of a family of 3 sons and a daughter. The Graham family owned a dairy and grocery shop in Rice Lane Wallasey. Along with his elder brother Versey he soon to developed an interest in motor cycles and acquired his first machine, a Zenith Vee Twin, when he was 14. He finished school and joined his elder brother Versey in his bicycle and motorcycle repair business which, by 1934, was a thriving little concern. It was there in 1935 Les met a local girl, Edna Hine, whom he later married.
Pre War Racing Career.
In 1928 Les bought a 350 Dot-Jap and raced it at the Stanley Speedway, Liverpool. Good experience for an embryo rider but little financial reward.
Road racing had much more appeal and he and Versey became regular competitors at the Park Hall, Oswestry circuit from 1929. Here Les gained further experience of close racing on this short and narrow course and, in his first race in 1929 took a creditable 2nd place. The Dot-Jap was replaced by a 500 cc Rudge.
Les also raced locally in sand track events and sprints at Wallasey and in grass track meetings in the north west. He soon became renowned as a determined competitor, very fast, hard to beat but with a friendly and cheerful personality.
In 1933 he was loaned a 350 Velocette to enable him to compete in 350 class races and raced with increasing success on grass and tarmac for the next 3 years.
In 1936 he purchased a near new 250 cc overhead cam OK-Supreme cheaply. It had dropped a valve. He rebuilt it, and entered the 1936 Ulster Grand Prix. After completing a lap of the Cladys circuit, the big end seized. Les continued racing the Rudge for the rest of the year.
1937 was a big year for Les. He married Edna.
His racing career took off in a big way when he rode a works entered 350 cc OK-Supreme at Cadwell Park winning on his first appearance at the circuit. He also rode at Donnington Park for the first time that year being unsuccessful on his first visit May but winning at his second attempt in August.
At the 37 Ulster Grand Prix Les rode in the 250 class on an OK-Supreme tuned by Bill Stuart of Blackpool. He took a good 4th place in the rain.
This was not unnoticed by John Humphries of OK- Supreme who asked Les to join the company as a works rider and development assistant. Les readily agreed and the Grahams moved from Nantwich to the Birmingham area.
In 1938 he competed successfully in a number of grass track meetings with the OK-Supreme team.
That year he raced for the OK team in the Isle of Man TT for the first time. Same as Joe Moss. Les rode in the Lightweight class and Joe in the Junior. Les finished 12th.
A rather disappointing year ended with a broken collar bone at Rushmere Hill in July.
In 1939 Les competed for OK Supreme on the grass track and road race circuit with considerable success but the company did not enter a works team at the Isle of Man TT that year.
Les however was able to compete riding a Rudge engined Chris Tattersal Special (CTS), and was running 4th on the second last lap, when the gearbox broke.
Jock West was watching the race and was clearly taken by what he saw and already knew about Les and signed him up to ride a Velocette in 1940 but the war intervened.
The RAF.
Les Graham receives his Wings
The day war broke out Les was in Hungary of all places on an "Army Sales Promotion". He made his way back to England, with some difficulty I suspect, and carried on working for OK Supreme.
He subsequently joined the RAF in late 1941/early 42 volunteering for aircrew. He was accepted for pilot and spent 9 months training with the British Commonwealth Training Plan in Canada.
He returned to the UK in 1943 and was posted to No 18 OTU at Finningley and, with his crew, to 1667 HCU at Sandtoft in early 1944.
Les and his crew flew their first operation on the night of the 6/7th June 1944 to the railway marshalling yards at Acheres, France in support of the D Day landings.
As was the case at that time operations followed in thick and fast.
An incident of note occurred on the night of the 12/13th July on an operation to Revigny. Les was orbiting a holding point with the other crews awaiting instructions from the Master Bomber to commence the attack. An incoming night fighter collided with a Lancaster flying directly beneath Les's aircraft. In the resultant explosion Les, who was not strapped in, was thrown out of his seat. His leg caught the throttles - two became fully open and two fully closed. The aircraft turned upside down and went into a steep dive. With some difficulty Les was able to bring the aircraft back under control but not before the ground was "uncomfortably approximate".
In his book, Massacre over the Marne, Oliver Clutton-Brock speculates that the exploding Lancaster was PA999, F/S F W Bull and crew of 103 Squadron.
On a subsequent raid the starboard main wheel tyre of his aircraft was hit by flak. On return Les made a skilful and successful emergency landing.
He was promoted Flight Lieutenant on the 1st August 1944 and completed his tour with a raid on Stettin at the end of the month.
Les was awarded the DFC which was gazetted in December 1944.
Late in 1944 he was posted to 232 Squadron Transport Command flying Short Stirlings and Avro Yorks to India. He was transferred to 511 Squadron Transport Command on similar duties and demobbed in July 1946.
Post War Racing Career.
After the war Les resumed his pre war racing career. He was now a family man with 2 young sons, Stuart and Christopher.
He was approached by Jock West, who was now at AJS, and offered Les a job as a works rider. Les accepted. They were a company with some potential and a new 500 cc racing twin under development.
The FIM announced a ban on superchargers in late 1946 which complicated design and development but by 1947 a brand new AJS racing motor cycle, nicknamed the Porcupine, was ready for the Isle of Man TT in May.
In the Senior Les fell at Glen Helen but recovered to 6th. On the last lap his chain broke and he pushed home for weary 9th place.
1948. A disappointing year for AJS beset with mechanical problems. Les' best finish was a 3rd in the Ulster Grand Prix.
Les racing an AJS
The Motorcycle World Championships were first held in 1949 and Les was the first winner of the prestigious 500 cc class. The Championship began with Les leading by 90 seconds in the 1st round, at the Isle of Man TT. With only a few miles to go, the magneto drive sheared and he pushed home to finish 9th. He won round 2 at Bremgarten in Switzerland and set fastest lap. Round 3 was the Dutch TT where he finished 2nd to Nello Pagani. He failed to finish in round 4 at Spa in Belgium. Round 5 was the Ulster Grand Prix in which he was victorious and collected the fastest lap. The final round was held at Monza in Italy where local hero Nello Pagani on a Gilera won. A rider's best three finishes counted. Les had 2 wins and a second, Pagani had 2 wins and a 3rd. Les took the title.
In the 1950 MWC, Les finished 3rd behind Italian Umberto Masetti (Gilera) and new star Geoff Duke (Norton).
In 1951, Count Domenico Agusta approached Les to ride for MV Agusta. Frustrated by a lack of development with the AJS, he joined the Italian team to ride and develop their 500 cc four-cylinder machines. In 12 hard months he transformed MV's unreliable racer into a balanced machine. His best finish that year was a first in the Swiss Grand Prix on a 350 cc Velocette.
In 1952 MV offered Les a long term contract and the Graham's moved Italy living in a villa at Viggiu near the beautiful Lake Lugano.
It was in 1952 that he was heavily involved in negotiations with Bell helicopters which enabled MV Augusta to re-enter the aviation business and grow to become the major helicopter manufacturer that they are today.
In the 1952 MWC season Les finished 2nd to Masetti in the 500 cc Championship. In the 250 cc class, he finished 3rd using Velocette and Benelli machines and claimed 4th in the 125 cc class for MV Agusta. The highlights were a first ever 500 cc win for MV plus the fastest lap in front of an enthusiastic Italian crowd at Monza. This was followed by a second win in Spain.
Les with his wife Edna after his famous victory in the Italian GP at Monza
For 1953, Graham was the pre-season favourite and tipped to win the championship again.
He finally won an Isle of Man TT, winning the Lightweight 125 cc class for MV.
In the Senior TT the next day Les crashed at high speed as he took the rise after the bottom of Bray Hill. He was killed instantly.
Item compiled by David Fell from a number of sources. It is so long ago I cannot recall
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