Worked as a civil servant and as an insurance agent for a while in Gloucestershire. His actual date of birth will never be truly known as 'I was born overnight in a house where there were no clocks', he later admitted. The date of birth on his birth certificate is the family's best guess! His father, a policeman, was killed in a Sinn Fein ambush and so the family moved to England. Raced and won pre-war, then served in the Royal Artillery in World War 2, eventually rising to the rank of Major. Did well post-war but retired straight after a big crash in 1951, largely at his wife's behest. His main profession though was that as the owner of his garage near Cheltenham Railway Station. His links to Esso through the garage helped him have the chance to race. The garage building is still there but is now a tyre fitters. His son, Desmond, became the Surveyor of the Queen's Pictures (the person responsible for the care and maintenance of the royal collection of pictures, a role that has been around since 1625) in 2005.

Biography last updated 16 Nov 2020