GregT

Thanks for the quick reply. Can confirm that Clem looks nothing like Wally. That slim possibility is now eliminated.

Is there any possibility of your posting this pic ? I've had a go at finding it but unless you know what page to look at the free looks get used up quickly. Just for elimination purposes I'd love to see Clem Thomas. We know Wally lied about his age when enlisting. It may not have been the first time.Thanks.

Extract from Wally's wartime diary 28/6 /1940 Picked up four new Austin 2 1/2 ton ambulances from ordnance depot. Stopped at Staines and had a quick look in the Lagonda factory. Not a big place but they can certainly make a real car. At the depot met up with Alex Jackson ( a lieutenant but became Major) Manager at wembley speedway. He knew I was in England as he had seen Kilminster. We had a real meeting and catchup chinwag. As far as we know Alex Jackson had never been to NZ therefore they must have met in England prewar. Again the Wembley connection.

Yes, he did a bit of everything - as a lot of kiwis did at that time. Mile and half mile grass tracks, early versions of scrambles and US style hillclimbs. Once speedway became established and he effectively turned professional, riding at anything else became rare. He told of outings on grass at the end of the speedway seasons - and the good money available at times from that. His last competition outing was at 72 when he "borrowed" my brother's 250 Guzzi and rode it in a clssic support race at the NZ roadrace GP meeting. He wasn't last either.

Found the list quoted above. Nothing stands out as an alias. Surprising how many of them I've met. NZ is indeed a small place.

It's certainly a mystery. Working for Wally Kilmister might have been interpreted as riding with him at Wembley I suppose. It does look as though he'd worked at Wally K's shop before the visit in 1940. The Chevrolet Golden helmet was one of the central issues which led to the strike. As holder he received 5 pounds a week but was required to defend it whenever required. This in addition to his 5 pounds per week as an A grade rider and 5 pounds a win in A grade. When the locals were asked to ride for one pound a night in the test team - and it was known the Brits were on 5 pounds a night there was the inevitable rebellion. Can you provide a link to that article please. In case a possible alias stands out.

The Wally Kilmister connection might have some bearing on where/when/if he rode. Could Wally K have for example arranged a ride as a reserve ? Certainly when dad was in London in 1940 prior to shipping out for Crete he spent time with Wally K. To the extent of doing a couple of days work in Wally K's shop. Probably because they'd been out on the town. There are diary entries confirming that Wally K couldn't stand the pace and had to be poured into his bed at least two nights running. The night life during those years seems to have been frenetic to say the least.

Full name was Walton George Thomas. Never heard of any nicknames either sorry. And no known history or anecdotal evidence of riding in France either.

Thanks for that quick response guys. Wally was W G Thomas, born 1902 Christchurch NZ. I suspect '34 is too early as he rode at the first speedway meeting in ChCh in 1929 then when Monica Park opened he was a regular for several seasons. One of the things he's remembered for here is leading the strike by the Kiwi team picked for the first test against the visiting UK team. Lets just say there was a massive pay discrepancy between the two teams. The NZ promoters flew a team in from Wellington which featured Charlie Blacklock. If it helps, Wally Kilminster was a close friend.

My brother and i are trying to fill in a missing piece of our dad's history. We were well aware of his speedway history here in NZ. Prewar an A grader at Monica Park in Christchurch and postwar helping to get Aranui started. But what we didn't know was that he'd gone to the Uk prewar and had apparently ridden for Wembley. We think the years in question would be 1935 - 37. Any information would be welcomed, dates and the level ridden at particularly. Thanks in advance Greg Thomas