Morian Hansen Treated Shamefully

[Guest]

Morian Hansen was a pre-war Danish rider with a distinguished track reputation in Britain. He was a qualified pilot and in World War Two served in the RAF rising to Squadron Leader. He also won several medals during the war.

Yet post-war, Hansen was refused permission to resume his British track career in Britain under a rule implemeted by the Speedway Riders Association that kept non-British riders from riding for UK tracks. The only exceptions were from riders who came from countries in the British Empire.

For his part, Hansen rode in Denmark and other European countries for several seasons and also promoted in his home country.

The Wikipedia Link gives a brief analysis of Hansen's speedway career and also details his war time RAF record along with a list of his war time medal honours.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Morian_Hansen

 

[iris123]

From Mechanic to the Dirt Track

From an early age he is trained as mechanic and he is eventually employed by the Ford Motor Company. He earns the nickname Morian Hansen in this period; Morian is an old and depreciatory expression for a coloured person. As one story is told he was repairing a Ford T when carbon from the engine soiled his face. From this day on his colleagues called him “Morian.” Another story, told by him self in 1981, relates to the dirt of the dirt track.

In the 1920’s Morian Hansen is involved in motor racing – primarily motor bikes, but also racing cars. This eventually brings him abroad. In the 1930’s he moves to England with his family for a career as professional dirt track rider (later known as speedway).

Speed in the blood, he does not stick to the ground. In 1935 he receives training as pilot in the Hearts and Essex Flying Club at Broxbourne and he gets his certificate on 12 October 1935. Many of the British riders of the time take up flying in exactly this club.

https://www.danishww2pilots.dk/profiles.php?person=35

https://po-bandzie.com.pl/zuzel-zuzlowy-forrest-gump-bohater-dunczyk-morian-hansen/

Edited April 1 by iris123

[chunky]

3 hours ago, iris123 said:

From Mechanic to the Dirt Track

From an early age he is trained as mechanic and he is eventually employed by the Ford Motor Company. He earns the nickname Morian Hansen in this period; Morian is an old and depreciatory expression for a coloured person. As one story is told he was repairing a Ford T when carbon from the engine soiled his face. From this day on his colleagues called him “Morian.” Another story, told by him self in 1981, relates to the dirt of the dirt track.

In the 1920’s Morian Hansen is involved in motor racing – primarily motor bikes, but also racing cars. This eventually brings him abroad. In the 1930’s he moves to England with his family for a career as professional dirt track rider (later known as speedway).

Speed in the blood, he does not stick to the ground. In 1935 he receives training as pilot in the Hearts and Essex Flying Club at Broxbourne and he gets his certificate on 12 October 1935. Many of the British riders of the time take up flying in exactly this club.

https://www.danishww2pilots.dk/profiles.php?person=35

https://po-bandzie.com.pl/zuzel-zuzlowy-forrest-gump-bohater-dunczyk-morian-hansen/

When you think about it, Morian Hansen's story is perhaps the greatest of any speedway rider, but he has still largely been forgotten. If only we'd had the internet back then...

[iris123]

As the thread title states, he was treated shamefully. You would like to think it couldn't happen today, but we have recently seen with Afghan helpers, how appaling they were also treated. You would think though with Hansens medals and service in the RAF, which had a better reputation that the army really, he would have had a few important people in his corner, who could and should have slammed ther fist on a table or two and pulled some strings

[iris123]

Interesting to read the bit on early Danish racing, and what is one of the first purpose built motorcycle dirt track stadiums in Europe. The Glostrup stadium which opened on August 12th 1922.

Interesting in many ways, but the importance maybe of an appearance of the US dirt track rider Paul Anderson in 1925. As mentioned on the Frank Arthur thread, he was also racing around this time in Australia. And it was also around this time that the 'American skid' style of braodsiding around the corners was described. So maybe seen in Denmark ?

You could almost believe they had seen speedway/dirt track broadsiding from the cover of the opening meetings programme

http://speedwaylife.com/danish-tracks/glostrup/

https://www.ebay.com/itm/266200848818