David Looker
Encyclopedia
David Looker was a British
bobsledder who competed in the late 1930s. He won two gold medals in the four-man event at the FIBT World Championships
, earning them in 1937
and 1938
.
and Trinity College, Cambridge
, he went on to enjoy a playboy lifestyle during the 1930s. Typically, he spent much of the summer in the south of France and the winter months in Switzerland. A capable skier, he joined The Alpine Ski Club, but it was with the St. Moritz Tobogganing Club (SMTC) that he demonstrated true sporting prowess, as a winner on the Cresta Run
. After winning a sweepstake, he used the proceeds to purchase life-membership of the SMTC. However, his best performance was with the British Bobsleigh Association. He missed out on being part of the four-man bobsleigh team for the 1936 Winter Olympics in Garmisch-Partenkirchen, Germany because he had already planned a round-the-world cruise for that year. He soon made up for his absence, becoming a double gold medal winner over two consecutive years for the four-man event at the FIBT World Championships: at St Moritz, in 1937; and, at Garmisch-Partenkirchen, in 1938.
In August 1938, Looker was commissioned into Auxiliary Air Force, joining 615 Squadron; whose honourary commander was Winston Churchill. He was a veteran of the Battle of France
and was shot down flying over Belgium: he was forced to bale out of his aeroplane and was injured on landing. After a period of convalescence, he returned to active duties; just in time to take part in the Battle of Britain
. On 18 August 1940 his squadron's aerodrome at Kenley was one of several attacked by the Luftwaffe. His own machine was under repair at the time; so, he had to requisition an older aircraft - a Mark I Hawker Hurricane
- kept in reserve as a spare. Soon after engaging the enemy, however, his aeroplane was hit and badly damaged by cannon fire from a Messerschmidt 109, forcing him out of the battle. Unable to get back to base, he crash landed at Croydon Airport. After this, he did not return to active service; but was sent off to Canada, on training duties. During the latter part of the war, he returned home and was assigned to the Air Ministry; where, among other things, he worked on the preparations for the D-Day landings.
After the war, Looker got involved with a number of business ventures, including a project to develop a form of automatic transmission for the car industry. Despite coming up with a viable design, he and his partners where unable to convince any British car manufacturer of its potential; almost inevitably, it was the U.S. Auto Industry which made the breakthrough and went on to establish automatic transmission as a standard feature in car production. A lifelong passion for cars lead to employment with a number of leading motor distributors, and he eventually became Managing Director of H.A.Fox & Co. He married in 1953 and retired in 1980. After a short illness, he died on 13 January 1995.
Looker's name is listed on The Battle of Britain Memorial, Victoria Embankment, London. The Hawker Hurricane he flew was subsequently restored and is now on permanent display at The Science Museum, in South Kensington, London.
Great Britain
Great Britain or Britain is an island situated to the northwest of Continental Europe. It is the ninth largest island in the world, and the largest European island, as well as the largest of the British Isles...
bobsledder who competed in the late 1930s. He won two gold medals in the four-man event at the FIBT World Championships
FIBT World Championships
The FIBT World Championships, part of the Fédération Internationale de Bobsleigh et de Tobogganing , have taken place on an annual basis in non-Winter Olympic years since 1930. A two-man event was included in 1931 with a combined championship occurring in 1947...
, earning them in 1937
FIBT World Championships 1937
The FIBT World Championships 1937 took place in Cortina d'Ampezzo, Italy and in St. Moritz, Switzerland . St. Moritz hosted the four-man event previously in 1931 and 1935.-Two man bobsleigh:-Four man bobsleigh:...
and 1938
FIBT World Championships 1938
The FIBT World Championships 1938 took place in St. Moritz, Switzerland and Garmisch-Partenkirchen, Germany . St. Moritz hosted the two-man event for the first time after hosting the four-man event previously in 1931, 1935, and 1937 while Garmisch-Partenkirchen hosted the four-man event previously...
.
Biography
Looker was born in London on 26 February 1913. After his education at Eton CollegeEton College
Eton College, often referred to simply as Eton, is a British independent school for boys aged 13 to 18. It was founded in 1440 by King Henry VI as "The King's College of Our Lady of Eton besides Wyndsor"....
and Trinity College, Cambridge
Trinity College, Cambridge
Trinity College is a constituent college of the University of Cambridge. Trinity has more members than any other college in Cambridge or Oxford, with around 700 undergraduates, 430 graduates, and over 170 Fellows...
, he went on to enjoy a playboy lifestyle during the 1930s. Typically, he spent much of the summer in the south of France and the winter months in Switzerland. A capable skier, he joined The Alpine Ski Club, but it was with the St. Moritz Tobogganing Club (SMTC) that he demonstrated true sporting prowess, as a winner on the Cresta Run
Cresta Run
The Cresta Run is a natural ice 1,212.5 m long skeleton racing toboggan track in the Swiss winter sports town of St. Moritz, and one of the few runs dedicated primarily to skeleton. It was built in 1884 near the hamlet of Cresta in the municipality of Celerina/Schlarigna by Major Bulpett, eventual...
. After winning a sweepstake, he used the proceeds to purchase life-membership of the SMTC. However, his best performance was with the British Bobsleigh Association. He missed out on being part of the four-man bobsleigh team for the 1936 Winter Olympics in Garmisch-Partenkirchen, Germany because he had already planned a round-the-world cruise for that year. He soon made up for his absence, becoming a double gold medal winner over two consecutive years for the four-man event at the FIBT World Championships: at St Moritz, in 1937; and, at Garmisch-Partenkirchen, in 1938.
In August 1938, Looker was commissioned into Auxiliary Air Force, joining 615 Squadron; whose honourary commander was Winston Churchill. He was a veteran of the Battle of France
Battle of France
In the Second World War, the Battle of France was the German invasion of France and the Low Countries, beginning on 10 May 1940, which ended the Phoney War. The battle consisted of two main operations. In the first, Fall Gelb , German armoured units pushed through the Ardennes, to cut off and...
and was shot down flying over Belgium: he was forced to bale out of his aeroplane and was injured on landing. After a period of convalescence, he returned to active duties; just in time to take part in the Battle of Britain
Battle of Britain
The Battle of Britain is the name given to the World War II air campaign waged by the German Air Force against the United Kingdom during the summer and autumn of 1940...
. On 18 August 1940 his squadron's aerodrome at Kenley was one of several attacked by the Luftwaffe. His own machine was under repair at the time; so, he had to requisition an older aircraft - a Mark I Hawker Hurricane
Hawker Hurricane
The Hawker Hurricane is a British single-seat fighter aircraft that was designed and predominantly built by Hawker Aircraft Ltd for the Royal Air Force...
- kept in reserve as a spare. Soon after engaging the enemy, however, his aeroplane was hit and badly damaged by cannon fire from a Messerschmidt 109, forcing him out of the battle. Unable to get back to base, he crash landed at Croydon Airport. After this, he did not return to active service; but was sent off to Canada, on training duties. During the latter part of the war, he returned home and was assigned to the Air Ministry; where, among other things, he worked on the preparations for the D-Day landings.
After the war, Looker got involved with a number of business ventures, including a project to develop a form of automatic transmission for the car industry. Despite coming up with a viable design, he and his partners where unable to convince any British car manufacturer of its potential; almost inevitably, it was the U.S. Auto Industry which made the breakthrough and went on to establish automatic transmission as a standard feature in car production. A lifelong passion for cars lead to employment with a number of leading motor distributors, and he eventually became Managing Director of H.A.Fox & Co. He married in 1953 and retired in 1980. After a short illness, he died on 13 January 1995.
Looker's name is listed on The Battle of Britain Memorial, Victoria Embankment, London. The Hawker Hurricane he flew was subsequently restored and is now on permanent display at The Science Museum, in South Kensington, London.