An Historic Morgan

Sir,
The current TV programme “Wings” reminded me that the enclosed photograph was among family records. It is of my late father Frank S. Whitworth, the then Manager of Colmore Depot, outside their premises, handing over a Morgan three-wheeler to Captain Ball, VC, the famous World War fighter “Ace”. It was taken in 1917/18, shortly before Captain Ball’s death in action.

Morgans and Colmore Depot of course are still very much in operation. My father was a highly successful speed hill-climb expert before World War 1 on Douglas motorcycles (we still have many medals to prove it), a founder member of SUNBAC, to whom he donated the original Colmore Cup (still competed for), and built a substantial motor business under his own name between the wars, as well as being a popular Midland motor journalist for a time.

An enlargement of this photo hung in our family home during our youth, and undoubtedly was the spur which caused my brother and I to become World War Two RAF pilots.

John L. Whitworth, DFC, Sutton Coldfield.