The John Chaplin Photographic Collection

John Chaplin is a much respected speedway historian, author and collector.  He has decided to share some of his Photograph collection with us on this page.  Thank you very much John

High Beech  Female Riders    Sprouts Elder  Wal Phillips  Tiger Stevenson  USA Pre War  Lionel Van Praag  Tarmac Starting Area  Bluey Wilkinson  Oliver Hart  The White Ghost  Vic Huxley  Goffe & Lloyd   Harley Davidson Peashooters

High Beech  1928

High Beech pits.  Photographed from the hotel This picture shows High Beech on the first day, February 19th 1928

High Beech 1928 This picture shows High Beech on the first day, February 19th 1928

High Beech 1928

High Beech 1928 This picture shows Billy Galloway taking a tumble, again on the first day

High Beech 1928 The fifth picture shows turn four at High Beech but I have no idea who the rider is

Promoters

Johnnie Hoskins (left) and Jack Hill-Bailey at High Beech in 1929

Female Riders

Fay Taylour (left) and Eva Asquwith at Wembley in 1929 both mounted on Douglas DT machines

Harley Davidson "Peashooters"

Roger Frogley on his Harley Davidson Peashooter

1928 Golden Helmet Winner Frank Arthur aboard a Harley Peashooter

Jack Bishop at White City aboard what appears to be a Harley Davidson Peashooter

Sprouts Elder

USA's Sprouts Elder is shown in action at Crystal Palace The bike looks like a Douglas DT with a disabled brake drum on the front

Vic Huxley Billy Lamont & Cecil Brown

Vic Huxley, Billy Lamont and Cecil Brown

The bike of the late twenties early thirties era The Douglas DT

Wal Phillips

A great photo of Wal Phillips riding a mighty JAP

Phil Bishop & Roger Frogley

Phil Bishop and Roger Frogley are in action at Lea Bridge

Ray Tauser

Tiger Stevenson

Tiger Stevenson. moulded to his bike

Dick Case

1938 Australian Test Team

Australia Test Team 1938 at Wembley The 1938 Australian Test team at Wembley is: Lionel Van Praag in front, from left, Bill Rogers, Eric Collins, Clem Mitchell, Bluey Wilkinson, Ron Johnson, Max Grosskreutz, Charlie Spinks

Australian Frank Arthur

USA's Pre-War Best

1937 World Final Wilbur Lamoreaux Jack and Cordy Milne

The Milnes are in action at New Cross. Cordy and Jack

Jack and Cordy

Syd Edmunds In Action At High Beech

Vic Huxley & Frank Arthur

Vic Huxley and Frank Arthur shake hands before the Overseas Final of the Star Championship 1929

Billy Lamont & Vic Huxley

Billy Lamont and Vic Huxley are in action at Wimbledon

Jack Parker & Frank Arthur

Jack Parker and Frank Arthur before the start of the fifth and final Test at Wembley in 1932

Charlie Spinks, Arthur Atkinson &  Lionel Van Praag

Charlie Spinks, Arthur Atkinson and Lionel Van Praag are in action at the first Test of 1938 at Belle Vue

1936 Test Action England v Australia

1937 Overseas Team The Bike Is A JAP

Australia's Lionel Van Praag

Lionel aboard a 1930's JAP

Lionel in action in the two images shown above

Jack Parker & Bill Kitchen

1947 Test England v Australia

England Australia Test 1947 Aub Lawson, Vic Duggan and Jack Parker

1947 Jack Parker British Champion

Alec Statham, Jack Young Belle Vue Test Match

Vic Duggan & Bill Longley At Harringay

1948 Vic Duggan With HRH Prince Phillip

Jack Young & An Out Of Shape Norman Parker

Wembley v Wimbledon

Jack Parker & Tommy Price

England v Australia Alan Hunt & Ken Le Breton

Vic Huxley & Jack Parker

Malcolm Craven

Tommy Price At Norwich

Geoff Pymar & Vic Duggan

Vic Duggan & Bill Kitchen

Tarmac Starting Area

Jack Parker & Vic Duggan

Bluey Wilkinson

Three excellent shots of Bluey Wilkinson. The most striking thing in the above images is how big the wheels were then.  I understand that the change to smaller diameter wheels came in in the late 1950s

Unknown Riders?

Tom Farndon, Bluey Wilkinson.  Can you name the others? John

Bob Bath says: Hi John next to Bluey I reckon is Van Praag then ? then Dick Case then ?-best I can do but the guy between Van Praag and Case sure looks familiar-bet Reg Fearman would know!!!! Cheers.Bob

John says: Thanks Bob, I will email Reg in due course.

Gavin Davis says: Tiger Stevenson and Tommy Croombs.

Norman Parker, Lionel Van Praag & Jack Parker

Billy Lamont, Frank Arthur & Vic Huxley

Max Johnno & Alec Wilks

1945 Pile Up At Bradford Odsal

One of these riders is Wal Morton!

Vic Duggan Harringay

Vic Duggan Harringay. I don't know who the lady was but why was she wearing a dead fox on her shoulder!

Jack Young West Ham & Split Waterman Harringay

King Of The Leg-Trailers Oliver Hart

Great Photo showing contrasting styles.  Oliver Hart the leg trailer and Bill Kitchen foot forward

Benny King, Malcolm Craven & Tommy Price

George Newton New Cross

I am not old enough to have seen George ride but every photo I have seen of him is spectacular as is the one shown above

Aub Lawson

Tommy Price & Alan Hunt England

Pre-War England Test Team

Ray Duggan & Lionel Van Praag

1939 Test Match Action

The White Ghost

Aussie test star Ken Le Breton wearing the kangaroo over his usually immaculate whites his "top" here appears to be a ribbed woolen jersey?  Not much protection but it looked good!

Lionel van Praag, Eddie Rigg and Ken LeBreton.  Ken looks to be about to take away the Englishman's leg?

Eddie and Ken were involved in a crash during an Australia v England test match at Sydney Showground in 1951 where Ken succumbed to his injuries and sadly died.  I know they were battling for 3rd place when they crashed.  I have no idea if the above photo was taken during that fateful 1951 test match but it does look likely.

Andy Menzies & Louis Lawson

Alec, Aub & Lionel

Only Christian names received for these 3.  I would say they are Alec Statham, Aub Lawson and Lionel van Praag

World Championship Top Three

Didn't know the 3 riders at first (looks like Lionel van Praag with trophy and Eric Langton 3rd from left) but is that Shrek at far right?  Ok I didn't mean to be offensive, I assume it was the camera angle and flash!  If this is the top three from the 1936 world championship then that must be the 3rd place man Bluey Wilkinson on the left

1950 World Final Line Up

Don't have the full line up but I can see Danny Dunton, Split Waterman, one of the Williams brothers, Ronnie Moore and Jack Parker.  If you can confirm and name the others please send me an email John

Eric French & Ron Johnston

Wembley's Tommy Price

1935 Vic Huxley

This photo is way up amongst my all time favourite speedway photos

Tom Farndon

1936 The First World Final Heat 1

A very important moment in time.  Heat 1 1936 at Wembley.  The first recognised World Final and Aussie Lionel van Praag came out on top of the meeting and was crowned speedways first official world champion.

1936 World Champ Lionel Van Praag Presented With The Trophy by Sir Malcolm Campbell

Sir Malcolm Campbell broke the world land speed record on nine occasions between 1924 and 1935 but no, not on a speedway bike, they were too dangerous for him! Also in the picture was runner-up Englishman Eric Langton

1938 World Champion Bluey Wilkinson

Arthur George "Bluey" Wilkinson (born 27 August 1911) was Speedway World Champion in 1938 after narrowly missing out on winning the inaugural World Championship in 1936.

Ronnie Moore, Jack Young & Fred Williams

1947 Vic Duggan

1947 England Team

Jack Parker

Aussie Graham Warren

England's Tommy Price Leads Canadian Eric Chitty

Goffe & Lloyd

A great action picture and evidence of the need for modern day dirt deflectors!

1949 Wilbur Lamoreaux

Born 26 February 1907 in Roseville, Illinois, USA - (died 11 May 1963)

Jeff Lloyd Inside Oliver Hart

Oliver's trademark his trailing left leg

Alan Hunt Birmingham

John Skinner says: My thanks to John Chaplin for deciding to choose my website to display some of his excellent photographs.  Proof if you needed it that the "black n white" era was very special! Much appreciated John.

The contents of the site are © and should not be reproduced elsewhere for financial gain. The contributors to this site gave the pictures and information on that understanding.  If anyone has any issue or objections to any items on the site please e-mail and I will amend or remove the item.  Where possible credit has been given to the owner of each item.