Air Commodore Whitney Willard Straight, (6 November 1912 – 5 April 1979) was a
Grand Prix motor racing driver, aviator, businessman, and a member of the prominent
Whitney family
The Whitney family is an American family notable for their business enterprises, social prominence, wealth and philanthropy, founded by John Whitney (1592–1673), who came from London, England to Watertown, Massachusetts in 1635. The historic fa ...
of the United States.
Early life
Born in New York City, Whitney Straight was the son of Major
Willard Dickerman Straight (1880–1918) and heiress
Dorothy Payne Whitney
Dorothy Payne Elmhirst ( Whitney; January 23, 1887 – December 14, 1968) was an American-born social activist, philanthropist, publisher and a member of the prominent Whitney family.
Life and work
Whitney was born in Washington, D.C., the daug ...
(1887–1968). He was almost six years old when his father died in France of
influenza during the
great epidemic while serving with the
United States Army
The United States Army (USA) is the land warfare, land military branch, service branch of the United States Armed Forces. It is one of the eight Uniformed services of the United States, U.S. uniformed services, and is designated as the Army o ...
during the
First World War
World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, the United States, and the Ottoman Empire, with fightin ...
. Following his mother's remarriage to British agronomist
Leonard K. Elmhirst (1893–1974) in 1925, the family moved to England. They lived at
Dartington Hall where he attended the progressive school founded by his parents. His education was completed at
Trinity College,
Cambridge
Cambridge ( ) is a College town, university city and the county town in Cambridgeshire, England. It is located on the River Cam approximately north of London. As of the 2021 United Kingdom census, the population of Cambridge was 145,700. Cam ...
.
Career
Motor racing
While still an undergraduate at Cambridge, he became a well known
Grand Prix motor racing driver and competed at events in the UK and Europe. He competed in more Grands Prix than any American until after the
Second World War
World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposi ...
. Straight started competing in 1931 with a Brooklands Riley competing at
Shelsley Walsh, Southport and Brooklands circuit.
In 1933, driving a black and silver
Maserati, he won the Mountain Championship at
Brooklands
Brooklands was a motor racing circuit and aerodrome built near Weybridge in Surrey, England, United Kingdom. It opened in 1907 and was the world's first purpose-built 'banked' motor racing circuit as well as one of Britain's first airfie ...
, the
Mont Ventoux Hill Climb (3 September) and the
Brighton Speed Trials (16 September). He also won the 1100 c.c. class in the
Coppa Acerbo, held at Pescara, Italy, driving an
MG Magnette
The MG Magnette is an automobile that was produced by MG between 1953 and 1968. The Magnette was manufactured in two build series, the ZA and ZB of 1953 through to 1958 and the Mark III and Mark IV of 1959 through to 1968, both using a modified ...
. In 1934 he formed his own motor racing team, personally driving to victory in the
South African Grand Prix
The South African Grand Prix was first run as a Grand Prix motor racing handicap race in 1934 at the Prince George Circuit at East London, Cape Province. It drew top drivers from Europe including Bernd Rosemeyer, Richard "Dick" Seaman, R ...
, held on the 16-mile Buffalo circuit in East London. His brother
Michael finished third in the same race.
He also gave public demonstrations at
Brooklands
Brooklands was a motor racing circuit and aerodrome built near Weybridge in Surrey, England, United Kingdom. It opened in 1907 and was the world's first purpose-built 'banked' motor racing circuit as well as one of Britain's first airfie ...
Racing Circuit achieving a speed of 138.7 mph, a record for 5-litre class cars.
Flying
Flying was also another of his passion. At age 16, though still too young for a pilot's licence, he had already accumulated over 60 hours solo flight. In his early 20s, as head of the
Straight Corporation Limited, he operated airlines and airfields throughout Britain and ran flying clubs. He commissioned an advanced light aircraft, the
Hendy Heck, and in 1936 he helped develop the
Miles Whitney Straight aircraft, the same year he became a naturalised British citizen. On 18 October 1938, the Straight Corporation purchased control of
Norman Edgar (Western Airways) Ltd. and renamed it
Western Airways Ltd. His commercial airline business in the later 1930s was reputed to be carrying more passengers than
Imperial Airways
Imperial Airways was the early British commercial long-range airline, operating from 1924 to 1939 and principally serving the British Empire routes to South Africa, India, Australia and the Far East, including Malaya and Hong Kong. Passengers ...
, on short routes within the UK, flying
de Havilland Dragon Rapide
The de Havilland DH.89 Dragon Rapide is a 1930s short-haul biplane airliner developed and produced by British aircraft company de Havilland. Capable of accommodating 6–8 passengers, it proved an economical and durable craft, despite its rel ...
s.
Second World War
During the Second World War, Whitney Straight served as a
Royal Air Force
The Royal Air Force (RAF) is the United Kingdom's air and space force. It was formed towards the end of the First World War on 1 April 1918, becoming the first independent air force in the world, by regrouping the Royal Flying Corps (RFC) an ...
pilot. He was sent to Norway in April 1940 to find frozen lakes suitable for use as airfields.
Lake Lesjaskog was utilised by
No. 263 Squadron RAF during the
Norwegian Campaign as a result.
Straight was seriously wounded during a German bombing raid in Norway.
[Those Other Eagles; Shores, 2004 biog on page 577]
For his service in Norway, he was awarded the Norwegian
War Cross with sword
The War Cross with Sword (Norwegian Bokmål: ''Krigskorset med sverd, '' Norwegian Nynorsk: ''Krigskrossen med sverd'') is the highest ranking Norwegian gallantry decoration. It is awarded for extraordinary brave actions or extraordinary leadersh ...
in 1942.
After convalescing, he next served with
No. 601 Squadron RAF in the
Battle of Britain
The Battle of Britain, also known as the Air Battle for England (german: die Luftschlacht um England), was a military campaign of the Second World War, in which the Royal Air Force (RAF) and the Fleet Air Arm (FAA) of the Royal Navy defende ...
. From September 1940 until April 1941, he was credited with two aircraft destroyed. He then became
commanding officer of
No. 242 Squadron RAF, bringing his total to 3 and 1 shared ( with 2 'probables') by late July 1941. Early in 1941 he was awarded a
Military Cross
The Military Cross (MC) is the third-level (second-level pre-1993) military decoration awarded to officers and (since 1993) other ranks of the British Armed Forces, and formerly awarded to officers of other Commonwealth countries.
The MC ...
for his work in Norway.
He was shot down by flak over France on 31 July 1941 and initially evaded capture. Through the
French Underground, he made his way to unoccupied
Vichy France
Vichy France (french: Régime de Vichy; 10 July 1940 – 9 August 1944), officially the French State ('), was the fascist French state headed by Marshal Philippe Pétain during World War II. Officially independent, but with half of its te ...
where he was captured and put in a
prisoner-of-war camp
A prisoner-of-war camp (often abbreviated as POW camp) is a site for the containment of enemy fighters captured by a belligerent power in time of war.
There are significant differences among POW camps, internment camps, and military prisons. ...
. However he escaped on 22 June 1942 and with the aid of the French Resistance reached safety in
Gibraltar
)
, anthem = " God Save the King"
, song = " Gibraltar Anthem"
, image_map = Gibraltar location in Europe.svg
, map_alt = Location of Gibraltar in Europe
, map_caption = United Kingdom shown in pale green
, mapsize =
, image_map2 = Gib ...
.
In September 1942, now as an
air commodore, he was sent to the Middle East joining HQ,
No. 216 Group RAF, as
Air Officer Commanding.
After the war
At war's end, he returned to the UK becoming AOC, No. 46 Group in June 1945. He was released from the RAF in late 1945, and he became chairman of the
Royal Aero Club
The Royal Aero Club (RAeC) is the national co-ordinating body for air sport in the United Kingdom. It was founded in 1901 as the Aero Club of Great Britain, being granted the title of the "Royal Aero Club" in 1910.
History
The Aero Club was foun ...
. With the establishment of the
British European Airways
British European Airways (BEA), formally British European Airways Corporation, was a British airline which existed from 1946 until 1974.
BEA operated to Europe, North Africa and the Middle East from airports around the United Kingdom. The a ...
corporation in 1946, Straight was its deputy chairman. In July 1947, he became managing director and chief executive officer of
British Overseas Airways Corporation
British Overseas Airways Corporation (BOAC) was the British state-owned airline created in 1939 by the merger of Imperial Airways and British Airways Ltd. It continued operating overseas services throughout World War II. After the pass ...
. In 1949, Straight was appointed deputy chairman of the board. In the United States his cousin,
Cornelius Vanderbilt Whitney
Cornelius "Sonny" Vanderbilt Whitney (February 20, 1899 – December 13, 1992) was an American businessman, film producer, government official, writer and philanthropist. He was also a polo player and the owner of a significant stable of Thorough ...
(1899–1992), was the President of Aviation Corporation of America, which became
Pan American Airways
Pan American World Airways, originally founded as Pan American Airways and commonly known as Pan Am, was an American airline that was the principal and largest international air carrier and unofficial overseas flag carrier of the United States ...
.
Around this time he was also on the board of
Rolls-Royce
Rolls-Royce (always hyphenated) may refer to:
* Rolls-Royce Limited, a British manufacturer of cars and later aero engines, founded in 1906, now defunct
Automobiles
* Rolls-Royce Motor Cars, the current car manufacturing company incorporated in ...
and he discovered that in 1947 Rolls-Royce had sold 55 jet engines to the Soviet Union, the sale being approved by the
post-war Labour government of
Clement Attlee. The Russians had copied the technology to produce their own version of the jet engine and were powering the MiG fighters using Rolls-Royce technology. He decided to sue the Russian government for copyright infringement. The figure claimed was £207 million which he never received.
In 1967, he donated the
Whitney Straight Award to the
Royal Aeronautical Society
The Royal Aeronautical Society, also known as the RAeS, is a British multi-disciplinary professional institution dedicated to the global aerospace community. Founded in 1866, it is the oldest aeronautical society in the world. Members, Fellows, ...
to recognise the achievement and status of
women in aviation
Women have been involved in aviation from the beginnings of both lighter-than air travel and as airplanes, helicopters and space travel were developed. Women pilots were also
formerly called "aviatrices" (singular "aviatrix"). Women have been f ...
. The award consisted of a cheque and a sculpture by
Barbara Hepworth. It was won by
Anne Burns
Anne Burns (23 November 1915 – 22 January 2001) was a British aeronautical engineer and glider pilot. She had a career of nearly 40 years in the Royal Aircraft Establishment as an engineer and an expert in wind shear. As a glider pilot, ...
in 1967 and
Peggy Hodges in 1970.
Personal life
On 17 July 1935 he married Lady Daphne Margarita Finch-Hatton (1913–2003),
the daughter of
Guy Finch-Hatton, the 14th Earl of Winchilsea (1885–1939)
and Margaretta Armstrong Drexel, the Countess Winchilsea (1885–1952). Lady Daphne's paternal uncle was
Denys Finch Hatton (1887–1931), a famous pilot who was involved with
Beryl Markham
Beryl Markham (née Clutterbuck; 26 October 1902 – 3 August 1986) was a Kenyan aviator born in England (one of the first bush pilots), adventurer, racehorse trainer and author. She was the first person to fly solo, non-stop across the Atlant ...
(1902–1986), another British pilot. Lady Daphne was half-American as her mother, Margaretta, was the daughter of Anthony Joseph Drexel, Jr. (1864–1934) and the granddaughter of
Anthony Joseph Drexel
Anthony Joseph Drexel Sr. (September 13, 1826 – June 30, 1893) was an American banker who played a major role in the rise of modern global finance after the American Civil War. As the dominant partner of Drexel & Co. of Philadelphia, he founde ...
(1826–1893), all from
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, often called Philly, is the largest city in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, the sixth-largest city in the U.S., the second-largest city in both the Northeast megalopolis and Mid-Atlantic regions after New York City. Sinc ...
. Lady Daphne's maternal uncles included, Anthony J. Drexel II, who married Marjorie Gould, daughter of
George Jay Gould, and
John Armstrong Drexel
John Armstrong Drexel (October 24, 1891 – March 4, 1958) was an American aviation pioneer who was a member of the prominent Drexel family of Philadelphia.
Early life
Drexel was a son of Anthony Joseph Drexel Jr. (1864–1934) and Margarita Arm ...
(1891–1958), who was also an aviation pioneer.
Together, Whitney and Lady Daphne had two daughters:
*Camilla Caroline Straight, who on 22 June 1960, married Michael Ian Vansittart
Bowater
Bowater Inc. was a paper and pulp business headquartered in Greenville, South Carolina. It merged with Abitibi-Consolidated in 2007, and the combined company went on to become Resolute Forest Products.
History
The North American assets of Bow ...
(b. 1934) (the son of
Lt. Col. Sir
Ian Bowater
Lieutenant Colonel Sir Ian Frank Bowater (16 December 1904 – 1 October 1982) served as Lord Mayor of London from 1969 to 1970.
Career
The youngest son of Sir Frank Bowater, 1st Baronet ( Lord Mayor from 1938 to 1939), and Ethel Anita Fr ...
(1904–1982) and The Hon. Ursula Margaret Dawson (1907–1999))
**Arabella Charlotte Bowater (1961–2005),
**Katherine Elizabeth Bowater (b. 1963),
**Caroline Mary Bowater (b. 1965)
**Sophia Melissa Bowater (b. 1970)
*Amanda Straight
Relationship with Diana Barnato Walker
While Straight was married to Lady Daphne, he had an affair with noted aviator
Diana Barnato Walker
Diana Barnato Walker MBE FRAeS (15 January 1918 – 28 April 2008) was a pioneering British aviator. In World War II, she became one of the first women pilots of the Air Transport Auxiliary, flying 80 types of aircraft and delivering 260 Spitfir ...
, the first British woman to break the sound barrier.
[''Spreading My Wings'' by Diana Barnato-Walker.] Diana was the daughter of
Woolf Barnato
Joel Woolf BarnatoPronounced Barnatoo – from Barnett too (27 September 1895 – 27 July 1948) was a British financier and racing driver, one of the "Bentley Boys" of the 1920s. He achieved three consecutive wins out of three entries in the ...
(1895–1948), another famous racing driver, and the widow of Wing Commander Derek Ronald Walker, who was killed on 14 November 1945 in bad weather while flying. Together, Whitney and Diana had a son: Barney Barnato Walker (born 1947).
Death
Straight died in
Fulham in 1979 at the age of 66. Lady Daphne died at her home in London on 3 June 2003,
and Walker died on 28 April 2008, aged 90.
References
;Notes
;Sources
Air of Authority – A History of RAF Organisation – Air Cdre Straight*Rolls-Royce – ''Sunday Times'' 10 May 1987
*Obituary – ''The Times'' 10 April 1979
– by
Philip Jarrett – ''The Independent'', 9 May 2008
{{DEFAULTSORT:Straight, Whitney Willard
1912 births
1979 deaths
Sportspeople from New York City
English racing drivers
Grand Prix drivers
Brooklands people
Naturalised citizens of the United Kingdom
Brighton Speed Trials people
Royal Air Force pilots of World War II
Royal Air Force group captains
Commanders of the Order of the British Empire
Recipients of the Distinguished Flying Cross (United Kingdom)
Recipients of the Military Cross
Recipients of the War Cross with Sword (Norway)
Officers of the Legion of Merit
Fellows of the Royal Geographical Society
Whitney family
American people of English descent
Alumni of Trinity College, Cambridge
The Few