Eric Platford with the Vickers Vimy in 1919

Eric Platford (1883 - 20 November 1938) was an English engineer and a Rolls-Royce pioneer. Platford had an illustrious career with

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 ...

. Platford was employed by

Henry Royce Sir Frederick Henry Royce, 1st Baronet, (27 March 1863 – 22 April 1933) was an English engineer famous for his designs of car and aeroplane engines with a reputation for reliability and longevity. With Charles Rolls (1877–1910) and Claude ...

and assisted in the construction of Royce's first car from his factory in Cooke Street, Manchester. In 1906 he won the

Isle of Man Tourist Trophy The Isle of Man TT or Tourist Trophy races are an annual motorcycle racing event run on the Isle of Man in May/June of most years since its inaugural race in 1907. The event is often called one of the most dangerous racing events in the world ...

as onboard mechanic alongside Hon

Charles Rolls Charles Stewart Rolls (27 August 1877 – 12 July 1910) was a British motoring and aviation pioneer. With Henry Royce, he co-founded the Rolls-Royce car manufacturing firm. He was the first Briton to be killed in an aeronautical accident with ...

. In 1913, he took third place in the first

Spanish Grand Prix The Spanish Grand Prix ( es, Gran Premio de España, ca, Gran Premi d'Espanya) is a Formula One motor racing event currently held at the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya. The race is one of the oldest in the world still contested, celebrating it ...

having led the race. He conceded first place on team orders. In 1919, Platford prepared the

Rolls-Royce Eagle The Rolls-Royce Eagle was the first aircraft engine to be developed by Rolls-Royce Limited. Introduced in 1915 to meet British military requirements during World War I, it was used to power the Handley Page Type O bombers and a number of oth ...

engines in

St. Johns, Newfoundland St. John's is the capital and largest city of the Provinces and territories of Canada, Canadian province of Newfoundland and Labrador, located on the eastern tip of the Avalon Peninsula on the island of Newfoundland (island), Newfoundland. ...

for the first successful non-stop transatlantic flight, by Alcock & Brown.

Early life

Platford was born in 1883 in

Manchester Manchester () is a city in Greater Manchester, England. It had a population of 552,000 in 2021. It is bordered by the Cheshire Plain to the south, the Pennines to the north and east, and the neighbouring city of Salford to the west. The t ...

England England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Wales to its west and Scotland to its north. The Irish Sea lies northwest and the Celtic Sea to the southwest. It is separated from continental Europe b ...

. His father worked in banking but died when Eric was 6 months old. He attended

Cheadle Hulme School Cheadle Hulme School is a coeducational independent day school in Cheadle Hulme, Greater Manchester, England, for pupils aged 4 to 18, and a member of the Headmasters' and Headmistresses' Conference. Founded in 1855 as The Manchester Warehouse ...

and became an apprentice at Royce Limited at the age of 17.

References

* 1883 births 1938 deaths Rolls-Royce people English engineers English racing drivers 20th-century British engineers {{UK-engineer-stub