Harold Willis....Velocette engineer and race supremo....details of a Velocette Owners ride to his last resting place in Wales......

I've done an earlier few postings on Harold John Willis and suspect there may be a couple more to come....
See.....
http://velobanjogent.blogspot.com/2010/06/whiffling-clarathe-1931-supercharged.html

http://velobanjogent.blogspot.com/2011/02/harold-willisvelocette-engineer-and.html

Left click on the images following to enlarge them.....

Harold Willis was a director, engineer and race chief of Veloce Ltd., makers of the Velocette motorcycle until his untimely death in June 1939 following a simple medical procedure in the Nerve Hospital, Birmingham, England.
His death occurred at TT time in the IOM and cast a pall over the Velocette camp.
I've never really been sure where he was buried and suspected it may be in Wales as he often flew there in his de Havilland DH60 Moth which he called "Clattering Kate".
Richard Atkins, editor of the UK Velocette Owners club notified me of a ride being organised by Rob Evans of the Cheshire Centre to Llanfair in Wales to visit St.Mary's Church and to see the memorial plaque fitted to The Bishops Chair in the Church in honour of HJW.

I emailed Rob and in correspondence he agreed to assist with photos taken during the visit....
These follow and my thanks to Rob and to all those on the ride, who at this stage I have no names for nor identification of in the photographs.
The "icing on the cake" to use a well worn expression was that Ivan Rhodes made the trip over as well and spoke at Harold's gravesite....
Where is Llanfair....?
Where is the church and cemetary..?

Velocettes arrive in Llanfair, Wales near St.Mary's Church.

St.Mary's Church and cemetery, Llanfair, Wales.....

Harold John Willis's grave....

He is buried with his mother Eliza, who I suggest was Welsh and another Willis, a major in the army who appears to have died in France. Regrettably the text on headstone is illegible...

Ivan Rhodes speaks some words of HJW's life to those who attended at the gravesite.

Then the group moved into St.Mary's Church and viewed The Bishops Chair with the memorial plaque to HJW.

The group poses for a photograph outside the church gates with aptly a Mk.1 KSS Velocette...the machine that HJW was intimately involved with ....an early OHC Velocette....a fitting end to the tribute ride for Harold John Willis, Veloce Ltd director and engineer and race director for the Velocette racing effort to his death in June 1939.