Albert Archibald Windmill (5 June 1915 – 5 March 2007) was a British motorcycle speedway rider who rode for Hackney Wick Wolves in the 1930s and Wimbledon Dons and Walthamstow Wolves after World War II.[1]
| Born | 5 June 1915 Bushey Heath, Hertfordshire, England |
|---|---|
| Died | 5 March 2007 (aged 91) |
| Nationality | British (English) |
| Career history | |
| 1936–1939 | Hackney Wick Wolves |
| 1946–1949 | Wimbledon Dons |
| 1949–1951 | Walthamstow Wolves |
| 1952 | Aldershot Shots |
Career
editOriginally from Watford, Windmill began his racing career in grasstrack at Barnet in 1934.[2] His first experience of speedway was at Birmingham in 1936, signing shortly afterwards for Hackney Wick.[2] He stayed with the Wolves until the start of World War II in 1939, spending the war years in the Royal Air Force.[2]
After being demobbed he opened Windmill Garage in Hemel Hempstead, and returned to speedway with Wimbledon,[3] where he scored 11 points in his first match and spent the season at reserve, averaging 3.80.[2][4][5] He moved on to Walthamstow Wolves at the start of the 1949 season.[6][5] When the Wolves closed down at the end of 1951 he moved on to Southern League club Aldershot for his final season, retiring at the end of 1952.[7]
Windmill represented England in the 1939 Test series against the Dominions.[7]
In his later years, Windmill became president of the Veteran Speedway Riders' Association.[7]
References
edit- ^ "ULTIMATE RIDER INDEX, 1929-2022" (PDF). British Speedway. Retrieved 29 July 2023.
- ^ a b c d Storey, Basil (1947) "Arch the Point Stealer" in Speedway Favourites, Sport-in-Print, p. 27
- ^ "Parker leads Wimbledon". The People. 12 May 1946. Retrieved 11 October 2024 – via British Newspaper Archive.
- ^ Hart, A. S. (1946) Know Your Rider: Facts, Figures and Fotos – A Complete Record of the 1946 Season, R. Verney Baker, Salford, p. 16-17
- ^ a b Morgan, Tom (1949) Who's Who in Speedway 1949, Sport-in-Print, London, p. 75
- ^ "Speedway Transfers". Daily Herald. 28 April 1949. Retrieved 11 October 2024 – via British Newspaper Archive.
- ^ a b c Bamford, Robert (2003) Speedway: The Pre-War Years, Tempus, ISBN 0-7524-2749-0, p. 223