0/0/0 - 2/12/1955
Record updated 23-Nov-22
Major Peter Braid began racing in 1949 in a Cooper Mk III and took his first win at Silverstone in July, followed by a second at Great Auclum on the 14th.
His next race was on august 27th at Blandford Camp. The venue was well known for its racing circuit wich opperated between the late 40s and the early 1960. Though the camp's roads were actually far too narrow for passing and there were thus numerous accidents and indeed some fatalities.
The Major made his famous contribution to a Formula 3 event that day, the first post-war race meeting to be held at the camp.
There had been a fatality in the third race of the day when Gordon Woods lost control of his Frazer Nash BMW between Engineers Corner and Hood Corner whenupon it hit the kerb and demolished a bus shelter. Woods was thrown out suffering serious head injuries. Sadly he died later in Blandford Hospital. Despite this, the meeting continued.
The next race for Formula 3 cars saw Braid leading even though he was fairly new to the sport. Braid the unfortunately hit the kerb that woods had struck in the previous race and then hit the damaged bus shelter at speed. Acting like a ramp, he was launched over a ditch, a fir tree and onto the roof of the guardhouse.
Peter Braid was also thrown out but miraculously all he suffered were a few bruises. His car remained on the roof for the rest of the meeting prehaps as a warning to others.
The meeting’s last race was stopped due to yet another accident. Following further accidents the following year, car meetings were discontinued though motor cycle racing carried on until the early 1960s.
Sadly, Major Peter Braid’s luck finally ran out in December 1955 when he lost his life in the Barnes Railway Accident. A passenger train crashed into a freight train due to a signalling error.
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