Hawk eyed

Sir,

With reference to Keith Taylor’s letter in February’s edition, I enclose a photograph of White Hawk, taken in 1953 prior to its shipment to the United States. The shot was taken in London’s Royal Victoria Dock.

I have often wondered about the significance of the number five and the adjacent symbol on the hull.

AC Juniper, Bathwick, Avon.

The infinity symbol and the number five indicated that White Hawk was the fifth British unlimited craft (K1 and K2 were the Miss Englands II and III, K3 and K4 Sir Malcolm Campbell’s Bluebird hydroplanes. Cobb’s crusader was K6). For others who have written in about the craft, initially it was powered by a Whittle jet, which was subsequently replaced by a Rolls-Royce Derwent. The craft suffered from cavitation of the foils over 70mph, when it would come off the plane rather suddenly, not to mention inconveniently . . The Hanning-Lees shipped it to Miami in 1953, but after a financial problem nothing further has ever been heard of it. Or them. Can anyone shed further light on the whereabouts of Frank and Stella Hanning-Lee, or their son Vaughn?— DJT