Boating with a friend — unusual transport for the speed-loving Count.
Louis acquired an interest in the recently formed Aston Martin Company, into
which he put £10,270, becoming a director. He drove their cars in the French
Grand Prix at Strasbourg in 1922 and at Barcelona in 1923. In the USA he raced a
Bugatti at Indianapolis and competed in the Isle of Man 1,500 c.c. Trophy Race. On
21st June 1924 he appeared at the Kent Automobile Club speed trials on Herne Bay
promenade, driving a Hispano~Suiza and the Mercedes in which he was killed four
months later. Clive Gallop had the sad task of returning his friend's remains to
Higham. The coffin was borne from Dover on the Mercedes truck which had
transported cars overseas. It is said to have expired in the drive with a seized-up
steering column.
Count Zborowski left an estate valued at £805,000. His widow received
£23,000 and enough interest from the residuary estate for an income of £8,450
per annum. He left two years’ wages to each servant amounting to £3,000.
Solicitors argued that this did not include the garage workers. This was contested
on the grounds that the garage was not operated for profit and they were estate
employees. Eventually the legacies were paid. Mr R.J. Styles, formerly employed by
Bligh Brothers, remembers helping the managing director collect £3,000 (in cash!)
from Barclay’s Bank and paying each worker's share.
Higham was sold on 31st July 1928 for £17,500 to Mr Walter Whigham and
renamed Highland Court because, it is believed, he did not wish to be known as
‘Mr Whigham of Higham’. The Countess later married Paris Singer, an heir of the
famous manufacturing company.
Main sources consulted and acknowledgements i
Pierce, D. ‘The history of Bridge to 1981'. Villard, H.S., ‘The great road races’, Barker 1972.
Boddy, Bill, ’Aero-engined racing cars at BrookIands', Haynes-Foulis 1992. Court, W.,
‘Power and glory: the history of Grand Prix racing’, P. Stephens 1992. ‘Herne Bay Press’.
’Kentish Gazette’. ‘The Times’.
Special thanks to Mr F. Allen, Mr C.F. Hogben, Mr A. Mauduit, Mr D. Pierce, Mr A.J.
Styles and Mr R.J. Styles for information and Miss Linda Hayward for photography.
m 596
MAIDSTONE RURAL DISTRICT
FIRE BRIGADE
(Part Four)
By N.D. Rider
Towards the end of 1940 the Regional Commissioner, an official appointed
under the Defence Regulations, requested Maidstone Rural District Council ‘to
appoint someone to co-ordinate fire-fighting measures to ensure the utmost
efficiency in extinguishing fires started by enemy action, often to provide pilots
of enemy planes markers for bombing raids.’ Coming after the Battle of Britain
and the London Blitz the request would appear to have been shutting the stable
door after the horse had bolted! The Council asked the Deputy Clerk, Mr G.
Letchford, to undertake the responsibility. He attended a meeting arranged to
co-ordinate local brigades, AFS and other services at the Commissioner’s office
in Tunbridge Wells on 3rd January 1941.
Afterwards, Mr Letchford called meetings of Parish Councils, ARP and AFS
personnel in every parish regarding setting up fire watching groups. The
response was good. In mid—February he informed the Committee that the whole
District was adequately covered by 2,335 volunteer fire watchers sharing 341
stirrup pumps.
Meanwhile the Brigade dealt with several fires including a blaze in hopper
huts at Gallants Farm, East Farleigh, during a heavy snowstorm when the roads
were snow-bound, and a burning Army lorry on Loose Hill. This fire was caused
by the camouflage netting coming into contact with the exhaust pipe.
Chief Officer Hanson now asked the Committee to provide a drill tower. It
would, he explained, enable the firemen to practise ladder and rescue work on
taller buildings with the hook ladders loaned by Colonel Balston; it could be
used as an observation post, and it would provide a site for a siren as well as
giving the Brigade hose drying facilities.
The three hook ladders and seven Pompier belts recently loaned by Colonel
Balston were of French origin and had probably been purchased for use by the
Springfield Paper Mill Brigade. They were designed to obtain access to the
upper floors of taller buildings from narrow streets and alleys where it was not
possible to use conventional ladders. The strong, iron-toothed hooks bolted to
the top of the ladders could be smashed through windows and hung over sills
so that they hung flat against the building. A fireman wearing one of the
Pompier belts was then able to climb vertically to reach the first-floor window.
He clipped the belt onto a rung to hold himself steady, leaving both hands free
597