Donald Campbell CBE

 

23 March 1921 - 4 January 1967

 

HOMEPAGE  PARRY THOMAS  HENRY SEAGRAVE  JOHN COBB  M CAMPBELL  D CAMPBELL  C BREEDLOVE  K WARBY  R NOBLE   D VESCO   INDEX

Certainly, Donald Campbell was a very brave man indeed, when on the 4th Jan 1967 at 8:57 in the morning he set off on his return run through his own wake in the Bluebird K7, taking to the air spectacularly.

 

 

Donald Campbell CBE

 

During his first attempt at the world land speed record, Donald Campbell had crashed writing off the £1 million CN7 at the Bonneville Salt Flats, Utah, during 1960.  However in 1964 at Lake Eyre, Australia, he set a new World Land Speed Record of 403.1mph.  In December of the same year, again in Australia, this time at Lake Dumbleyung he achieved a unique and incredible second world speed record, this time on water at 276.33Mph. Thus he became the first, and so far, only person to hold both Water and Land Speed Records in the same year. 

 

The CN7 wreckage at Bonneville, Utah in 1960

 

It was Donald Campbell's aim to reach 300 mph in the K7 which eventually ended a colorful career.  Donald Campbell always believed the Campbells were cursed and said as much on a number of occasions.  Record breakers should understand their machines well enough to know the limits and their own limits as drivers.  Only a fool would rely totally on another's judgment where his life was at stake.  Donald Campbell was nobody's fool.  He put his life on the line in a moment of bravery - a calculated risk and a warning to all speed record contenders.

 

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