Goldie Gardner
| Goldie Gardner | |
|---|---|
| Born |
Alfred Thomas Goldie Gardner 31 May 1890 Woodford Green, Essex, England |
| Died | 25 August 1958 (aged 68) Eastbourne, Sussex, England |
| Nationality | United Kingdom |
| Occupation | Racing Driver and Soldier |
Lieutenant-Colonel Alfred Thomas Goldie Gardner OBE MC (31 May 1890 – 25 August 1958) was an English racing car driver who was awarded the BRDC Gold Star three times. In 1939 he was the first to exceed 200 mph in a light car.
Gardner who was known as Goldie Gardner (Goldie was his mother's maiden name) was born in Woodford Green, Essex, and was educated at Pelham House, School, Sandgate, Kent. and Uppingham School. In 1910 he embarked from England to Colombo, Ceylon, to take up a 3-year business appointment. Upon completion of his Ceylon contract he gained a new appointment in Katha, Burma, but it was cut short by a bad attack of typhoid fever with malaria and he was sent back to England on six months' sick leave.
During his convalescence in 1914, World War I commenced. He enlisted in September of that year and was granted a commission in the Royal Artillery as a second lieutenant. Gardner had a distinguished military career and was the youngest officer in the British Army to become a Major. He suffered severe injuries to his right hip and leg when his reconnaissance plane was shot down in August 1917. Despite receiving some twenty operations over a period of two years spent in hospital the leg did not return to full function. He was discharged from the army in 1921 as medically unfit for further service.
In 1924 he purchased a Gordon England special Austin Seven and despite his disability began racing on the British circuits. 1930 saw him team up with MG Cars and he raced various of these marks with considerable success. He suffered a crash during the 1932 RAC Tourist Trophy race at Ards in Northern Ireland that further worsened the disability to his already damaged leg. By 1934 he was fit enough to continue track racing and in the 500 mile race at Brooklands with co-driver Dr.J.D.Benjafield he achieved third place as well as winning the 1,100cc class.
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