A Letter from Capt. D. M. K. Marendaz

July 7th 2014

Sir, a letter relating to the Buckingham, your contributor Neville Hall, talking about 1914-15 Buckingham engines, referred to them as having possibly been made by Messrs. Alvis of Coventry. As you may know, I brought Alvis cars into existence, which was in 1919, and can say that Alvis had nothing to-do with the-manufacture of Buckingham engines.

I now refer to page 932 (November issue) on which you illustrate Frank Halford’s engine and refer to hint as having designed the 13.H.1′. acro-engine during the 1914-18 war.

Frank Milford Was one of my oldest friends and it is not because I am trying to detract from his many achievements that I should like to correct your statement. Immediately after the outbreak of the First World War the War Office had sent to the Siddeley works at COventry an Austro-Daimler aero-engine, the intention being to start us going on the manufacture of this. Very shortly afterwards it was decided that we should build R.A.F. 8and 12-cylinder aircraft engines.

The Austro-Daimler aero-engine was thereupon sent up to Messrs. William Beardmore. There the engine was to Some extent altered in design and the people engaged on it included Pelterie and Halford. The engine was then renamed B.H.P., standing for Beardmore, Hallord and Pelterie. Pelterie was the senior but B.II.P. sounded better.

I recall Frank Halford coming round the Siddeley Deasey, later Armstrong Siddeley, works, and many more things of considerable historical interest to the motor and aeronautical industry of the United Kingdom, but will end by saying that after the greatest possible difficulty in breaking away from Armstrong Siddeley, I found myself one day, after service on the Line, in charge of test at St. Omer, and well recall a signal being received on a. Sunday morning stating that as from that day all B.H.P. engines would be referred to henceforth as Siddeley Puma. I). M. K. MARENDAZ,

M-arendaz Town. S. Africa. M.S.A.E., M.I.Prod.E.(Br.).