Wing Commander Ken Wallis: AEG’s First Honorary Member
Wg. Cdr. Ken Wallis was AEG’s first Honorary Member and the Group maintained their association with him by regular annual visits to his home at Reymerston Hall, Norfolk.
Members and friends enjoyed seeing his autogyros and the astonishing collection of memorabilia and engineering artifacts that Ken couldn’t bear to throw away. Regular visitors heard many of his stories more than once and, despite the remarkable amount of detail of facts and dates, they never varied or suffered from any embellishment.
Private Air Displays
On every visit (apart from one occasion when Ken was unwell) an autogyro was pulled out and this youthful 90+ year old swung the propeller and taxied out to give a private air display.
Whilst demonstrating flying hands and feet off he would photograph his spectating guests, on film, of course. The pictures which follow were taken on visits which were made from 2004 to 2012.
Speed boat racing and car trophies in the hall
Lineshoot Alley
Souvenirs of a last-minute bail out from his out-of-fuel fog-bound Wellington
Another mantlepiece. another set of trophies
Dairy of a man generous with his time
There were usually 18 residents, powered by a wide variety of engines from several countries.
The twin-engined autogyro
The walls of the hangar were covered with panels of photographs, posters and other exhibits showing Ken’s achievements
The 1910 Wallbro monoplane built by Ken’s father and uncle. He built and flew a replica 1973
The motorcycle he built at age 11, the air-boat ‘Per Ardua’ and his 1937 Speed Bentley
With 268 Sqn
The Wellington crashed after a balloon cable sawed almost completely through the wing
Just some of his autogyro world records
The route of the world distance record
Tiny ball bearings from a German aircraft were too good to scrap so they were used to make electric cars with steering front wheels. The track was cut into a pair old window shutters
The controls were scrap aircraft switches. It still worked perfectly after 60+ years.
Miniature camera? This is Ken’s version.
‘All good armament officers come fully armed’. Three pistols, from small to tiny, with custom-made bullets, each in its own case with tools.
The full set. The wooden pieces show the penetrating power of each pistol.
Model of a bomb trolley to fit under the low-slung Canberra. Ken made the model to ensure that his ‘superiors understood his drawings’.
The Long Dog, a Rolls with a Wallis-built body, mostly aircraft parts – Aldis light headlamps, cowled in fairings which had covered German jet engine starter motors, body parts from Lancasters and even from a 30s Virginia.
Ken took it to the US on his exchange posting where it was widely demonstrated. Ken flew B-36s, not this Victor which is passing through the US on its way to A-bomb tests in the Pacific
Speedboat racing went on in America, yielding eight trophies, including the ‘Missouri Marathon’ in 1957
Power for the boats was typically Wallis – usually German jet-engine starter motors.
An air engine chuffs happily. It cost 7/6 in 1937
Tucked in the back corner were two new and unused 3.220 hp Bristol Centaurus engines. No longer required by the RAF, Ken rescued them from the scrap man.
The highlight of any visit was the flying display. This was Ken’s usual mount. Note his left hand grasping an upright. His thumb holds down the ignition switch, easily released in case of any problem. When the engine is running properly, Ken reaches down to the ‘cockpit’ and turns on the normal ignition switch.
The cockpit
The obligatory hands and feet off demonstration.
Wing Commander Kenneth Horatio Wallis MBE, DEng, CEng, FRAeS, FSETP, PhD, RAF (Ret’d) died peacefully in his sleep on 1st September 2013.