8th May 1947
Jersey hosts UK’s first post-war Grand Prix
British driver Reg Parnell won the 1947 Jersey International Road Race, considered to be the first Grand Prix race held in the United Kingdom following the Second World War. Like the second-placed driver, Frenchman Louis Chiron, he was driving a Maserati. There had been much speculation in the weeks leading up to the event that it would prove to be the fastest road race in Europe, with cars reaching 150mph on the straights – in particular the A2 running along St Aubin’s Bay.
The race, which covered 160 miles and had a £1000 prize fund, saw only 13 of the original 25 entrants cross the finish line. Prince Birabongse Bhanudej, better known as Prince Bira of Siam, had also entered, again in a Maserati, but dropped out at the halfway point.
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Other events that occured in May
Jersey Royal potato company is taken over
- The Jersey Royal potato is one of the island’s best-known exports. Produce Investments bought the company behind it for £15m in 2014.
- Read more…
Discovery of The Jersey Mummy
- The Jersey Mummy was discovered in Egypt and brought to the island via Paris, but the man accompanying it died on the way.
- Read more…
A new type of aircraft debuts on Jersey route
- The Handley Page Dart Herald was a short-range regional airline for developing countries, but it was also used on the Jersey route.
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An Occupation escape attempt goes wrong
- Three Jersey men were captured when their wartime escape attempt failed. They were sent to mainland Europe where Maurice Gould died.
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