In a previous blog, I shared the heartwarming story of reuniting a collection of military photographs with the family of the late Lance Sergeant Cyril “Hucky” Walker. This endeavour led to a meaningful connection with his niece, Heather, who expressed a keen interest in uncovering more about her uncle’s service, particularly his involvement with the Grenadier Guards 1st Battalion “Hellcats“ speedway team.

My father served in the Grenadier Guards, he enlisted in 1947 aged 20 years, and much of his service was spent overseas.

The Hellcats Speedway Team

My late father established the “Hellcats” speedway team during his service with the Grenadier Guards in Tripoli. In 2003, he entrusted his personal memorabilia to The Guards Museum, at Wellington Barracks. This collection includes the sole remaining Hellcats tabard, event programs detailing race winners and placements, newspaper clippings, and a unique medal, presumably awarded to my father. Direct link to the museum online: The Guards Museum, at Wellington Barracks.

Uncovering a Shared History

Among the preserved photographs is a poignant series capturing the full military funeral of Cyril Walker, who tragically passed away overseas in 1952. These images not only document a solemn event but also reveal a deep camaraderie between Cyril and my father. They frequently appear together in my father’s military photographs, highlighting their close friendship. Notably, the photographs and newspaper reports indicate that Cyril served as the captain of the Hellcats, with my father as the vice-captain.

A Legacy Remembered

On January 20, 2025, Heather and I met in person for the first time, having previously only communicated via messenger. Our initial apprehension quickly faded as we discovered an easy rapport, undoubtedly influenced by the connection between my father and Heather’s uncle Cyril.

On arriving at The Guards Museum in Wellington Barracks, London, we were warmly greeted by our guide, Lee. He escorted us to a private room where the Hellcats memorabilia was thoughtfully arranged for our viewing. Seeing the Hellcats tabard evoked a wave of emotion in me. I vividly recalled it from my childhood, hanging in our shed and later in the garage. Now, it lay carefully preserved in an archivist’s box, wrapped in tissue paper—the sole remaining tabard from a significant chapter in the history of the 1st Battalion, Grenadier Guards.

This visit not only deepened our understanding of the shared past but also reinforced the enduring legacy of the Hellcats speedway team within the Grenadier Guards’ storied history. We chatted about the history of the Hellcats and Lee explained to us this was a significant part of the history of this battalion.

Dad and Cyril’s connection and friendship, is confirmed in this newspaper article on Cyril in 1948. Furthermore, they were both the fitters for the Battalion, and instrumental in building the speedway team bikes.

The Hellcats Speedway team

So who were the Hellcats? My father held a keen passion for motorbikes and when he enlisted in the Grenadier Guards he was a dispatch rider. When the battalion was sent overseas, Dad co-founded the Hellcats Speedway team. The bikes were built from old bits of unused military equipment lying around the camp.

Dad and his comrades’ resourcefulness not only demonstrated their mechanical skills but also highlighted their dedication to the sport, creating functional racing machines from available materials. 

This image of my father on his custom-built bike which encapsulates a significant chapter of his life, blending his military service with his love for motorbikes. The riders had nicknames -my father was known as “Crash” for obvious reasons! But he did win many races too! His life long friend Jimmy Chance “Skid”, and of course also central to this story Cyril “Flash” Walker. These names are documented in the race programmes.

The Hellcats was a significant part of their time overseas, they designed their own team tabards, programmes and raced against other army teams.

The programmes donated by my father provide a fantastic insight into the races, when and where they raced, and the names of the teams. The “Hellcats” raced against The Irish guards (The Shamrocks), the First Infantry Division Signals Regiment (Meteors), and the grenadier guards had two teams – The “Hellcats and the Wombats”, the I Commander W/Shops REME (Tornadoes) and the Circle Motociclistico di Tripoli ( Tripoli Motor Cycle Club)

Inside the programme, they record the rider’s nicknames and positions in the races. I believe this program was completed by my father I recognise that handwriting anytime.

Further Research

A search of the newspapers and an article in the Gloucester Citizen on Thursday 27 Sept 1949 we found a member of the Meteors Speedway team, Cpl Raymond Thrasher Cook of the 1st Battalion Grenadier Guards. However, Raymond was also part of the Hellcats team which is recorded on one of the programmes.

Raymond “Thrasher” Cook in the program in heat 10 and heat 15, racing against the Hellcats – Cyril Flash Walker. Racing at the Busetta Race track in Tripoli in 1949.

According to this program above we have also realised that the surviving Tabard No. 1 was worn by Flash Walker.

1 – Flash Walker

2- Thrasher Cook

3 – Slide Taylor  

4 – Tot Townsend

5 – Skid Chance

6 – Slogger Holmes

7 – Broadside Vincent

8 – Crash Jackson

Photo Gallery

Hellcats team with the surviving No. 1 jacket, now in The Guards Museum, at Wellington Barracks, circa 1948 – Back row 3rd from left is my father, Guardsman Maurice C Jackson and bottom row 1st left Guardsman Cyril Walker.

Finally Thank you

I want to say a massive thank you to Lee Murrell Curator of The Guards Museum, at Wellington Barracks and Ashley who was on hand to assist us in getting the photos and answer any questions.

Lee Murrell with Dad’s jacket, Heather and myself. The jacket is now safe in the museum for future generations to enjoy. This collection provides a rich legacy of the Grenadier Guards 1st Battalion speedway team 1947 – 1951 history.

Going Forward

My aim now is to research the opponents of the Hellcats speedway team, if you know or have any knowledge of any relatives, or ancestors who were members of the speedway teams of The Shamrocks, Meteors, Wombats, Tornadoes or the Hellcats, I would love to hear from you and share our knowledge and information.

You can contact me by commenting on this blog or via email at jackocats2@gmail.com