By Michael Stewart Horsfall
2025 review by James Loveridge
Jock Horsfall was a very interesting man and this book, written by his nephew Michael Stewart Horsfall, tells his story. This is not a motoring book, per se, in that 60 of its 167 pages are about his work in war secret intelligence in World War 2. As Michael says, his primary intention in writing this book was to “preserve the memories of Jock, as he was usually known, for future generations of the Horsfall family and those associated with his cars – namely Aston Martin and ERA.”
A member of a large and apparently quite wealthy family, he kept copious notes of his activities and his time as a secret agent is briefly summarised later.
He started his motor racing career on motorcycles in 1930 and achieved some some success but quite quickly switched to four wheels and immediately showed his prowess by winning the “Motor” Trophy in a Wolseley Hornet at an early (date not given) Midland Car Club Llandudno Trial. By June 1934 he was given a Special Award for best performance in a 1½-litre Aston Martin at the JCC High Speed Trial at Brooklands. Whilst not, apparently, competing very often he continued to prove he was a very competent driver with a win in 1935 at Donington and an appearance at Phoenix Park in 1936. In 1938 he had wins at Brooklands and in the Leinster Trophy. By late 1938 he was driving ERA R5B “Remus” co-owned with Tony Rolt and continued to get good places in other events until the outbreak of war in 1939.
The first post-war racing of any kind in Britain was in October 1945, just a month after the official end of World War II at the Filton Speed Trials and here Jock was back on two wheels and recorded a time of 27.4 seconds, being the fastest time for motorcycles and only 1.1 seconds slower than Bob Gerard’s ERA, which posted 26.3 seconds. From there on Jock’s progress was rapid, not to say ambitious, with a 1st in class at the 1946 Belgian Grand Prix in an Aston Martin followed by 2nds at Prescott and Luton Hoo and a 1st overall at the Spa 24 Hours in 1948, again all in Aston Martins. By 1949 he was back, this time in ERA R11B, for the Dutch Grand Prix where he was 6th in his heat but a non starter in the final. Sadly, later in 1949 driving the same ERA , he was killed in an accident at Stowe Corner at Silverstone. Although aged 37 at the time of his death it is pretty clear Jock had the potential to become one of Britain’s top racing drivers in those early post-war years.
Jock’s Secret Service career started as a driver for what became MI5 but quite quickly his abilities and integrity were recognised and he became a significant member of the XX (Double Cross) operations — counter-intelligence. He continued in this role throughout the war and was involved in Operation Mincemeat in which the dead body of a tramp was given the identity of a Royal Marines officer and then cast adrift from a submarine just off the coast of Spain with a briefcase of secret, but totally misleading, plans for the bogus allied operations in the Eastern Mediterranean. The enemy believed the plans and the transfer of German troops to meet them greatly assisted in the successful invasion of Italy. Jock’s character appeared in the film “Operation Mincemeat” as the driver of the fake major from London to the submarine base in Scotland.
This most interesting paperback book is available from the Aston Martin Heritage Trust at £15.00 plus £5,75 p&p. It is highly recommended.
Publisher:Aston Martin Heritage Trust
Price: £15.00 plus £5,75 p&p, direct from the Aston Martin Heritage Trust https://amht.org.uk/
Description: 167 pages, paperback, 23.3cm x 15.6cm.
ISBN: 978-10369312-0-9
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