Visit to Wg Cdr(rtd.) Ken Wallis – 21 Apr 07

After an hour and three-quarters on my little 125cc bike and only missing one turning and with a numb bum and hands with pins and needles from the vibration, I pulled up outside the front of Reymerston Hall. As I was the first to arrive (15 minutes early) I was greeted by Ken Wallis and his dog and after introductions he was more interested in my bike. As another member of the group arrived, he invited us both into his house to a back room that was an engineering workshop where he was rebuilding another version of ‘Little Nellie’. We passed on the way the actual cases that were used in the film You Only Live Twice to deliver ‘Little Nellie’ in.

As the tour group grew, we went around to the back of the Hall to his shed and as he slid open the door, there were autogyros as far as the eye could see. Well, at least to the back wall. After a walk around the collection and the man himself explaining the history and stories about his various flying machines, he pulled out G-AXAS and readied it for flight. This machine carries the markings used in the TV series ‘The Martian Chronicles’. He taxied to the flying field, closely followed by us in the dust storm from the prop, and then gave us several passes with hands and feet off. Not bad for someone who is about to turn 91 years young.

As well as flying, Ken was also into speed boats and in his store room he had three of them. The hand written note taped to this one reads:- Made in 1947 this hydroplane has a German WW-2 jet starter engine but with water cooling. It was intended as a Speed Record-Breaker in its class & it had the potential, but RAF postings, etc prevented the actual development and attempt.

Many thanks to Jonathan, who volunteers at Old Warden, for arranging this visit to a remarkable man and his even more remarkable collection of flying machines and memories.

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Brian