A great and restless spirit

<p><strong style=color: rgba(0 0 0 1)>If Harry Hawker MBE AFC (1889-1921) was alive today </strong><span style=color: rgba(0 0 0 1)>he'd be churning desert dust in the Dakar Rally strapped in a rocket on a SpaceX flight or taking pole position in Formula 1. </span></p><p><span style=color: rgba(0 0 0 1)> </span></p><p><span style=color: rgba(0 0 0 1)>Victorian-born Hawker moved to England at age 22 and became an overnight aviation legend. In his day he flew faster higher and for longer than anyone else in Britain. His one need was speed.</span></p><p><span style=color: rgba(0 0 0 1)> </span></p><p><span style=color: rgba(0 0 0 1)>When he wasn't racing planes cars and speedboats Hawker was helping design and test WWI fighting aircraft. His boss aviation trailblazer Tommy Sopwith thought he was a genius.</span></p><p><span style=color: rgba(0 0 0 1)> </span></p><p><span style=color: rgba(0 0 0 1)>Behind him stood a remarkable Englishwoman who kept his feet on the ground. But the mother of two grew increasingly anxious as her go-getting husband continually pushed the boundaries.</span></p><p><span style=color: rgba(0 0 0 1)> </span></p><p><span style=color: rgba(0 0 0 1)>Especially when he disappeared attempting the first transatlantic flight ... </span></p><p><span style=color: rgba(0 0 0 1)> </span></p><p><span style=color: rgba(0 0 0 1)>And bubbling away was </span>an underlying weakness that would literally help bring Harry Hawker down. Forever. He was just 32.</p>