2025 the 120th anniversary of the birth of Hugh “Hammy” Caulfield Hamilton

Hugh “Hammy” Caulfield Hamilton or “Hammy” as he was affectionately known was born at Omagh on the 18th June, 1905. His father was a solicitor and the secretary of Tyrone County Council. He grew up in the town of Omagh and had a keen interest in motorbikes and cars from an early age. The family lived at 23 Campsie Road in the town.

After his father Claude died in 1922 his mother Agnes took the family including Hugh to England to live where she was originally from and remarried in 1923.

After first racing motorbikes Hamilton moved onto sports cars with great success in 1930. He competed on several occasions with the other world class drivers at the famous RAC TT Race at the Ards Circuit in Northern Ireland. A race that Harry Ferguson did so much to get established in 1928, a very popular race attracting huge crowds between a quarter of a million to half a million spectators annually. Ferguson and Hamilton had been friends over a number of years with similar interests in racing and motoring. Harry Ferguson giving him encouragement and mentoring from his own experiences as a road racer in earlier days. Interestingly Hamilton’s uncle the Rev. Robert S. G. Hamilton was minister at one time of Desertcreat Parish Church where Harry Ferguson’s business partner and friend Thomas MacGregor Greer worshiped.

Hamilton’s outstanding driving performances at the Ards circuit led him to be called the “Wild Man of Ards.” He was also a renowned salesman and sold MG cars for the prestigious University Motors at Piccadilly in Central London that he also raced for. Like Harry Ferguson, he was an expert at tuning cars and would also work on developing a number of racing cars most notably with MG. His first major sports car race win would be at the famous Brooklands circuit 1100 class in 1930 driving a Riley. Quickly going on to win a number of races on the Continent becoming the first person from the British Isles ever to do so. His race wins would have been even higher, but for mechanical issues, mishaps by mechanics and bad luck.

Sadly Hamilton aged just 29 would be killed on Sunday the 26th August, 1934 while taking part in the Swiss Grand Prix held over 70 laps of Bremgarten Circuit, near Bern while driving a 8 cylinder supercharged 240HP Maserati 8CM that had a top speed of 140MPH. He was in sixth position when he crashed into a fir tree after a front left tyre blowout at over 90MPH close to the end of the race. Two spectators were injured by the falling tree. It was later revealed from his post mortem that his heart had stopped before the crash. It is thought this could have been the result of a very serious crash in a race that almost killed him the previous year in Czechoslovakia when he suffered heart and lung injuries. His body lay in state for two days allowing his many adoring fans to pay their respects. Afterwards he was buried at Bern, Switzerland.

The tragic death of Hamilton just on the brink of even greater success and who is sadly not the well-known or remembered here in Northern Ireland would be addressed in the Harry Ferguson Museum of Innovation that will tell his very important life story of achievement as an early motor racing superstar that blazed a trail for later British sports car racers.

Stevan Patterson, Castlederg, Co. Tyrone.