SIXTY years ago this week, the Herald broke the shocking news that Mike Hawthorn, town hero and the reigning Formula One World Champion racing driver, had died in a crash on the Hogs Back.

According to the Herald’s report of the accident – published in full on page two – the 29-year-old was killed “instantaneously” on January 22, 1959 when his green Jaguar skidded on the damp road and crashed into a tree, robbing Farnham of one of its greatest sons.

The great racing driver, noted for wearing a bow tie when racing, had notched Britain’s first World Championship just three months earlier, announcing his immediate retirement from F1 after pipping fellow Brit Stirling Moss to the title.

The hum of classic 1950s-era racing cars returned to Farnham last October, as thousands gathered to celebrate the 60th anniversary of Hawthorn’s F1 win.

The Friends of Mike Hawthorn group will once again pay their respects on the anniversary of his death this year at the Farnham Flyer’s grave in the West Street cemetery, and pub of choice The Barley Mow, Tilford.

Mike Hawthorn’s death, as it was reported in the Herald 60 years ago today on Friday, January 23, 1959:

"Mike Hawthorn, of Farnham, the world champion racing driver, was killed instantaneously when his green Jaguar car skidded and crashed on the Guildford by-pass yesterday morning.

The car skidded sideways on the damp road, for about 100 yards, touched the back of a lorry going in the opposite direction and crashed into a roadside tree. The car was completely wrecked.

The lorry driver, Mr Frederick George Rice, of 167, Winterslow Drive, Havant, said he saw the car skidding sideways towards him at a very fast speed.

“I kept going, otherwise I would certainly have been killed,” said Mr Rice. He looked into the crashed car, he continued, and saw that the driver was dead.

“There was blood all over the place,” he added.

The accident happened near Coombe’s Service Station on the by-pass and Mr Hawthorn was driving downhill towards Guildford. He was on his way to a luncheon appointment in London.

Mr Rob Walker, a Dorking garage proprietor and racing car owner, who was a close friend of Mike Hawthorn, was following the Jaguar in a Mercedes. Mr Walker was not involved in the accident.

The road surface was damp and the small tree which the Jaguar hit was uprooted and entangled in the wreckage.

Mr Hawthorn, who was 29, resided with his mother at “Green Fields”, Folly Hill, Farnham, and much sympathy will be felt with her in her tragic loss.

Mike Hawthorn was born on April 10, 1929, at Mexborough, near Doncaster, and he moved to Farnham with his family in 1931. His father, Mr Leslie Hawthorn, who was killed in a motor accident at Hindhead four summers ago, started a small garage business in a wooden shed, where the accent was on the preparation of racing cars, and this was the foundation upon which grew the present extensive workshops and showrooms at the Tourist Trophy Garage, East Street, Farnham.

Mike Hawthorn was educated first at Miss Murrell’s School, Farnham, then at Barfield School, Farnham, and later at Ardingly.

In his late teens he began to show the ability for driving cars he later perfected on the track, and to win the World Drivers Championship last year - the first Briton to do so - was the culmination of a meteoric career to the zenith of the world’s most dangerous profession. Hawthorn soon had to drive in international events to compete with men of his own calibre. He drove the world’s fastest racing cars during one of the most competitive eras the sport has known, on tracks all over Europe and the Americas. In one season or another he won almost every important event in the racing world, and broke lap records on many important circuits with a rarely-surpassed brilliance.

Hawthorn was a guest at a private luncheon party given by the Queen at Buckingham Palace and he tied for first place in a poll for the most popular sporting personality of the year in 1958.

He did not neglect his home town after world-wide fame came to him. The Farnham Urban District Council gave a dinner at the Bush Hotel in his honour in November last year, shortly after he won the world championship. On the same day he visited Farnham’s grammar and secondary schools to present cycling proficiency certificates to local school children.

He was to have been the guest of honour at the Hog’s Back Hotel last night at a dinner given by the Farnham Motor Agents’ Association. The dinner was held as planned but the programme of entertainment was omitted. The association’s secretary, Mr David Lloyd, said they felt it would have been Mike’s wish that the dinner should go on. Mr Len Heath, a friend and business associate of Hawthorn, was to have introduced him at the dinner. Instead, he paid a tribute to his memory.

The Farnham and District Chamber of Commerce had planned to entertain Hawthorn as guest of honour at their annual dinner and dance at the Memorial Hall, Farnham, on February 11."