Frank Murdoch

Frank Murdoch played a major role in the production of the Hawker Hurricane fighter plane in advance of the Battle of Britain in 1940 as a production engineer for the Hawker Aircraft company. Murdoch had a Belgian mother and half Belgian/Scottish father, and was educated in Antwerp as a youngster. During World War I he attended Eastbourne Secondary School before returning to Antwerp. Between 1928-32, Murdoch went to University College, London, and obtained a B.Sc in engineering, and later became a mechanical engineer.

It was during a visit to Germany in 1936, to be present at tests for an engine being developed for a motor yacht that Hawker chairman Sir Thomas Sopwith had ordered, that Murdoch was alarmed at the technical might the Germans would have if they invaded Europe. Murdoch reported this to Sopwith, who immediately decided to produce 1,000 Hurricane fighter planes in readiness for any battle for the skies over Britain. Sopwith and Murdoch had first met when sailing against each other in the 1930 Ramsgate to Ostend race. Two years later he joined Sopwith at the Hawker company.

Murdoch was a skilled yachtsman and played a major part in Sopwith’s attempts to wrest the America’s Cup from the NY Yacht Club in his boat Endeavour in 1934 and 1937. After the War Murdoch worked in Belgium for the family firm of shipbuilders Guthrie, Murdoch and Company, founded by his grandfather. Murdoch was managing director until 1961.

Upon retirement Murdoch, who competed in the 6-metre class at the 1952 Helsinki Olympics, continued with his love of sailing and was involved further with post-war America’s Cup challenges and was also involved with the International Yacht Racing Union. His greatest pleasure, however, came in the 1980s, when he was involved in the salvage and rebuilding of Endeavour, and he had the honour of being at the helm when she made her first sea trials.