Walter Birch

The son of a wealthy Manchester merchant and agent, Walter Birch enjoyed the thrill of fast sports and, riding a Sunbeam motor cycle, took part in the inaugural Manx Grand Prix in 1923 (then known as the Manx Amateur Road Races). Birch competed in the Isle of Man TT three times, with his best finish being 16th in the 1927 Senior TT. However, in the amateur Manx Grand Prix, he finished second in the 1928 senior race, behind the defending champion Tim Hunt. That same year he was pipped for third place in the junior GP by two seconds. He competed in the Manx GP eight times, finishing in the top eight on four occasions. It was with a touch of irony that in 1922, Birch had been fined ten shillings (50 pence), by the Morecambe Borough Court, for riding a motor cycle - without a driving licence!

The same year that Birch enjoyed his best Isle of Man finish, 1928, he teamed up with Henry Martineau, Eddie Hall, John Gee and John, Earl of Stair in the Great Britain II bobsleigh at the St. Moritz Olympics. They finished ninth, one place above the Great Britain I team