An intetesting story is that of
Leo Kuzmicki. He was Polish, and escaped Poland to Britain and served in WW2 as a fighter pilot. He stayed on after the war but could only find employ as a cleaner at Bracebridge Street. Works mechanic, Charlie Edwards happened to be in conversation with
Kuzmicki one day,and found out, that before the war,
Leo was a lecturer on internal combustion engines at Warsaw University. Well, one thing led to another and Joe Craig put
Leo to work on developing the 350 Manx, which up until then was as useful as a cast iron parachute.
Then Geoff Duke began winning on the Junior Manx. Geoff Duke was pretty impressed with
Kuzmicki, who he reckoned expkained the theories of " squish " combustion chambers to him.
Joe Craig became jealous of
Kuzmicki, which is why his work at Norton was never publicly acknowkedged.
Then
Leo Kuzmicki went on to work on the Vanwall racing cars, but that is another story.........
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