“Bentfield C Hucks was born at Bentfield, Essex, in 1884. His father was a consulting engineer, so it was not surprising that engineering would claim his attention. But ordinary engineering proved too dull and uninspiring: Mr Hucks longed for excitement, and so we find  him shortly entering the motoring business, where he soon established a record for skilful driving. He may have remained a motorist - but for the fact that he was fined £50 for fast driving and had his licence suspended for three years, this very effectually checking his motoring career, and as aviation was the only opening left for one of Mr Huck’s activity, he decided to take up flying as his profession”.

“He received his early training from that master hand Claude Graham-White, being associated with him in all the excitement of the London to Manchester flights, and the Blackpool, Bournemouth and Wolverhampton flying meetings. Then in 1910 Mr Hucks accompanied Mr Graham –White to America, where the latter won all the big prizes, including the Gordon Bennet Cup.