Four times World Sidecar Champion and Isle of Man TT Winner. His racing career began in the 1930s but was interupted by WWII when as a Flight Engineer in Lancaster bombers he had safely returned from an amazing 47 missions. After the War he resumed motorcycle racing winning the inaugural 1949 World Sidecar Championship with Denis Jenkinson in the 'chair' which he repeated in 1950, 1951 and 1953. He prepared his own Norton machines always fitted with Watsonian sidecars, and was always experimenting with various parts in his efforts to keep ahead of the more powerful multi-cylinder machines. He often used to race solo machines as well as his sidecar outfit at the same meeting. For six years he became part of the 'Continental Circus' as it was called, travelling from race to race, often though the night. He and Ray Amm took the unusual Kneeler Norton to Montlhery were they broke numerous World distance records. After retiring in 1955 to devote more time to his motorcycle business in Staines, Middlesex, he returned to the Isle of Man in 1958 and raced a roadgoing Norton/Watsonian, with Mrs Pat Wise, against thoroughbred racing machines and came an astonishing 10th. In 1960 he and passenger Stan Dibben returned to the island but a broken bolt in the forks caused the outfit to crash and both Oliver and Dibben were injured, Eric breaking his back in two places. In 1978 he returned to Mallory Park and raced a replica outfit in the Vintage and Veteran meeting and was voted 'Man of the Meeting'. He always had time for his fans who hero worshipped him, and never refused an autograph even when he was surrounded by a throng. He sadly died of a stroke and was cremated at Finchampstead Crematorium..