Blackpool chauffeur to the stars dies

This story actually begins long before my grandfather became “Chauffeur to the Stars”. In September, 1924 Frank Senior and Ethel Lucas welcomed the birth of their son, Frank Lucas Junior. Frank Lucas Senior started his own taxi business after unsuccessfully attempting to work on the trawlers which only lasted two weeks. The business included hiring out and driving cars for weddings and funerals.

My grandfather, Frank Lucas Junior joined the RAF in 1943. While enlisted he did several jobs including a Bowser Operator refuelling Spitfires and Hurricanes, driving a small tractor with a Bowser full of petrol attached to the back and then drive around the kite’s and refuel them with “eighty octane for Hurricanes and one hundred octane for Spitfires”.

When Frank was moved to RAF Silloth, he worked on the Wimpy bombers (Vickers Wellington). He no longer worked on the smaller Bowser on his own like he had previously, but as part of a team on a much larger tank. From there he moved down to the American Air base at Welford Park near Newbury.

As well as refuelling the planes, Frank also painted the well known black and white Invasion stripes on the wings and tail of Spitfires and gliders that helped Allied Forces to recognise their own planes from the ground during D-Day. He also helped to fill up the air bottles on the British Horsa and American WACO gliders. Frank used a Glee tractor with a compressor and would work through the fifty gliders that they had and refill the air bottles. Frank was also with the American’s for the D-Day operations.

In 1945, after the war ended, Frank Lucas Junior came back to Blackpool and immediately started working for his father as a chauffeur, while courting my grandmother, Sheila Beryl Wakefield. The company was hired to drive for the famous and important individuals who came to Blackpool after the war. In the early days Frank Lucas Junior drove the likes of Johnny Weissmuller, most famous for his lead role as Tarzan in twelve movies between 1932 and 1948, Sophie Tucker, as well as all the local people who did shows in Blackpool.

In 1950 and 1953, Frank Sinatra came to the town. Of course, while he was here, like many others, Mr Sinatra would need to be driven from the airport to the Clifton Hotel and then on to the Blackpool Opera House. That driver was my grandfather, who had many stories to tell about the time he spent with the famous singer in later years, from Mr Sinatra speaking to my grandmother, Sheila outside the Opera House and asking if she was waiting for him, to him joking how he was so loved in the town that he could be the Mayor.

While he drove, Frank Sinatra twice. He also drove the at the time, Prime Minister, Winston Churchill and Anthony Eden, Bob Hope, Danny Kaye, Hoagy Carmichael, Tessie O’Shea, Laurel & Hardy, and even the famous jockey, Gordon Richards, who actually sent my grandfather a silver tray for his wedding day to my grandmother, Sheila Lucas. Richards and also borrowed £20 off my grandfather and later sent him a letter with the money enclosed.

Frank Lucas had a life filled with cars, music and most of all love from his family. He went on to have two daughters, three grandchildren, and four great grandchildren. Travelling the world, and telling his stories to any one who would listen. He was a true inspiration, not only to his family, but to the many people he met along his journey. He will be sorely missed by all.

Per Ardua Ad Astra