The University Boat Race & Thorpeness

Since 1856, Oxford and Cambridge University have competed in the University Boat Race rowing, just over four miles along the Thames, between Putney and Mortley. During the 1930s each team paid a visit to Thorpeness.

​In 1936, the Oxford University crew, known as the Dark Blues, visited for a five-day stay ahead of the 88th Boat Race. Every room at the Dolphin Inn was booked to accommodate all the crew and trainers. The Oxford team had not won since 1923 and were looking to break Cambridge’s, known as the Light Blue’s, run of success.

Photograph of the some of the Oxford team, by the Windmill. From left to right: J.S.Lewes, B.J.Sciortino, G.C.Asby and L.V.Garside

During their stay, the crew divided up into teams of three and raced across the Meare. They were followed by a dinghy rowed by a reporter from the Yorkshire Post and coxed by a fellow journalist from the Morning Post. The race was watched by a crowd of onlookers, perhaps hoping to witness a spill into the chilly water.

While in Thorpeness, B.J Sciortino gave an interview to the press announcing that for the rest of their training, the rowers would be forsaking all alcohol except the occasional glass of champagne with meals. The reason for permitting the champagne was for teammate Mike Ashby, who, summoned to Thorpeness, had been forced to miss his planned twenty-first birthday celebrations. Years later, Mike recollected the downing of several crates of champagne.

The Boat Race took place on the 4th April. Oxford initially led, but Cambridge won for the thirteenth consecutive time despite the Dark Blues’ promising start.

​The 91st Boat Race, in 1939, was the last held before the outbreak of World War II.

The Cambridge Crew in 1939

Cambridge’s winning streak had come to an end in 1937 and they lost again the following year. The crew entered training for the 1939 race as the commentators’ underdogs tipped for another defeat. Coached by three men, one of whom had rowed three times for the Light Blues during their winning streak, their training included Swedish movement lessons. As part of their preparations, they visited Thorpeness for a long weekend of relaxation ahead of entering the final stages of training.

​The crew enjoyed time on the golf course and the beach. Robert Bourne, whose grandfather and father had also rowed for Cambridge injured his hand on a broken golf club shaft which required stitches. The injury forced him to pull out of the race. Robert, after being captured at Dunkirk and spending five years as a prisoner of war, returned to Cambridge and at last achieved managed to follow in his ancestors' footsteps winning the Boat Race in 1946.

One newspaper reported that the long weekend had been so successful that the crew had put on nearly three stone in weight between them and their training had to be intensified to shed the extra pounds.

The race took place on 1st April. This time the Thorpeness break paid off. Cambridge won by four lengths in the fastest winning time since 1937.

After 1939 the University Boat Race was put on hold, and no team has since returned to Thorpeness for training.
Many of the crews went on to fight in World War II, we researched them all to find out what became of them.

The 1936 Dark Blue Oxford University crew:

Michael, ‘Mike’, Ashby qualified as a doctor. He served in the Royal Army Medical from 19143 to 1947. After the war, he became a consultant at the Whittington Hospital where he remained for the rest of his career.

John, ‘Jock’, Lewes, on the outbreak of war, joined the Welsh Guards swiftly transferring to a newly formed unit of Commandos. In 1941 he was deployed to the Middle East where Jock instigated experiments in parachute training. He went on to co-found the SAS with David Stirling. In 1941, he was killed coming back from a mission.

Kenneth Garside joined the Royal Air Force, while still at university. He was awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross during World War II. Rising to the rank of Air Vice Marshall, Kenneth remained on the RAF until the 1960s.

Samuel Wood enlisted in 1939 serving in Royal Australian Air Force the where he rose to the rank of Squadron Leader. He died in 2006 aged 91.

Bernard Sciortino died in a flying accident during the Spring of 1939.

John, ‘Jan’, Sturrock also rowed in the 1936 Olympics winning a silver medal and the 1938 British Empire Games where he won a gold medal.

John, ‘Con’ Cherry joined the Royal Navy Volunteer Reserve and was killed when his ship, HMS Welshman, was torpedoed by a U-Boat in 1943.

David, ‘Doc,’ M de R Winser graduated from Oxford and, on a scholarship, spent two years studying medicine at Yale University. David continued his studies at Charing Cross Hospital and joined the Royal Marines during World War II. Awarded a Military Cross for Gallantry, David died in 1944 during the Battle of Walcheren, the Netherlands.

Michael Kirke was the cox weighing in at less than 9 stone. He served in the Royal Air Force. He died in 2008.
The 1939

The 1939 Light Blue Cambridge University crew:

Brian Coulton served in the Royal Navy during World War II. He died in 2003.

Arthur Turner fought with the 8th Army in North Africa and Italy. He died in 1997.

Alan Burrough was President of the Crew. He served as an artillery observation officer in North Africa and was seriously injured losing part of his leg. His family owned the Beefeater Gin Distillery for whom he later went on to work. He died in 2002.

John L L Savill served with the Irish Guards during World War II. He died in 2005.

H Parker

John Turnbull, an Australian, joined the Royal Australian Air Force and was killed in action in 1942.

Maurice Buxton served with the Coldstream Guards during the war. He died in 2013.

Bevis Sanford joined the King’s African Rifles seeing action in Ethiopia and Abyssinia. He died in 2019.

Henry Smith served in the Welsh Guards during World War II. He died in 2011.