William Grenfell Lord Desborough WW2 Hand Signed Boat Race Oarsman Letter

CHAU3348 Antique 1939 original hand signed letter from Lord Desborough (formerly William Grenfell) to Elston Gray Turner (a historic WW2 doctor - see below) where Lord Desborough details his achievements as an oarsman and includes his successes from as far back as the 1877 boat races where he achieved a Dead Heat (see letter) - It has some folds only where posted, and just light places otherwise great condition (vg++) and is personally hand signed by Lord Desborough on his headed paper of the war years making this surely one of the most historic autograph opportunities of its kind.

William Grenfell (1855-1945), later Lord Desborough, was a brilliant oarsman, runner, mountaineer, racing punter and fencer who became a great public servant. He was most famous for overseeing the first Olympics in London in 1908, successfully staged at less than two years notice in a brand-new White City stadium.

Having been a cricketer and exceptional runner at school, it was at Oxford that Grenfell took up rowing, later describing himself as being fired by the rowing mania. After two years of college rowing, he rowed at 4 for the University VIII in the famously contentious dead-heat Boat Race of 1877. The following year Oxford won by 40 seconds, but in 1879, illness forced him off the river, even as President of OUBC.

He was invited to join Leander in 1877, and rowed for the Club in the Grand Challenge Cup in 1881, already elected as Member of Parliament for Hereford. He rowed again in 1885, by then MP for Salisbury, while also becoming a champion at racing punting. Grenfell rowed across the Channel in 1885 in a clinker eight fitted with sliding seats and outriggers, and in 1889 rowed in a team of three from Oxford to Putney (105 miles) in a time of 22 hours. Later in life Desborough became an advocate for wider participation in sport and also Chairman of the Thames Conservancy: supervising crucial improvements flood relief measures and the re-building of locks.

This came from the private collection from the estate of Doctor Elston Grey-Turner CBE MC TD (16 August 1916 20 January 1984) who was a British medical doctor who served in World War II and was on the staff of the British Medical Association for many years. He joined the Royal Army Medical Corps and served as regimental medical officer to the 2nd Battalion of the Coldstream Guards 19421945. He was awarded the Territorial Decoration, and also the Military Cross.