King's alumni, including 92 year old Dr Francis de Marneffe, row at Henley
On Saturday 02 July, a boat with a crew comprised of current King’s students and esteemed Alumni took to the water at the Henley Royal Regatta in celebration of the 70th anniversary of the 1946 Wyfold Cup Win. Amongst this crew was Francis de Marneffe (Medicine 1950), aged 92 and still rowing strong.
King’s College London Boat Club (KCLBC) were winners of the Wyfold Challenge Cup in 1946, beating the Thames Rowing club by 1 ¼ lengths. The 1946 event was the first time the Henley Regatta had taken place since the pre-war years.
Now, in the 70th anniversary year of this triumph, a boat organised and lead by Michael Gleeson, Emeritus Professor of Otolaryngology and Skull Base Surgery at King’s College and President of KCLBC, took part in the lunchtime row past that commemorated an historic victory and celebrating the efforts of the 1946 crew. What made this even more impressive and unique was that Francis de Marneffe, who was a member of the original 1946 crew, took part in the row.
Francis de Marneffe is by far the oldest athlete ever to take part in the history of the Regatta and this was an emotional event for Francis as he remembers his friends and fellow crew members. Thomas Christie is the only other surviving member of the 1946 crew and, although not fit enough to row, he was present on Saturday to cheer Francis on. Francis described Tom as ‘the outstanding oarsman of his generation’ who went on to represent Great Britain at the 1948 Olympics and the British Empire & Commonwealth Games where he won a silver medal in 1954.
Credit: HRR/JamesFinlay
Sir Mathew Pinsent was instrumental in gaining King’s selection to undertake this row at the Regatta and Sir Stephen Redgrave came personally to give Francis his best wishes immediately before he took his place in the boat.
After completing the 4,500 yard row, the television commentator who interviewed Dr de Marneffe about his history making achievement asked if he had enjoyed the exertion. Francis answered, ‘No, I didn't. It has been 69 years since I last rowed in an VIII, but I have been in training!’
The crew, all of whom had a special connection to KCLBC were representative of King’s past and present. Dr de Marneffe was joined by current King’s Medical Students and David Cooper Scholars Alice Meakes, Steffi Stone, Simon Deacon and Cameron Bullock and Guy’s Alumni Paul Stuart Bennett, Simon Jefferies, Robert Pinckney and Michael Gleeson.
Speaking after the event, Professor Gleeson said: ‘Henley Saturday, a crew that contained former World Champions with an age range of 70 years - no question one of the most memorable rows of my life.’
For further information contact the Public Relations Department on 0207 848 3202 or pr@kcl.ac.uk
About Francis de Marneffe
Francis, a keen rower from the age of 8, was born in Belgium in 1924 and fled the Nazi invasion aged 16 in 1940. Arriving in England he quickly adapted to his new life, attending school and starting university studies before joining the RAF in 1943 and serving as a pilot. In 1950 he graduated in Medicine and emigrated to America where he trained as a psychiatrist in Boston before serving for 25 years as General Director of McLean Hospital.
For further information about King's, visit the King's in Brief webpages.