The famous person of our first-ever entrance web page in December 1945 was once a fantastic lengthy jumper who competed for Tipton Harriers and the Achilles membership
Over the last 80 years a number of thousand athletes have graced the duvet of AW. Some, akin to Usain Bolt, have featured on our entrance web page plenty of occasions. The primary athlete to obtain the glory as an ‘AW cover star’, although, was once the little-known lengthy jumper Jim Morrish.
The Oxford College athletics captain had a highest of seven.31m and was once pictured in motion at the entrance of our iconic December 1945 factor whilst leaping at White Town.
Born in 1920, he competed for Wolverhampton Grammar Faculty and joined Tipton Harriers in 1938 – successful, amongst different issues, the Midland Counties junior 220 yards identify – sooner than going to Oxford College, the place he represented the Achilles membership. As soon as there he was once invited to coach for the 1948 Olympics however grew to become it down, his circle of relatives imagine, with a view to focal point on tutoring his younger son, David, with maths.
“He was a versatile athlete,” says Tipton Harriers historian Chris Holloway, “often covering track and field events in inter-club trophy meetings that were popular at the time before leagues. He gained Staffordshire colours before the war and it would appear he went to Oxford sometime in late 1939 were he won two events in the Freshman’s Sports in high jump and long jump.”
Holloway provides: “His university career was impressive and he beat CB Fry’s long jump record that had stood since around 1893!”
It sort of feels Morrish put teachers sooner than athletics as he left Oxford with a double first in Maths and in addition Philosophy, Politics and Economics. Later he loved good fortune within the rising international of rubber and plastics, successful a prize for innovation trade which was once to be introduced to him in Australia in 1967.
Unfortunately he died from a center assault simply sooner than he was once because of make the shuttle, although, together with his spouse, Joyce, nonetheless in her 40s and his two daughters, Elizabeth and Rosemary, nonetheless in school.
Rosemary says: “As the issue [in December 1945] suggests, my father was a leading UK long jumper immediately after the war. He came second in the July 1946 AAA championships with a leap of 6.96 metres.”
There is not any doubt Morrish’s profession was once interrupted by way of Global Conflict II as neatly, with him serving within the RAF as a pilot officer.
After placing up his lengthy bounce spikes he was a number one golfer with Harpenden Golfing Membership and he was once a fantastic piano participant and a prepared oil painter. “My father was exceptionally talented in many ways,” says Rosemary.
She provides: “Today’s athletes are the same as those in the 1940s – they not only enjoy the competitive nature of athletics events and the pushing of one’s performance to PBs but also they develop and are enriched by these close and lifelong friendships made at the time.”
» Subscribe to AW mag right here, take a look at our new podcast right here or signal as much as our virtual archive of again problems from 1945 to the current day right here
Subscribe to the AW E-newsletter
