William Fletcher (rower)
Encyclopedia
William Alfred Littledale Fletcher (1869 - 14 February 1919) was an English rower
and coach.
Fletcher was born at Allerton
, near Liverpool, the eldest son of Alfred Fletcher, a Director of the London and North-Western Railway. He was educated at Cheam School
and Eton
. He went to Christ Church, Oxford
where he rowed to win the Ladies' Challenge Plate
and the Thames Cup at Henley Royal Regatta
in 1889. In 1890 he stroked the Oxford
eight
in the Boat Race to end a Cambridge run of four victories. He rowed in the 1891, 1892 and 1893 Boat Races. With Vivian Nickalls
he won the Silver Goblets at Henley in 1892 and 1893 and both the Pairs and the Fours at Oxford. He rowed in winning Leander Club
crews at Henley. He was a member of the Oxford Water Polo team and was on the Committee of Vincent’s.
Fletcher became a rowing coach. He had learned a technique at Oxford of a combination of swing and slide, together with a lightning entry, and he taught it to Cambridge in 1898 and 1899 to create a magnificent Cambridge crew of 1900. He missed coaching for the 1901 Boat Race as he took part in the Second Anglo-Boer War where he was awarded the D.S.O. He reached the peak of his fame as a coach and afterwards coached many Oxford crews.
Fletcher was also a big game hunter and explorer. He went hunting and exploring in Siberia, Kenya, and Tibet. In World War I
, Fletcher served as Captain of the 2/6th Rifle Battalion of the Liverpool Regiment. His troops suffered the second mustard gas attack of the war, at Armentières
in July 1917, which wiped out two companies and incapacitated 440 men, including Fletcher himself. He was released from hospital two months later and resumed command, but was never the fully recovered and gave it up in July 1918. After the war, when he was acting chairman of the Henley Regatta, he put forward a motion to hold a scaled-down Henley Regatta in the following summer, which was carried unanimously. However he never saw it to fruition since he died in the 1918 flu pandemic from broncho-pneumonia which caught hold in his gas-weakened lungs.
Rowing (sport)
Rowing is a sport in which athletes race against each other on rivers, on lakes or on the ocean, depending upon the type of race and the discipline. The boats are propelled by the reaction forces on the oar blades as they are pushed against the water...
and coach.
Fletcher was born at Allerton
Allerton
-Places:In the United Kingdom*Allerton, Merseyside, a suburb of Liverpool, England**Allerton railway station*Allerton, West Yorkshire, a suburb of Bradford, England*Allerton Bywater, a village in West Yorkshire...
, near Liverpool, the eldest son of Alfred Fletcher, a Director of the London and North-Western Railway. He was educated at Cheam School
Cheam School
Cheam School is a preparatory school in Headley in the civil parish of Ashford Hill with Headley in the English county of Hampshire. It was founded in 1645 by the Reverend George Aldrich in Cheam, Surrey and has been in operation ever since....
and Eton
Eton College
Eton College, often referred to simply as Eton, is a British independent school for boys aged 13 to 18. It was founded in 1440 by King Henry VI as "The King's College of Our Lady of Eton besides Wyndsor"....
. He went to Christ Church, Oxford
Christ Church, Oxford
Christ Church or house of Christ, and thus sometimes known as The House), is one of the largest constituent colleges of the University of Oxford in England...
where he rowed to win the Ladies' Challenge Plate
Ladies' Challenge Plate
The Ladies' Challenge Plate is one of the events at Henley Royal Regatta on the River Thames at Henley-on-Thames in England. Crews of men's eight-oared boats below the standard of the Grand Challenge Cup can enter, although international standard heavyweight crews are not permitted to row in the...
and the Thames Cup at Henley Royal Regatta
Henley Royal Regatta
Henley Royal Regatta is a rowing event held every year on the River Thames by the town of Henley-on-Thames, England. The Royal Regatta is sometimes referred to as Henley Regatta, its original name pre-dating Royal patronage...
in 1889. In 1890 he stroked the Oxford
Oxford University Boat Club
The Oxford University Boat Club is the rowing club of the University of Oxford, England, located on the River Thames at Oxford. The club was founded in the early 19th century....
eight
Eight (rowing)
An Eight is a rowing boat used in the sport of competitive rowing. It is designed for eight rowers, who propel the boat with sweep oars, and is steered by a coxswain, or cox....
in the Boat Race to end a Cambridge run of four victories. He rowed in the 1891, 1892 and 1893 Boat Races. With Vivian Nickalls
Vivian Nickalls
Vivian Nickalls was a British rower who won the Wingfield Sculls three times and the Diamond Challenge Sculls at Henley Royal Regatta in 1891.-Biography:...
he won the Silver Goblets at Henley in 1892 and 1893 and both the Pairs and the Fours at Oxford. He rowed in winning Leander Club
Leander Club
Leander Club, founded in 1818, is one of the oldest rowing clubs in the world. It is based in Remenham in the English county of Berkshire, adjoining Henley-on-Thames...
crews at Henley. He was a member of the Oxford Water Polo team and was on the Committee of Vincent’s.
Fletcher became a rowing coach. He had learned a technique at Oxford of a combination of swing and slide, together with a lightning entry, and he taught it to Cambridge in 1898 and 1899 to create a magnificent Cambridge crew of 1900. He missed coaching for the 1901 Boat Race as he took part in the Second Anglo-Boer War where he was awarded the D.S.O. He reached the peak of his fame as a coach and afterwards coached many Oxford crews.
Fletcher was also a big game hunter and explorer. He went hunting and exploring in Siberia, Kenya, and Tibet. In World War I
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
, Fletcher served as Captain of the 2/6th Rifle Battalion of the Liverpool Regiment. His troops suffered the second mustard gas attack of the war, at Armentières
Armentières
Armentières is a commune in the Nord department in the Nord-Pas-de-Calais region in northern France. It is part of the Urban Community of Lille Métropole, and lies on the Belgian border, northwest of the city of Lille, on the right bank of the river Lys....
in July 1917, which wiped out two companies and incapacitated 440 men, including Fletcher himself. He was released from hospital two months later and resumed command, but was never the fully recovered and gave it up in July 1918. After the war, when he was acting chairman of the Henley Regatta, he put forward a motion to hold a scaled-down Henley Regatta in the following summer, which was carried unanimously. However he never saw it to fruition since he died in the 1918 flu pandemic from broncho-pneumonia which caught hold in his gas-weakened lungs.