Rowland George

Rowland David George DSO OBE (15 January 1905 – 9 September 1997) was a British rower who won gold in the 1932 Summer Olympics. As a World War II wing commander he was the only member of the Royal Air Force Equipment Branch to be awarded the Distinguished Service Order. Until his death he was the oldest surviving British Olympic gold medallist.

Early life and Olympic success

George was born at Bath, Somerset, the third son (fourth child) of John Ellis George and May Louise George. He was educated at Wycliffe College and Lincoln College, Oxford. He started rowing at Oxford, but was not yet at a standard to compete in the Boat Race. After one race a doctor ordered him never to set foot in a boat again as he was so exhausted. He entered business with E. S. & A. Robinson(later part of Dickinson Robinson Group), a firm of printers and packing manufacturers in Bristol, and in 1929 he was transferred to the London office in Colliers Wood, which gave him the opportunity to start rowing again.