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Bill Tucker (rugby union)

October 22, 2023

William Eldon Tucker CVO MBE TD (6 August 1903 – 4 August 1991)[1] was a Bermudian rugby union player who played club rugby for Cambridge University, St. George's Hospital and Blackheath. Tucker gained his first of three international caps when he was selected for England in 1926. Tucker was a notable orthopaedic surgeon, specialising in sports injuries. He also had a long career in the Territorial Army section of the Royal Army Medical Corps, and was decorated for his Second World War service, much of which was spent in German POW camps having remained with the wounded in France during the Dunkirk evacuation.

Bill Tucker
Birth nameWilliam Eldon Tucker
Date of birth(1903-08-06)6 August 1903
Place of birthHamilton, Bermuda
Date of death4 August 1991(1991-08-04) (aged 87)
Place of deathBermuda
SchoolSherborne School
UniversityCaius College, Cambridge
Notable relative(s)William Eldon Tucker, father
Rugby union career
Position(s) No. 8
Amateur team(s)
Years Team Apps (Points)
Cambridge University R.U.F.C.
St. George's Hospital
Blackheath F.C.
Barbarian F.C.
Kent		 ()
International career
Years Team Apps (Points)
1926–1930 England 3 (0)

Personal history Edit

William Eldon Tucker was born in Hamilton Bermuda in 1903 to William Eldon Tucker and Henrietta Hutchings. His father was a medical doctor, and Tucker's life would follow his father's closely in professional and sporting areas. Tucker was educated at Sherborne School in England, before matriculating to Caius College, Cambridge.[2] After leaving Cambridge he continued his education at St George's Hospital, London; where he gained his MRCS and LRCP in 1928.[2] On 1 November 1930 he was commissioned as a lieutenant in the Territorial Army (TA) General List of the Royal Army Medical Corps (RAMC),[3] He transferred to the TA Reserve of Officers on 8 February 1934.[4] In 1936, at the age of 33, he opened the Park Street Orthopaedic Clinic, where he pioneered treatment in sports' injuries, stimulated by his experiences as a rugby player.[5]

With the outbreak of the Second World War imminent, Tucker returned to the RAMC TA General List, and was promoted to captain on 12 April 1939.[6] He was called up for active service when the TA was mobilised. He was captured by German forces early in the conflict, when he chose to remain behind to treat injured soldiers, during the Dunkirk evacuation.[2] As a prisoner of war he made himself useful by constructing improvised artificial limbs for injured soldiers.[2] After his repatriation from Germany, he was appointed Member of the Order of the British Empire on 3 February 1944, "in recognition of gallant and distinguished services during and prior to captivity."[2][7] After the war, while retaining his TA commission, he returned to work at his London Clinic, and through focusing on injuries to sportsmen and women, it became a very successful business. Tucker elected to keep his clinic open seven days a week, therefore becoming a first port of call for sportspeople injured during weekend sporting events, this was very popular with jockeys who required to return to racing as soon as possible for economic reasons.[2] Tucker's clients were notable and included famous cricketers, footballers and members of the British Royal family.

Tucker's TA career continued in parallel, he was promoted major on 15 August 1947, and concurrently granted the acting rank of lieutenant-colonel.[8] In 1950, the rank of lt-col was confirmed, backdated to his original acting promotion.[9] On 16 February 1951 he was awarded the Territorial Efficiency Decoration, with clasp for his long-service in the TA,[10] and was promoted acting colonel on 1 June 1951,[11] substantive promotion followed early the next year, again backdated to the original assumption of acting rank.[12] He was appointed Commander of the Royal Victorian Order in the 1954 New Year Honours.[13] He transferred back to the TA Reserve of Officers on 1 July 1956.[14]

In 1956, Tucker, along with Arthur Porritt and Sir Adolphe Abrahams gathered a group interested in sport and medicine, which became the British Association of Sport and Medicine.[5] On 24 July 1960 he was appointed Honorary Colonel of 17 (London) General Hospital, RAMC, TA,[15] holding the position until 1 December 1963.[16] During this period he reached the age limit for service, and so retired from the TA Reserve of Officers on 6 August 1961.[17]

Tucker wrote several books on health and fitness, including Young at Heart, an advice book for remaining fit in old age. On his retirement he left Britain and returned to his family home in Bermuda. He was married twice, and had two children from his first marriage.

Rugby career Edit

Tucker first came to note as a rugby player when he played for Cambridge University. He played in four Varsity Matches from 1922 to 1925, and he was given the captaincy in the 1925 match. Tucker was described as a 'fine forward' and a 'sanguine, forceful and cheerful personality.[18] During the 1925/26 season, Tucker was given his first international cap, when he was selected for England during the 1926 Five Nations Championship. The match, played against Ireland at Lansdowne Road, ended in a 19–15 victory for the Irish team. After leaving Cambridge, Tucker played for St George's Hospital and then Blackheath, as well as being selected to play county rugby for Kent. Tucker needed to wait until 1930 to play for England again, and played two games in the 1930 Championship, a win over Wales and another loss to Ireland.

Tucker's rugby career is closely linked to that of his father. Not only did the two men share the same name, William Eldon Tucker, but both were educated at Caius College in Cambridge, before completing a medical education at St George's Hospital. At Cambridge, both men played for the University rugby club, and were also honoured by captaining the team during a Varsity Match.[19] Both men played for St George's RFC, Blackheath[19] and played county rugby for Kent.[20] A more difficult feat was achieved when both were chosen to represent England at international level and being chosen to play for invitational touring side, the Barbarians.[21]

Bibliography Edit

  • Godwin, Terry (1984). The International Rugby Championship 1883–1983. Grafton Street, London: Willow Books. ISBN 0-00-218060-X.
  • Griffiths, John (1982). The Book of English International Rugby 1872–1982. London: Willow Books. ISBN 0002180065.
  • Marshall, Howard; Jordon, J.P. (1951). Oxford v Cambridge, The Story of the University Rugby Match. London: Clerke & Cockeran.

References Edit

  1. ^ Bill Tucker player profile Scrum.com
  2. ^ a b c d e f D. Geraint James, R. P. Goulden (19 October 2001). "British Medical Journal – Obituaries". British Medical Journal. 303 (6808): 988–989. PMC 1671353.
  3. ^ "No. 33668". The London Gazette. 9 December 1930. p. 7892.
  4. ^ "No. 34050". The London Gazette. 15 May 1934. p. 3120.
  5. ^ a b Henry Robson (19 December 1991). "William Eldon Tucker, FRCS, CVO, MBE, TD". British Journal of Sports Medicine. 25 (4): 241. doi:10.1136/bjsm.25.4.241. S2CID 72441191. Retrieved 27 June 2010.
  6. ^ "No. 34626". The London Gazette. 16 May 1939. p. 3299.
  7. ^ "No. 36358". The London Gazette (Supplement). 1 February 1944. p. 619.
  8. ^ "No. 38270". The London Gazette (Supplement). 23 April 1948. p. 2591.
  9. ^ "No. 38847". The London Gazette (Supplement). 24 February 1950. p. 966.
  10. ^ "No. 39149". The London Gazette (Supplement). 13 February 1951. pp. 851–852.
  11. ^ "No. 39286". The London Gazette (Supplement). 13 July 1951. p. 3860.
  12. ^ "No. 39439". The London Gazette (Supplement). 11 January 1952. p. 324.
  13. ^ "No. 40053". The London Gazette (Supplement). 29 December 1953. p. 6.
  14. ^ "No. 40837". The London Gazette (Supplement). 20 July 1956. p. 4289.
  15. ^ "No. 42101". The London Gazette (Supplement). 22 July 1960. p. 851.
  16. ^ "No. 43229". The London Gazette (Supplement). 24 January 1964. p. 5164.
  17. ^ "No. 42681". The London Gazette (Supplement). 22 May 1962. p. 4194.
  18. ^ Marshall (1951) pg. 172
  19. ^ a b "W.E. Tucker MB FRCS". Br Med J. 2 (4844): 1050–1. 1953. doi:10.1136/bmj.2.4844.1050-b. PMC 2029985. PMID 13094114.
  20. ^ Marshall (1951) pg. 80
  21. ^ Starmer-Smith, Nigel (1977). The Barbarians. Macdonald & Jane's Publishers. p. 232. ISBN 0-86007-552-4.

October 22, 2023
bill, tucker, rugby, union, william, eldon, tucker, august, 1903, august, 1991, bermudian, rugby, union, player, played, club, rugby, cambridge, university, george, hospital, blackheath, tucker, gained, first, three, international, caps, when, selected, englan. William Eldon Tucker CVO MBE TD 6 August 1903 4 August 1991 1 was a Bermudian rugby union player who played club rugby for Cambridge University St George s Hospital and Blackheath Tucker gained his first of three international caps when he was selected for England in 1926 Tucker was a notable orthopaedic surgeon specialising in sports injuries He also had a long career in the Territorial Army section of the Royal Army Medical Corps and was decorated for his Second World War service much of which was spent in German POW camps having remained with the wounded in France during the Dunkirk evacuation Bill TuckerBirth nameWilliam Eldon TuckerDate of birth 1903 08 06 6 August 1903Place of birthHamilton BermudaDate of death4 August 1991 1991 08 04 aged 87 Place of deathBermudaSchoolSherborne SchoolUniversityCaius College CambridgeNotable relative s William Eldon Tucker fatherRugby union careerPosition s No 8Amateur team s YearsTeamApps Points Cambridge University R U F C St George s HospitalBlackheath F C Barbarian F C Kent International careerYearsTeamApps Points 1926 1930England3 0 Contents 1 Personal history 2 Rugby career 3 Bibliography 4 ReferencesPersonal history EditWilliam Eldon Tucker was born in Hamilton Bermuda in 1903 to William Eldon Tucker and Henrietta Hutchings His father was a medical doctor and Tucker s life would follow his father s closely in professional and sporting areas Tucker was educated at Sherborne School in England before matriculating to Caius College Cambridge 2 After leaving Cambridge he continued his education at St George s Hospital London where he gained his MRCS and LRCP in 1928 2 On 1 November 1930 he was commissioned as a lieutenant in the Territorial Army TA General List of the Royal Army Medical Corps RAMC 3 He transferred to the TA Reserve of Officers on 8 February 1934 4 In 1936 at the age of 33 he opened the Park Street Orthopaedic Clinic where he pioneered treatment in sports injuries stimulated by his experiences as a rugby player 5 With the outbreak of the Second World War imminent Tucker returned to the RAMC TA General List and was promoted to captain on 12 April 1939 6 He was called up for active service when the TA was mobilised He was captured by German forces early in the conflict when he chose to remain behind to treat injured soldiers during the Dunkirk evacuation 2 As a prisoner of war he made himself useful by constructing improvised artificial limbs for injured soldiers 2 After his repatriation from Germany he was appointed Member of the Order of the British Empire on 3 February 1944 in recognition of gallant and distinguished services during and prior to captivity 2 7 After the war while retaining his TA commission he returned to work at his London Clinic and through focusing on injuries to sportsmen and women it became a very successful business Tucker elected to keep his clinic open seven days a week therefore becoming a first port of call for sportspeople injured during weekend sporting events this was very popular with jockeys who required to return to racing as soon as possible for economic reasons 2 Tucker s clients were notable and included famous cricketers footballers and members of the British Royal family Tucker s TA career continued in parallel he was promoted major on 15 August 1947 and concurrently granted the acting rank of lieutenant colonel 8 In 1950 the rank of lt col was confirmed backdated to his original acting promotion 9 On 16 February 1951 he was awarded the Territorial Efficiency Decoration with clasp for his long service in the TA 10 and was promoted acting colonel on 1 June 1951 11 substantive promotion followed early the next year again backdated to the original assumption of acting rank 12 He was appointed Commander of the Royal Victorian Order in the 1954 New Year Honours 13 He transferred back to the TA Reserve of Officers on 1 July 1956 14 In 1956 Tucker along with Arthur Porritt and Sir Adolphe Abrahams gathered a group interested in sport and medicine which became the British Association of Sport and Medicine 5 On 24 July 1960 he was appointed Honorary Colonel of 17 London General Hospital RAMC TA 15 holding the position until 1 December 1963 16 During this period he reached the age limit for service and so retired from the TA Reserve of Officers on 6 August 1961 17 Tucker wrote several books on health and fitness including Young at Heart an advice book for remaining fit in old age On his retirement he left Britain and returned to his family home in Bermuda He was married twice and had two children from his first marriage Rugby career EditTucker first came to note as a rugby player when he played for Cambridge University He played in four Varsity Matches from 1922 to 1925 and he was given the captaincy in the 1925 match Tucker was described as a fine forward and a sanguine forceful and cheerful personality 18 During the 1925 26 season Tucker was given his first international cap when he was selected for England during the 1926 Five Nations Championship The match played against Ireland at Lansdowne Road ended in a 19 15 victory for the Irish team After leaving Cambridge Tucker played for St George s Hospital and then Blackheath as well as being selected to play county rugby for Kent Tucker needed to wait until 1930 to play for England again and played two games in the 1930 Championship a win over Wales and another loss to Ireland Tucker s rugby career is closely linked to that of his father Not only did the two men share the same name William Eldon Tucker but both were educated at Caius College in Cambridge before completing a medical education at St George s Hospital At Cambridge both men played for the University rugby club and were also honoured by captaining the team during a Varsity Match 19 Both men played for St George s RFC Blackheath 19 and played county rugby for Kent 20 A more difficult feat was achieved when both were chosen to represent England at international level and being chosen to play for invitational touring side the Barbarians 21 Bibliography EditGodwin Terry 1984 The International Rugby Championship 1883 1983 Grafton Street London Willow Books ISBN 0 00 218060 X Griffiths John 1982 The Book of English International Rugby 1872 1982 London Willow Books ISBN 0002180065 Marshall Howard Jordon J P 1951 Oxford v Cambridge The Story of the University Rugby Match London Clerke amp Cockeran References Edit Bill Tucker player profile Scrum com a b c d e f D Geraint James R P Goulden 19 October 2001 British Medical Journal Obituaries British Medical Journal 303 6808 988 989 PMC 1671353 No 33668 The London Gazette 9 December 1930 p 7892 No 34050 The London Gazette 15 May 1934 p 3120 a b Henry Robson 19 December 1991 William Eldon Tucker FRCS CVO MBE TD British Journal of Sports Medicine 25 4 241 doi 10 1136 bjsm 25 4 241 S2CID 72441191 Retrieved 27 June 2010 No 34626 The London Gazette 16 May 1939 p 3299 No 36358 The London Gazette Supplement 1 February 1944 p 619 No 38270 The London Gazette Supplement 23 April 1948 p 2591 No 38847 The London Gazette Supplement 24 February 1950 p 966 No 39149 The London Gazette Supplement 13 February 1951 pp 851 852 No 39286 The London Gazette Supplement 13 July 1951 p 3860 No 39439 The London Gazette Supplement 11 January 1952 p 324 No 40053 The London Gazette Supplement 29 December 1953 p 6 No 40837 The London Gazette Supplement 20 July 1956 p 4289 No 42101 The London Gazette Supplement 22 July 1960 p 851 No 43229 The London Gazette Supplement 24 January 1964 p 5164 No 42681 The London Gazette Supplement 22 May 1962 p 4194 Marshall 1951 pg 172 a b W E Tucker MB FRCS Br Med J 2 4844 1050 1 1953 doi 10 1136 bmj 2 4844 1050 b PMC 2029985 PMID 13094114 Marshall 1951 pg 80 Starmer Smith Nigel 1977 The Barbarians Macdonald amp Jane s Publishers p 232 ISBN 0 86007 552 4 Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Bill Tucker rugby union amp oldid 1178040133, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,

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