Dick Offer
Encyclopedia
Richard Frederick Offer (1909 - 6 February 2007) was an English rower
who won Silver Goblets at Henley Royal Regatta
and a silver medal at the 1938 British Empire Games
.
Offer was born at Hampton Wick
, the son of Henry John Offer and his wife Vera Jennie Burgoine. His maternal
grandfather, Alfred Burgoine, was a boat designer who built one of Queen Victoria
’s Royal Barges and a motor launch that held the world water speed record. He was educated at Tiffin School where he began rowing. He joined Kingston Rowing Club
in 1929, where his brothers Tom and Jack Offer
were already members.
Offer excelled at sculling
, in particular partnering his brother Jack in the double scull
s. They also took part in skiffing
, being members of The Skiff Club
. They won the Gentlemen's Double Sculls at the Skiff Championships Regatta
in 1930, 1931, 1932, 1933 and 1935. In 1936 the pair won Silver Goblets at Henley Royal Regatta
. Two years later they were selected to compete in the 1938 British Empire Games
. Offer worked in an insurance company in the City of London and had to take unpaid leave to be able to compete. In spite of the difficulties in maintaining training during the six-week sea voyage to Australia they won the silver medal in the double sculls event.
Offer was also a sailor with a boat on the south coast, and later at the Thames Sailing Club at Surbiton
where he owned a Thames Rater which was designed and built by his grandfather. He also played rugby for the Old Tiffinians and at County level in the winter months.
At the start of World War II
, Offer was a volunteer fire-watcher on the River Thames
until he gained his Commission in the Royal Navy
and was employed on convoy escorts. At the D-Day
Normandy landings he was a commander of tank landing craft LCT708, and lead the landings on Gold Beach
.
After the war, Offer returned to rowing at Kingston RC, where he competed until the 1950s. He then began coaching at Kingston and at Tiffin School, where he inspired successes in regattas including Henley and coached future international rowers. He played a major part in developing Kingston RC's headquarters at Canbury Gardens
, Kingston and helped in the running of Kingston Regatta
. He became president of Kingston Rowing Club in 1993.
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...
who won Silver Goblets 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...
and a silver medal at the 1938 British Empire Games
1938 British Empire Games
The 1938 British Empire Games was the third British Empire Games, the Commonwealth Games being the modern-day equivalent. Held in Sydney, New South Wales, Australia from February 5–12, 1938, they were timed to coincide with Sydney's sesqui-centenary...
.
Offer was born at Hampton Wick
Hampton Wick
Hampton Wick is a Thames-side area, formerly a village, in the London Borough of Richmond upon Thames in London, England.Famous for its market gardens until well into the twentieth century, it is now commuter-belt territory, housing developments having been built on these areas...
, the son of Henry John Offer and his wife Vera Jennie Burgoine. His maternal
grandfather, Alfred Burgoine, was a boat designer who built one of Queen Victoria
Victoria of the United Kingdom
Victoria was the monarch of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland from 20 June 1837 until her death. From 1 May 1876, she used the additional title of Empress of India....
’s Royal Barges and a motor launch that held the world water speed record. He was educated at Tiffin School where he began rowing. He joined Kingston Rowing Club
Kingston Rowing Club
Kingston Rowing Club is an amateur rowing club, based in England, founded in 1858.The club is one of the world's oldest and most successful amateur rowing clubs...
in 1929, where his brothers Tom and Jack Offer
Jack Offer
John Sidney "Jack" Offer was an English rower who won Silver Goblets at Henley Royal Regatta and a silver medal at the 1938 British Empire Games.Offer was born at Hampton Wick, the son of Henry John Offer and his wife Vera Jennie Burgoine...
were already members.
Offer excelled at sculling
Sculling
Sculling generally refers to a method of using oars to propel watercraft in which the oar or oars touch the water on both the port and starboard sides of the craft, or over the stern...
, in particular partnering his brother Jack in the double scull
Double scull
A double scull is a rowing boat used in the sport of competitive rowing. It is designed for two persons who propel the boat by sculling with two oars, one in each hand....
s. They also took part in skiffing
Skiffing
Skiffing refers to the sporting and leisure activity of rowing a Thames skiff. A Thames skiff is a traditional hand built clinker-built wooden craft of a design which has been seen on the River Thames and other waterways in England and other countries for nearly 200 years...
, being members of The Skiff Club
The Skiff Club
The Skiff Club is the oldest skiff and punting club in existence, having been founded in 1895. It is based on the River Thames in England, on the Middlesex bank between Teddington Lock and Kingston upon Thames....
. They won the Gentlemen's Double Sculls at the Skiff Championships Regatta
Skiff Championships Regatta
The Skiff Championships Regatta is the premier skiff racing regatta on the River Thames in England. It is held annually at Henley on the Sunday of August Bank Holiday weekend.-Events and course:...
in 1930, 1931, 1932, 1933 and 1935. In 1936 the pair won Silver Goblets 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...
. Two years later they were selected to compete in the 1938 British Empire Games
1938 British Empire Games
The 1938 British Empire Games was the third British Empire Games, the Commonwealth Games being the modern-day equivalent. Held in Sydney, New South Wales, Australia from February 5–12, 1938, they were timed to coincide with Sydney's sesqui-centenary...
. Offer worked in an insurance company in the City of London and had to take unpaid leave to be able to compete. In spite of the difficulties in maintaining training during the six-week sea voyage to Australia they won the silver medal in the double sculls event.
Offer was also a sailor with a boat on the south coast, and later at the Thames Sailing Club at Surbiton
Surbiton
Surbiton, a suburban area of London in the Royal Borough of Kingston upon Thames, is situated next to the River Thames, with a mixture of Art-Deco courts, more recent residential blocks and grand, spacious 19th century townhouses blending into a sea of semi-detached 20th century housing estates...
where he owned a Thames Rater which was designed and built by his grandfather. He also played rugby for the Old Tiffinians and at County level in the winter months.
At the start of World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
, Offer was a volunteer fire-watcher on the River Thames
River Thames
The River Thames flows through southern England. It is the longest river entirely in England and the second longest in the United Kingdom. While it is best known because its lower reaches flow through central London, the river flows alongside several other towns and cities, including Oxford,...
until he gained his Commission in the Royal Navy
Royal Navy
The Royal Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the British Armed Forces. Founded in the 16th century, it is the oldest service branch and is known as the Senior Service...
and was employed on convoy escorts. At the D-Day
D-Day
D-Day is a term often used in military parlance to denote the day on which a combat attack or operation is to be initiated. "D-Day" often represents a variable, designating the day upon which some significant event will occur or has occurred; see Military designation of days and hours for similar...
Normandy landings he was a commander of tank landing craft LCT708, and lead the landings on Gold Beach
Gold Beach
Gold Beach was the code name of one of the D-Day landing beaches that Allied forces used to invade German-occupied France on 6 June 1944, during World War II....
.
After the war, Offer returned to rowing at Kingston RC, where he competed until the 1950s. He then began coaching at Kingston and at Tiffin School, where he inspired successes in regattas including Henley and coached future international rowers. He played a major part in developing Kingston RC's headquarters at Canbury Gardens
Canbury Gardens
Canbury Gardens is a public space in Kingston upon Thames, along the Lower Ham Road, covering 14-and-a-half-acres area between the road and the towpath along the River Thames, downstream from Kingston Railway Bridge.-History:...
, Kingston and helped in the running of Kingston Regatta
Kingston Regatta
Kingston Regatta is a rowing regatta, on the River Thames in England which takes place at Kingston upon Thames, Surrey on the reach above Teddington Lock....
. He became president of Kingston Rowing Club in 1993.