Bill Tucker (rugby player)
Encyclopedia
William "Bill" Eldon Tucker CVO MBE TD (6 August 1903 – 4 August 1991) 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, specializing 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.
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
. After leaving Cambridge he continued his education at St George's Hospital
, London; where he gained his MRCS
and LRCP
in 1928. On 1 November 1930 he was commissioned as a lieutenant
in the Territorial Army (TA) General List of the Royal Army Medical Corps
(RAMC), He transferred to the TA Reserve of Officers on 8 February 1934. 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.
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. 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. As a prisoner of war he made himself useful by constructing improvised artificial limbs for injured soldiers. 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." 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 jockey
s who required to return to racing as soon as possible for economic reasons. 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. In 1950, the rank of lt-col was confirmed, backdated to his original acting promotion. On 16 February 1951 he was awarded the Territorial Efficiency Decoration, with clasp for his long-service in the TA, and was promoted acting colonel on 1 June 1951, substantive promotion followed early the next year, again backdated to the original assumption of acting rank. He was appointed Commander of the Royal Victorian Order in the 1954 New Year Honours
. He transferred back to the TA Reserve of Officers on 1 July 1956.
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. On 24 July 1960 he was appointed Honorary Colonel of 17 (London) General Hospital, RAMC, TA, holding the position until 1 December 1963. During this period he reached the age limit for service, and so retired from the TA Reserve of Officers on 6 August 1961.
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.
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. 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. Both men played for St George's RFC, Blackheath and played county rugby for Kent. 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
.
Bermuda
Bermuda is a British overseas territory in the North Atlantic Ocean. Located off the east coast of the United States, its nearest landmass is Cape Hatteras, North Carolina, about to the west-northwest. It is about south of Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada, and northeast of Miami, Florida...
rugby union
Rugby union
Rugby union, often simply referred to as rugby, is a full contact team sport which originated in England in the early 19th century. One of the two codes of rugby football, it is based on running with the ball in hand...
player who played club rugby for Cambridge University
Cambridge University R.U.F.C.
The Cambridge University Rugby Union Football Club, or CURUFC, is the rugby union club of Cambridge University, and plays Oxford University in the annual Varsity Match at Twickenham stadium every December. CURUFC players wear light blue and white hooped jerseys with a red lion crest...
, St. George's Hospital
St. George’s Hospital Medical School RFC
St. George’s Hospital Medical School RFC is one of the oldest rugby clubs in the world having been founded in 1863. The side is notable for its long history, its participation in the oldest competition in rugby, the United Hospitals Cup, as well as having produced a large number of international...
and Blackheath. Tucker gained his first of three international caps when he was selected for England
England national rugby union team
The England national rugby union team represents England in rugby union. They compete in the annual Six Nations Championship with France, Ireland, Scotland, Italy, and Wales. They have won this championship on 26 occasions, 12 times winning the Grand Slam, making them the most successful team in...
in 1926. Tucker was a notable orthopaedic surgeon, specializing in sports injuries. He also had a long career in the Territorial Army section of the Royal Army Medical Corps
Royal Army Medical Corps
The Royal Army Medical Corps is a specialist corps in the British Army which provides medical services to all British Army personnel and their families in war and in peace...
, 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.
Personal history
William Eldon Tucker was born in HamiltonHamilton, Bermuda
Hamilton is the capital of the British Overseas Territory of Bermuda. It is the territory's financial centre and a major port and tourist destination.-Geography:...
Bermuda in 1903 to William Eldon Tucker
William Eldon Tucker
William Eldon Tucker was a Bermudian rugby union player who played club rugby for Cambridge University, St. George's Hospital and Blackheath. Tucker gained his first of five international caps when he was selected for England in 1894...
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
Sherborne School
Sherborne School is a British independent school for boys, located in the town of Sherborne in north-west Dorset, England. It is one of the original member schools of the Headmasters' and Headmistresses' Conference....
in England, before matriculating to Caius College, Cambridge
Gonville and Caius College, Cambridge
Gonville and Caius College is a constituent college of the University of Cambridge in Cambridge, England. The college is often referred to simply as "Caius" , after its second founder, John Keys, who fashionably latinised the spelling of his name after studying in Italy.- Outline :Gonville and...
. After leaving Cambridge he continued his education at St George's Hospital
St George's Hospital
Founded in 1733, St George’s Hospital is one of the UK's largest teaching hospitals. It shares its main hospital site in Tooting, England with the St George's, University of London which trains NHS staff and carries out advanced medical research....
, London; where he gained his MRCS
Membership of the Royal College of Surgeons
MRCS is a professional qualification for surgeons in the UK and IrelandIt means Member of the Royal College of Surgeons. In the United Kingdom, doctors who gain this qualification traditionally no longer use the title 'Dr' but start to use the title 'Mr', 'Mrs', 'Miss' or 'Ms'.There are 4 surgical...
and LRCP
Royal College of Physicians
The Royal College of Physicians of London was founded in 1518 as the College of Physicians by royal charter of King Henry VIII in 1518 - the first medical institution in England to receive a royal charter...
in 1928. On 1 November 1930 he was commissioned as a lieutenant
First Lieutenant
First lieutenant is a military rank and, in some forces, an appointment.The rank of lieutenant has different meanings in different military formations , but the majority of cases it is common for it to be sub-divided into a senior and junior rank...
in the Territorial Army (TA) General List of the Royal Army Medical Corps
Royal Army Medical Corps
The Royal Army Medical Corps is a specialist corps in the British Army which provides medical services to all British Army personnel and their families in war and in peace...
(RAMC), He transferred to the TA Reserve of Officers on 8 February 1934. 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.
With the outbreak of the Second World War imminent, Tucker returned to the RAMC TA General List, and was promoted to captain
Captain (British Army and Royal Marines)
Captain is a junior officer rank of the British Army and Royal Marines. It ranks above Lieutenant and below Major and has a NATO ranking code of OF-2. The rank is equivalent to a Lieutenant in the Royal Navy and to a Flight Lieutenant in the Royal Air Force...
on 12 April 1939. 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. As a prisoner of war he made himself useful by constructing improvised artificial limbs for injured soldiers. 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." 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 jockey
Jockey
A jockey is an athlete who rides horses in horse racing or steeplechase racing, primarily as a profession. The word also applies to camel riders in camel racing.-Etymology:...
s who required to return to racing as soon as possible for economic reasons. 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. In 1950, the rank of lt-col was confirmed, backdated to his original acting promotion. On 16 February 1951 he was awarded the Territorial Efficiency Decoration, with clasp for his long-service in the TA, and was promoted acting colonel on 1 June 1951, substantive promotion followed early the next year, again backdated to the original assumption of acting rank. He was appointed Commander of the Royal Victorian Order in the 1954 New Year Honours
New Year Honours
The New Year Honours is a part of the British honours system, being a civic occasion on the New Year annually in which new members of most Commonwealth Realms honours are named. The awards are presented by the reigning monarch or head of state, currently Queen Elizabeth II...
. He transferred back to the TA Reserve of Officers on 1 July 1956.
In 1956, Tucker, along with Arthur Porritt
Arthur Porritt, Baron Porritt
- External links :* * *...
and Sir Adolphe Abrahams gathered a group interested in sport and medicine, which became the British Association of Sport and Medicine. On 24 July 1960 he was appointed Honorary Colonel of 17 (London) General Hospital, RAMC, TA, holding the position until 1 December 1963. During this period he reached the age limit for service, and so retired from the TA Reserve of Officers on 6 August 1961.
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
Tucker first came to note as a rugby player when he played for Cambridge University. He played in four Varsity MatchesThe Varsity Match
The Varsity Match is an annual rugby union fixture played between the universities of Oxford and Cambridge in England. By tradition, the match is held on the second Tuesday of December. In 2005, however, this changed, and the match was on Tuesday 6 December. In 2007, it was held on a Thursday for...
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. During the 1925/26 season, Tucker was given his first international cap, when he was selected for England during the 1926 Five Nations Championship
1926 Five Nations Championship
The 1926 Five Nations Championship was the twelfth series of the rugby union Five Nations Championship following the inclusion of France into the Home Nations Championship. Including the previous Home Nations Championships, this was the thirty-ninth series of the annual northern hemisphere rugby...
. The match, played against Ireland
Ireland national rugby union team
The Ireland national rugby union team represents the island of Ireland in rugby union. The team competes annually in the Six Nations Championship and every four years in the Rugby World Cup, where they reached the quarter-final stage in all but two competitions The Ireland national rugby union...
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
1930 Five Nations Championship
The 1930 Five Nations Championship was the sixteenth series of the rugby union Five Nations Championship following the inclusion of France into the Home Nations Championship. Including the previous Home Nations Championships, this was the forty-third series of the annual northern hemisphere rugby...
, a win over Wales
Wales national rugby union team
The Wales national rugby union team represent Wales in international rugby union tournaments. They compete annually in the Six Nations Championship with England, France, Ireland, Italy and Scotland. Wales have won the Six Nations and its predecessors 24 times outright, second only to England with...
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. Both men played for St George's RFC, Blackheath and played county rugby for Kent. 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
Barbarian F.C.
The Barbarian Football Club, usually referred to as the Barbarians and nicknamed the "Baa-Baas", is an invitational rugby union team based in Britain...
.