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Today's Date: 29 March 2024
RED LETTER DAY FOR BILL LUCAS DFC

Many congratulations to former Surrey president and cross country team manager Bill Lucas DFC, who was recognised as Britain’s oldest living Olympian in the Daily Mirror Pride of Britain awards on ITV on November 1st 2016.

Bill competed in the 5000m at the London Olympics at Wembley in 1948 after just one year's training after serving in the RAF's Bomber Command for seven years and flying 81 missions, surviving unharmed. He was included in the section of the programme to congratulate Britain’s successful Olympic and Paralympic athletes in Rio this summer.

He was in remarkably good form considering he’s in his 100th year but he had to be helped on to the stage as he broke a leg when visiting his local library in Cowfold, West Sussex earlier this year, a few weeks after undergoing open heart surgery.

He showed he has lost none of his Chutzpah in a lively encounter with presenter Carol Vorderman, who said it was an honour to meet him. Bill responded: “Nice to meet you too.” Carol revealed: “ You’ve got a big birthday in January,” and amid cheers and applause from the audience Bill revealed: “I will be 100 on the 16th.” Bill interjected after Carol told the audience he was a bomber pilot in the second world war: “Hitler deprived me of my best athletic years so what did I do. I went out and bombed him.” amid much laughter from the star-studded audience.

Bill’s lifelong club, Belgrave Harriers, are organising a grand birthday party to celebrate his centenary on January 15th in Belgrave Hall.

An update from Tom Pollak, SCAA Chairman:-

Since this notice was posted Bill and Sheena have been seriously hurt in a road accident and have both been in hospital. On November 19th they were passengers in a Sport Utility Vehicle driven by a 94-year-old World War Two bomber pilot and on their way to a picture signing for bomber command. The driver managed to roll it over at a roundabout in Burgess Hill and while he and another passenger escaped unhurt, both Bill and Sheena had to be cut out of the wreckage by firemen.

Bill suffered a broken collarbone and Sheena cracked ribs and breastbone. After being treated in the emergency department at Brighton Hospital they were transferred to Horsham Hospital for recuperation and rehabilitation.

I went to see them there on December 18th and, despite their ordeal, they both seemed in good form and were looking forward to the January celebrations. They were in their own two-bed ward.

Happily, they were discharged just before the festive season and were able to spend Christmas at their home in Cowfold with neighbours and friends making sure they were able to cope. They were certainly happy to be out of hospital and in their own surroundings. Both sets of injuries are healing but Bill has problems with a swollen right leg which doctors are trying to resolve.