Torpids 1947

BUMPS CHART

STANDINGS Start Finish Pos College Pts Pts College 1 St John's 48.0 46.0 New College 2 St Edmund Hall 42.0 41.0 Christ Church 3 New College 37.0 35.0 St John's 4 Christ Church 33.0 35.0 Trinity 5 Magdalen 32.0 33.0 Brasenose 6 Brasenose 30.0 30.0 St Edmund Hall 7 Trinity 27.0 28.0 Balliol 8 Balliol 25.0 28.0 Pembroke 9 Pembroke 24.0 22.0 University 10 Exeter 21.0 18.0 Magdalen 11 Worcester 21.0 18.0 Worcester 12 University 17.0 18.0 Exeter 13 Wadham 15.0 16.0 St Peter's 14 Corpus Christi 14.0 15.0 Corpus Christi 15 Keble 13.0 15.0 Oriel 16 Merton 13.0 12.0 Wadham 17 St Peter's 13.0 11.0 Jesus 18 Oriel 11.0 10.0 Lincoln 19 St Catherine's 9.0 10.0 Keble 20 Hertford 8.0 8.0 Merton 21 Jesus 7.0 7.0 Queen's 22 Lincoln 6.0 6.0 St Catherine's 23 Queen's 5.0 6.0 Hertford

STATISTICS College All Crews [ ]=rank Crews Bps Avg Lincoln 2[ 3] 9[ 1] 4.50[ 3] New College 2[ 3] 8[ 2] 4.00[ 4] Pembroke 2[ 3] 6[ 3] 3.00[ 5] Queen's 1[18] 5[ 4] 5.00[ 1] Jesus 1[18] 5[ 4] 5.00[ 1] Balliol 2[ 3] 5[ 4] 2.50[ 7] University 2[ 3] 4[ 7] 2.00[ 8] Trinity 1[18] 3[ 8] 3.00[ 5] Oriel 2[ 3] 2[ 9] 1.00[ 9] St Peter's 3[ 1] 2[ 9] 0.67[11] Exeter 3[ 1] 1[11] 0.33[12] Corpus Christi 1[18] 1[11] 1.00[ 9] Christ Church 2[ 3] 0[13] 0.00[13] Wadham 2[ 3] -2[14] -1.00[14] St Catherine's 2[ 3] -2[14] -1.00[14] Brasenose 2[ 3] -3[16] -1.50[16] Hertford 1[18] -4[17] -4.00[20] Worcester 2[ 3] -5[18] -2.50[17] Keble 2[ 3] -5[18] -2.50[17] Magdalen 1[18] -6[20] -6.00[23] St Edmund Hall 2[ 3] -7[21] -3.50[19] Merton 2[ 3] -8[22] -4.00[20] St John's 2[ 3] -9[23] -4.50[22]

• 6 days: Thu 20 – Sat 22 Feb, and Thu 28 Feb – Sat 2 Mar 1947.
• Racing suspended Mon 25 – Wed 27 Feb due to ice, so last 3 days' racing postponed.
• Div times 2, 3, 4 and 5pm.
• Coverage in The Daily Telegraph limited to listing crews which gained bumps.

• The Times Thu 20 Feb, from Our Special Correspondent

  The Oxford Torpids will be begun to-day and will continue until next Wednesday. Illness and accident have prevented some of the colleges from putting on more than one crew. Only two colleges, Exeter and St. Peter's Hall are in a position to put on three crews.

  There are 42 crews taking part in the races — the same number as in 1939 — and the war-time custom of colleges amalgamating has been discontinued, each college now rowing under its own colours.

  Order of starting:—[...]

• The Times Fri 21 Feb, from Our Special Correspondent

  From our Special Correspondent

  In the first day of the Oxford Torpids there were 10 bumps. In Division I New College bumped St. Edmund Hall, Christ Church bumped Magdalen, and University College bumped Exeter. In Division II there were also three bumps, made by Keble, Jesus, and Lincoln. In Division III the successful crews were Christ Church II, New College II, and University College II, and in Division IV St. Catherine's II bumped Oriel II.

  To-day's order of rowing will be:—[...]

• The Times Sat 22 Feb, from Our Special Correspondent

  Boats damaged by ice

  Heavy snowstorms added to the difficulties of the crews in the second day's racing of the Oxford Torpids and two at least of the boats were damaged by floating ice. New College went to the head of the river for the first time since 1938, but may have to struggle on Monday to keep away from Christ Church.

  There were 14 bumps as against 10 on Thursday. Successful crews in Division I were New College, Christ Church, Trinity, and University College. There were also four bumps in each of the second and third divisions. In the second division Oriel, Jesus, Lincoln, and Queen's went up places, and in Division III Exeter II, New College II, Pembroke II, and St. Catherine's II made bumps, the last named also making a bump in Division IV, as did Exeter III.

  The order of starting for to-day is:—[...]

• The Times Mon 24 Feb, from Our Special Correspondent

  There were 15 bumps on the third day of the Oxford Torpids on Saturday, bringing the total so far to 39.

  The races were again rowed in heavy snow-storms. New College retained their position at the head of the river and paddled on after Christ Church bumped St. John's early in the race. To-day's race between New College and Christ Church may decide the question of the leadership. Other bumps in Division I were made by Trinity, Brasenose, and Corpus. In Division II there were four bumps by Oriel, St. Peter's Hall, Lincoln, and Queen's. In Division III the first 12 boats all changed places, bumps being recorded by Balliol II, Exeter II, New College II, Pembroke II, University College II, and St. Catherine's II. In Division IV Lincoln II bumped Exeter III.

  The order of starting to-day will be:—[...]

• The Times Tue 25 Feb

  The Torpids postponed

  The fourth day's racing in the Oxford torpids was postponed yesterday because of the severe frost and the dangers of ice flows. Weather permitting, the racing will be continued next Thursday, Friday and Saturday.

• The Times Thu 27 Feb

  It is hoped to continue racing in the Oxford Torpids to-day, but if this is not possible the event will be abandoned altogether. Only three days' racing was possible up to last Saturday.

• The Times Fri 28 Feb, from Our Special Correspondent

  The Oxford Torpid races were resumed yesterday afternoon after three days during which rowing was impossible because of ice. The close race expected between New College and Christ Church for the headship did not materialize. Since Saturday two members of the Christ Church crew contracted mumps and changes naturally affected the crew's chance. There were 12 bumps yesterday, bringing the total for the fours days' racing to 51.

  In Division 1 the only bump was recorded by Pembroke over Magdalen, who have gone down each night — a most unusual experience for this college. In Division 2 there were six bumps, only Exeter, at the top of the division, rowing over. The successful crews were Oriel, St. Peter's Hall, Jesus, Lincoln, Queen's, and Balliol II. In Division 3, Exeter II, New College II, and Pembroke II made bumps, and in Division 4, Lincoln II.

  The order for to-day will be:— [...]

• The Times Sat 1 March, from Our Special Correspondent

  Thirteen bumps were recorded in the fifth day of the Oxford Torpid races yesterday, and for the third occasion six of these were in Divison 2. In Division 1 New College now look like keeping their position at the head of the river, which they last secured in 1938. There were two bumps in this Division, Brasenose bumping St. Edmund Hall and Magdalen losing their fifth place to Balliol. The six bumps in Division 2 were made by Oriel, St. Peter's Hall, Jesus, Lincoln, Queen's, and Balliol II, and the four in Division 3 by Exeter II, New College II, Pembroke II, and Keble II. In Division 4 Lincoln II bumped Merton II. It is interesting to recall that the last time that weather interefered with the races was in 1926 [? probably referring to 1927] when several boats sank and the races had to be abandoned for one day.

  The order of starting for to-day will be:— [...]

• The Times Mon 3 March

  The Torpid races were concluded on Saturday after being abandoned for three days in the early part of the week because of the wintry weather. Rowing was quite out of the question on Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday, and the races could not be resumed till Thursday. It is over 20 years since the Torpdis were at the mercy of the elements, and that was for one day in 1926 [again, probably 1927]

  New College finished head of the river. They last occupied this postion in 1938, but lost it in the year war broke out. Christ Church, who finished second, had the bad luck during the three days' postponement to have two of their crew compelled by illness to retire, and this undoubtedly prevented them from making a closer fight for the headship, if not achieving it.

  The most successful crew was Queen's, who went up five places [although see next day's report], while the most unlucky crews were Magdalen, Merton, and St. John's II, each of whom lost six places. A bump claimed by Wadham II over Worcester II on Friday was conceded after a meeting on Saturday. Bumps altogether totalled 78. Bumps on Saturday were made by Trinity and University in Division 1, by St. Peter's Hall, Lincoln, Queen's, Balliol II, and Exeter II in Division 2, by New College II, Pembroke II, St. Edmund Hall II, Keble II, and Wadham II in Division 3, and by Lincoln II in Division 4.

  The order of finishing was:— [...]

• The Times Tue 4 March

  The most successful crew in the Oxford Torpids was Lincoln, who went up six places [as did New College II], and not Queen's, as previously stated.

• In other news ... [1947]

  Monarch: George VI

  Prime Minister: Clement Attlee (Labour)

  Feb 20

  Earl Mountbatten of Burma is appointed as the last Viceroy of India.

  Feb 20

  An explosion at the O'Connor Electro-Plating Company in Los Angeles leaves 17 dead, 100 buildings damaged, and a 22-foot-deep (6.7 m) crater in the ground.

  Feb 20

  The U.S. Army Ordnance Corps Hermes program V-2 rocket Blossom I is launched into space, carrying plant material and fruitflies, the first living things to enter space.

  Feb 21

  In New York City, Edwin Land demonstrates the first "instant camera", his Polaroid Land Camera, to a meeting of the Optical Society of America.

  Feb 22

  The Tom and Jerry cartoon Cat Fishin', is released.

  Feb 23

  The International Organization for Standardization (ISO) is founded.

  Feb 25

  The German state of Prussia is officially abolished, by the Allied Control Council.

  Feb 25

  Hachiko Line derailment: The worst-ever train accident in Japan kills 184 people.

  Feb 25

  John C. Hennessy, Jr. brings the first Volkswagen Beetle to the United States. He purchased the 1946 automobile from the U.S. Army Post Exchange in Frankfurt, Germany, while serving in the U.S. Army. The Beetle is shipped from Bremerhaven, arriving in New York this day.

  Feb 28

  The United States grants France a military base in Casablanca.

  Feb 28

  In Taiwan, civil disorder is put down, with large loss of civilian lives.

  Mar 1

  The International Monetary Fund begins to operate.

  Mar 1

  German rocket scientist Wernher von Braun marries his first cousin, 18-year-old Maria von Quirstorp.

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