George Burt

Born into a wealthy family that made a fortune in the building industry, Burt learned to fence whilst a pupil at Clifton College. One of Britain’s top fencers in the period before and after the First World War, he made his only Olympic appearance in Antwerp in 1920. He was part of the Great Britain team that finished seventh in the Epee team but he failed to advance past the pool stages of the individual event.

Taking over the running of his family’s Mowlem construction company he was involved in many projects including the building of the BBC headquarters at Bush House and the Port of London Authority Building. A close friend of Winston Churchill, this may have helped when his company were awarded the contract to rebuild Buckingham Palace following war damage. He was knighted by King George VI in 1942.