Bobby Winton

Born with the family name Wertheim, Bobby Winton was the son of German-Jewish parents and legally changed his surname to Winton in November 1938. He started fencing at Stowe School and then joined Salle Bertrand. Winton had moderate success with épée and foil in the 1930s, and in 1939 won the British Junior Épée Championship, and finished third in the National Championship.

It was as a leading administrator that Winton was better known, however, and he went on to give more than 50 years voluntary devotion to the Amateur Fencing Association as a great organiser. In 1987, as the Association’s vice-president, he was honoured with an MBE for his services to the sport. He was responsible for promoting fencing at grass roots level and he and his brother, Sir Nicholas “Nicky” Winton (1909-2015), donated the Winton Cup, a regional competition for State school pupils, which resulted in the formation of the first National Schoolboys’ Championship.

Winton was also a fencing judge and was the jury president for the Pool 8 matches in the opening round of the individual men’s epee competition at the 1948 London Olympics.