John Couchman

John Couchman was educated at Sherborne School in Dorset before going to Christ College, Oxford. From there he became a member of the Royal College of Surgeons and practiced medicine in Oxford, before taking a post at St. Thomas’s Hospital, London. Couchman served as a lieutenant-surgeon in the Royal Navy during World War II, and was honoured with the Distinguished Service Cross (DSC). He married his wife Anne just eight days after Britain declared War on Germany, and shortly before he enlisted in the Navy.

Couchman was a three-time rowing Blue at Oxford (1933-35), and was on the losing crew each time to a Cambridge eight that was part-way through the Boat Race record of 13 consecutive wins. At Henley, Couchman was in the Leander eight that beat Princeton University, USA, to win the Grand Challenge Cup in 1934, and was in the crew that lost to the Ruder Club, Zürich two years later. He enjoyed one other win, as a member of the Leander coxless fours that beat Thames RC to win the Stewards’ Challenge Cup in 1937.