Ernest Bacon

Ernest Bacon was one of five wrestling sons of a Camberwell Insurance Agent, and two of his brothers, Stanley and Edgar, were, like Ernest, fellow Olympians and British champions.

A Civil Servant, Ernest won the lightweight competition organised by the National Gymnastics Association at the German Gymnasium in 1913. He served with the Civil Service Rifles during World War I and, after the War, went on to win his first national wrestling title in 1924, when he became the Cumberland and Westmorland-style lightweight champion. That same year he was beaten in the national freestyle lightweight final by George MacKenzie. In all, Bacon was defeated in seven national finals during his career. Also in 1924, Bacon went to the Paris Olympics, as did his brother Edgar.

Bacon was the Cumberland and Westmorland national champion again in 1927, but was beaten in the freestyle welter- and lightweight finals by Vic Benson and Bob Cook respectively. Bacon won the Cumberland and Westmorland title again in 1929, and in 1932, just one month before his 39th birthday, was runner-up.

Bacon was a Civil Servant originally with the Post Office, before moving to the Directorate of Lands and Accommodation. A good race walker, he regularly competed in the Civil Service Athletics Championships, and at Raynes Park in 1923 he helped Lands and Accommodation to win the Inter-Divisional Championship. Bacon was awarded the MBE, and during World War II was a chief air raid officer.