Wilfrid Tatham

Wilfrid Tatham was a remarkably versatile athlete who, apart from 1925, placed in the first six at the AAA Championships every year from 1920-30. He placed third at 880y (1928) and mile (1920) and he won the 440y hurdles in 1924. He was also a member of the Achilles team that won the 4×440y relay in 1930. Possibly his greatest achievement came early in his career when he was a member of the combined Oxbridge team that set a world record for the 4×880y relay at the 1920 Penn Relays. In addition to competing in two Olympic Games, Tatham was fourth in the 440y hurdles at the 1930 British Empire Games. From Eton he went straight into Coldstream Guards in 1917 and won an MC. After three years at King’s College, Cambridge, he returned to Eton as a master and in World War II he was awarded the OBE before being captured in Italy. After a brief spell back at Eton he joined the British Council, and in 1957 he became bursar to the Royal College of Art. On retirement he settled on the island of St. Helena, where he spent the rest of his life.

Personal Bests: 800 – 1:55.2 (1926); 880y – 1:55.9e (1926); 1,500 – 4:08.2 (1922); Mile – 4:25.4 (1921); 440yH – 57.6 (1924/30).