Eton Excelsior Rowing Club

Eton Excelsior Rowing Club is an open rowing club, affiliated with British Rowing. It is located on the Southern bank of the River Thames, west of the town of Windsor in England (///fades.scars.c. It is located on an approximately 5 km reach of river between Bray Lock (upstream) and Boveney Lock (downstream).

The club is closest to Windsor, Slough and Eton and is open to men, women, adults, juniors and veterans. The club's colours are navy and amber.

The club's origin can be traced to 2nd January 1826 when ten men signed-up as the first members, agreeing to abide by the Club's Articles. ^[1]

The club was founded as an intermittent club in 1821 and formally established in 1851 [citation needed].

The club's original boat house was in King Stable Street in Eton, Berkshire, close to Windsor Bridge, on the north bank of the Thames; the reach between Boveney Lock (upstream) and Romney Lock (downstream). The site was leased from Eton College until the mid-1990s when the College decided to develop much of the Eton riverside and the club had to find a new home. For five years the club rented rack space from Eton College at Andrew's Boat House (also used by the Army) just upstream from Boveney Lock. The club eventually found the present site which was split with Wraysbury Skiff and Punting Club who were also looking for a new site at the time. Wraysbury were able to stay at their existing site near Staines-upon-Thames and withdrew. Construction was completed in 2001 and Eton Excelsior moved in during September of that year.

The club lost nine of its members during the First World War;

• Private Stanley William Joseph Bennett (died 31st August 1917)
• Trooper Alfred Blane (died of wounds 24th September 1915)
• Private Christian Harnack (killed 30th August 1918)
• Trooper Herbert Henry Hiley (killed 21st August 1915)
• Gunner Cyril Jackson (killed 28th June 1917)
• 2nd Lieutenant Walter Le Grove (killed 25th April 1918)
• 2nd Lieutenant Walter Scott Mertz (died 28th July 1916)
• Private Leslie Baynes Starling (killed 29th August 1918)
• Lance Corporal Robert Edward White (killed 22nd August 1917)

The club lost eight of its members during the Second World War;

• Sub-Lieutenant Arthur Giles Blake (killed 29th October 1940)
• Sergeant Eric Albert Blore (killed 19th August 1942)
• Lieutenant Ralph Rivers-Bodilly (killed 29th December 1943)
• Lieutenant Richard John “Dickie” Cork DSO DSC (killed 14th April 1944)
• Sergeant Ronald Giles (killed 20th February 1944)
• Pilot Officer David Stewart Harrison (killed 28th September 1940)
• Major Peter Augustus Edward Watson (killed 27th February 1945)
• Flight-Lieutenant Michael Myers Wayman DFC (killed 20th March 1943)

In 1940, members of the club were responsible for forming the Windsor Boys' School Boat Club when, at a Committee meeting on 2nd April 1940, it decided to start coaching boys from the Windsor County Boys School when Excelsior's rowing assets were unused by its members during World War II.^[2]

• Rowing on the River Thames

• Eton Excelsior Rowing Club official website