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Lieutenant Colonel John Malcolm Thorpe Fleming "Mad Jack" Churchill, DSO & Bar, MC & Bar.He’s the chap on the bottom right of this photo. Note the sword in his right hand. It’s a claymore - the big, Scottish basket-hilted sword.He coined the maxim "Any officer who goes into action without his sword is improperly dressed."He also had a penchant for playing bagpipes and for using a bow and arrow in combat. This is him at the World Archery Championships in 1939.He was born in 1906, in Surrey. He attended RMA Sandhurst and graduated from there in 1926, being commissioned as a 2nd Lt in the Manchester Regiment. He joined the 2nd Battalion in Rangoon (in Burma).Returning from a signals course at Poona, he rode a Zenith motor-cycle 1,500 miles across India, at one point crashing into a water buffalo. In Burma, he took the Zenith over railway bridges by stepping on the sleepers (there was nothing in between them) and pushing the bike along the rails.Churchill moved from Rangoon to Maymyo where he was engaged in "flag marches", which meant moving up and down the Irrawaddy by boat, visiting the villages and deterring those who might be contemplating robbery, murder or dacoity.At Maymyo he learned to play the bagpipes, tutored by the Pipe Major of the Cameron Highlanders, and became an oustanding performer. But when the regiment returned to Britain in 1936, he became bored with military life at the depot at Ashton-under-Lyne and retired after only 10 years in the Army.Churchill went on a grand tour of Europe, accompanied by his great friend Rex King-Clark; took minor parts as an archer in films; played the bagpipes as an entertainer; and represented Great Britain at archery in the 1939 World Championships.When WW2 broke out, he rejoined the Army. His unit was posted to France, and he led patrols ahead of the Maginot Line. Having taken his bow and bagpipes with him when he was posted to France, he took the bow and arrows on patrol. He is reputed to have used them in combat, killing a German NCO in a French village in 1940.According to his son Malcolm, "He and his section were in a tower and as the Germans approached he said 'I will shoot that first German with an arrow,' and that's exactly what he did."He was awarded the Military Cross for his actions in France.After returning to England, he joined the Commandos and in 1941 was second-in-command of a mixed force from 2 and 3 Commandos which raided Vaagso, in Norway. The aim was to blow up local fish oil factories, sink shipping, gather intelligence, eliminate the garrison and bring home volunteers for the Free Norwegian Forces.Before landing, Churchill decided to look the part. He wore silver buttons he had acquired in France; carried his bow and arrows and armed himself with a broad-hilted claymore; and led the landing force ashore with his bagpipes. Although he was again wounded, the operation forced the Germans to concentrate large forces in the area.For his bravery in Norway, he was awarded a Bar to his Military Cross.After recovering, Churchill was appointed Lieutenant Colonel commanding No 2 Commando.In July 1943, as commanding officer, he led 2 Commando from their landing site at Catania in Sicily with his trademark Scottish broadsword slung around his waist, a longbow and arrows around his neck and his bagpipes under his arm, which he also did in the landings at Salerno. Leading 2 Commando, Churchill was ordered to capture a German observation post outside of the town of Molina, controlling a pass leading down to the Salerno beachhead.With the help of a corporal, he infiltrated the town and captured the post, taking 42 prisoners including a mortar squad. Churchill led the men and prisoners back down the pass, with the wounded being carried on carts pushed by German prisoners. He commented that it was "an image from the Napoleonic Wars." In further fighting along the Pigoletti Ridge, he was recommended for the VC but eventually received the Distinguished Service Order. His action had saved the Salerno beachhead at a critical time.Churchill's next assignment was in the Adriatic, where he was appointed to command a force comprising No 43 Royal Marine Commando plus one company from the Highland Light Infantry and eight 25 lb guns.In 1944 he led the Commandos in Yugoslavia, where they supported Josip Broz Tito's Partisans from the Adriatic island of Vis.In May he was ordered to raid the German held island of Brac. He organised a "motley army" of 1,500 Partisans, 43 Commando and one troop from 40 Commando for the raid. The landing was unopposed but on seeing the eyries from which they later encountered German fire, the Partisans decided to defer the attack until the following day. Churchill's bagpipes signalled the remaining Commandos to battle. After being strafed by an RAF Spitfire, Churchill decided to withdraw for the night and to re-launch the attack the following morning.They then attacked and captured the Vidova Gora (2,500 ft high), the approaches of which were heavily mined. Playing his pipes, Churchill led No 40 Commando in a night attack which reached the top of the objective where he was wounded and captured."You have treated us well," he wrote to the German commander after only 48 hours in captivity. "If, after the war, you are ever in England and Scotland, come and have dinner with my wife and myself"; he added his telephone number. The German was one Captain Hans Thornerr and later that note saved Thornerr's life when the Yugoslavs wanted to have him shot as a war criminal.The Germans thought, wrongly, that Churchill must be a relation of the Prime Minister. Eventually he was imprisoned in Sachsenhausen Camp, near Berlin, where he was chained to the floor for the first month and found himself in company with such VIPs as Kurt von Schusnigg, the former Chancellor of Austria, von Thyssen, and Schacht, the former German Economics Minister.Churchill tunnelled out of the camp with an RAF officer, but was recaptured and transferred to a PoW camp in Austria. When the floodlights failed one night he escaped and, living on stolen vegetables, walked across the Alps near the Brenner Pass. He then made contact with an American reconnaissance column in the Po Valley.Churchill was appointed second-in-command of No 3 Commando Brigade, which was in India preparing for the invasion of Japan, but the war ended - much to his regret, as he wanted to be killed in battle and buried in the Union flag. Churchill was said to be unhappy with the sudden end of the war, saying: "If it wasn't for those damn Yanks, we could have kept the war going another 10 years!"He took a parachute course, making his first jump on his 40th birthday, and commanded 5th (Scottish) Parachute Battalion, thus becoming the only officer to command both a Commando and a Parachute battalion.Churchill had always wanted to serve with a Scottish regiment, and so transferred to the Seaforth Highlanders, becoming a company commander.In 1948 he was appointed second-in-command of the Highland Light Infantry, then serving in Jerusalem. Terrorism was widespread and on April 13 1948, Arabs ambushed a Jewish convoy of doctors en route for the Hadassah Hospital, near Jerusalem.Churchill, having ordered reinforcements for his small force, walked alone towards the ambush, smiling and carrying a blackthorn stick. "People are less likely to shoot you if you smile at them," he said. So it proved.He then managed to evacuate some of the Jews but they thought that Haganah (the Jewish army) would save them and did not require his services. As one of the HLI had now been killed by Arab fire, he withdrew; 77 Jews were then slaughtered. Later Churchill assisted in the evacuation of 500 patients and staff from the hospital.Back in Britain, he was for two years second-in-command of the Army Apprentices School at Chepstow before serving a two-year stint as Chief Instructor, Land/Air Warfare School in Australia.In 1954, Churchill joined the War Office Selection Board at Barton Stacey. During this period he rode a surf board a mile and a half up river on the Severn bore.His last post was as First Commandant of the Outward Bound School.After retirement, Churchill devoted himself to his hobby of buying and refurbishing steamboats on the Thames; he acquired 11, which made journeys from Richmond to Oxford. He was also a keen maker of radio-controlled model boats, which he sold at a profit. He also took part in motor-cycling speed trials.Mad Jack died in Surrey in 1996.

In all honesty, you are really late to the party.The development of youth in modern fencing is improving at drastic rates (the biggest amateur competitions in China have 400+ at u10 level) so by the time Olympic prospects reach 16 they will have represented their country at cadet (u17) level and most likely junior (u20) level, with the cream of the crop sometimes representing their country in both categories at the same zonal/world championships. Within the next few years, they will go on to graduate onto the senior circuit where most drop out within 2–3 years as the senior circuit is very stressful with little financial reward. Even then the chances of winning a World or Olympic championship is minimal at bestThat being said, there are ways to attempt to increase your chances:Have massive financial backingInternational fencing is costly so extracting funds from Mummy and Daddy PLC/Bank of Mummy and Daddy is a good start. Aside from this you should find sponsors/negotiate a special contract with your employer/apply for a sports scholarship at a HE institute.Attain citizenship from a country in the Pan-American or African zoneThese zones are relatively less competitive although the recent Olympic cycle has seen a surge in Pan-American fencers. Attaining citizenship from a (preferably smaller) country increases your chances in selection for a national squad. At the same time, it means that you will more likely have to self fund as the fencing associations of those countries may be functionally nonexistent.Attain residency and train in a European NationEven though fencing is becoming more and more internationalised the forefront of fencing development remains in Europe where there are more training camps that welcome fencers of different nationalities (Asian teams usually undergo training in an enclosed environment). Joining exceptional facilities like Team Levavasseur, INSEP or the Italian training center is a good start as they have world and Olympic champions training there. More often than not connections in the senior circuit help so make friends.Living in Europe grants you more access to senior world cups and grand prixs so you can compete against the world's best, improve your senior ranking, and hopefully break into the top 16 in the world (which you should be aiming for by the time you reach 25).Try to attain as much experience as possibleNo competition is too big or small for you when you're starting out so attend as many as possible to expose yourself to different styles of fencing as possible so you can take what you need from them and integrate it into how you fence. Watching top level fencers on YouTube fence in grand prixs and world cips also helps as it means you get to see what kind of fencing you associate yourself with.Good luck! It's easy to get caught up in progressing too quickly and even if you do, you're still a long way off making World or Olympic gold. The current Women's Epee World Champion, Nathalie Moellhausen, is 34 (I think) this year and this was her first ever world championship title and her tremendous effort and dedication to the sport exemplifies how much you have to sacrifice to win a world title, even in such a small and relatively less popular sport.

I’ve simply taken this from another site but it’s the most complete explanation of how to gain ticketsWimbledon (‘The Championships’) is one of the premier sporting events in the world and its cachet certainly extends beyond the sport of tennis.Given the high profile nature of the event and the relatively small capacity of the All England Lawn Tennis & Croquet Club, tickets are notoriously hard to get. However, with a lot of luck and a bit of strategy it’s possible to get your hands on these hot commodities and attend a unique event that's well worth seeing in person.Below you will find a cheat sheet laying out the various avenues of buying Wimbledon tickets. The official guidance can be found here.Unlike other major sporting events, touting (scalping) tickets is strictly prohibited and highly regulated so there is no easily accessible secondary market. Thus, obtaining tickets must happen through these prescribed methods:1. Get a ticket through the LTA ballotEach year members of the UK’s Lawn Tennis Association (LTA) can enter to receive tickets through a ballot process. LTA membership – which is required if you play competitive tennis in the UK – costs £30 per year.The deadline to enter the ballot this year was December 31, 2018 and successful entries are notified by email and given the opportunity to purchase the tickets starting in the spring. Because individuals can opt out of buying the specific tickets offered to them, the release of tickets continues until the event starts.Further details about the process can be found here and the ticket prices for various rounds and categories can be found here.2. Secure tickets through your club lottery or coachBeyond individual LTA members, coaches and schools also receive ticket allocations. This applies to bodies outside the UK as well. Overseas tennis federations/associations are given tickets for distribution to their affiliated clubs and other organisations with special claims.Alumni of university tennis teams in the UK are often eligible to enter draws, so it’s wise to stay on the mailing list and/or pay the nominal fees to remain a member of the club in question for this reason.3. Join the queue and earn a ticketThis is a well-publicised tactic and you feel that you’ve really earned your ticket if you successfully secure one. The queuing policymandates that each individual in the queue is only eligible for one ticket.On your arrival at the end of The Queue you will be issued with a Queue Card. This card is dated and numbered to show your position in The Queue. It must be retained and will be checked on entry to the Grounds. These are non-transferable.If you’re aiming for show court tickets, it’s advisable to camp overnight – particularly during the late rounds of the event – as substantial lines typically form the evening before the session takes place.If you’re close enough to the front of the queue you will get offered a ticket type until that category is sold out. Thus, the very first people in line have their choice of the whole range of tickets (including Centre Court) but if you are among the last to have the opportunity to get tickets you will likely only have access to grounds passes (which is still quite a feat!).Akin to the whole event, The Queue operates like a finely tuned machine, in part because of rules that have been set in place. You can find the code of conduct for The Queue here.4. Buy returned tickets each afternoon (if you already have access to the grounds)Fans that attend the event but leave early can deposit their tickets into a box on the way out of the venue and allow others to purchase them for the remainder of the session. This process enables individuals on the grounds to upgrade their tickets from a grounds pass to a Court 1 ticket, for instance.In order to access these tickets, you need to head to the ticket office at the AELTC and inquire whether any are available. This strategy is far from guaranteed, but a welcome surprise when you’re successful.Does the thought of Wimbledon inspire you to get on court?Get a unique tennis bag that you can take anywhere.SEE MORE STYLISH TENNIS BAGS5. Invest in a DebentureDebentures are issued every five years and give the debenture holder a ticket to every day of the Championships for 5 years. Debentures are how the AELTC raises funds to meet capital expenditures or to make improvements to the facilities such as the roof on Centre Court.There are 2,500 Debenture seats on Centre Court and 1,000 Debenture seats on No.1 Court. The current Centre Court debentures cover the 2016-2020 Championships and were priced at £50,000 each. The current Court No. 1 debentures were £31,000 for 2017-2021.For each debenture held, debenture holders receive one seat in the Centre Court stand for every day of The Championships; or one seat in the No.1 Court stand for the first 10 days of The Championships.It’s noteworthy that debenture tickets (for a single day) are the only tickets which are freely transferable, so you can find these tickets being resold on secondary market sites.The whole debenture itself can also be traded on the open market. The last three 2016-2020 Centre Court debenture trades were at an average of £113,500 (despite there only being 3 years left) and the last three 2017-2021 No.1 Court debenture trades were traded at an average of £41,000, so it can be a fruitful investment if you have the funds. Find out more about the debenture policy here.6. Buy Exclusive Tickets from Wimbledon Debenture Holders'Wimbledon Debenture Holders' specialise in knowing everything there is to know about visiting the Championships to ensure that buyers of debenture tickets can be confident they have the best possible Wimbledon experience.They have created a secure market place for you to purchase debenture tickets direct from the owners. These tickets are the only legitimately transferable tickets for Wimbledon and offer the best views of the court.They have over 500 debenture holders registered who list their tickets year round so you can be assured that they will have availability for all days of the Championships.The price list is not fixed and as interest increases so do the market prices. Wimbledon Debenture Holders monitor the market constantly to ensure that they offer competitive prices.To buy your exclusive debenture ticket, find out more and read their up to date blogs visit http://www.wimbledondebentureholders.com.7. Book with a hospitality groupThere are several hospitality groups that offer event tours and amenities in a package scenario. The official groups affiliated with The Championships are Keith Prowse and Sportsworld.Other tennis tour operations include Grand Slam Tennis Tours, The Wimbledon Experience, Championship Tennis Tours, Newmarket Holidays and Topnotch Tennis Tours. If you want the logistics around your travel and the event sorted out for you, this can be an attractive option.8. Get lucky on Ticketmaster the day before a session takes placeSeveral hundred Centre Court and No.3 Court tickets are sold online via Ticketmaster on the day before play. As The Championships are a hugely popular and over-subscribed event, these tickets often sell out in minutes and are sold on a strictly first come, first served basis.Even if you manage to get your hands on tickets, there is a strict limit of 2 tickets per person/address/credit card, so coordination is required if you’re attempting to attend as a group.9. Charm a member of the AELTCThe All England Lawn & Tennis Club has gorgeous facilities situated in a leafy suburb of London. It’s notoriously hard to become a member with good reason. There is even a running joke that the easiest way to become a member is to win the tournament!One of the perks of membership is total access to the event which includes behind-the-scenes areas of the facilities that even the best public tickets can’t enter. So, if you happen to have a friend that’s lucky enough to be a member, getting a guest pass to attend the event with them is the best of ALL options