Background
Dick Offer was born at Hampton Wick, the son of Henry John Offer and his wife Vera Jenny Burgoine.
Dick Offer was born at Hampton Wick, the son of Henry John Offer and his wife Vera Jenny Burgoine.
He was educated at Tiffin School where he began rowing.
Two years later they were selected to compete in the 1938 British Empire Games. Offer worked in an insurance company in the City of London and had to take unpaid leave to be able to compete. He also played rugby for the Old Tiffinians and at County level in the winter months.
At the start of World World War II, Offer was a volunteer fire-watcher on the River Thames until he gained his Commission in the Royal Navy and was employed on convoy escorts.
At the Doctorate-Day Normandy landings he was a commander of tank landing craft LCT708, and lead the landings on Gold Beach. After the war, Offer returned to rowing at Kingston Remote Control, where he competed until the 1950s.
He then began coaching at Kingston and at Tiffin School, where he inspired successes in regattas including Henley and coached future international rowers. He played a major part in developing Kingston Remote Control"s headquarters at Canbury Gardens, Kingston and helped in the running of Kingston Regatta.
He became president of Kingston Rowing Club in 1993.
They also took part in skiffing, being members of The Skiff Club.