1948 Olympic Flame on board HMS Whitesand Bay. [Photo courtesy: Brian McCabe]
Paris 2024 Flame to Return to Corfu
by Philip Barker in Athens
The Olympic Flame is scheduled to return to Corfu on Wednesday, over 75 years after its first visit to the island en route for the 1948 London Games.
Civil strife in Greece had made it impossible to take the Flame to Athens for the formal handover.
Former Royal Navy Commander Bill Collins had been put in charge of the Relay.
He travelled to Greece but sent a telegram to inform London of a late change to original plans.
“OWING TO DIFFICULTIES OF OLYMPIA TO CORINTH ROUTE, THE FLAME WILL NOW BE CARRIED BY RUNNERS OLYMPIA VIA PYRGOS TO KATAKOLON AND THENCE BY DESTROYER”
In fact, the fighting also prevented the journey of the originally nominated High Priestess to Olympia.
The port of Katakolon brings a connection with the Paris 2024 Flame because the sailing ship Belem docked briefly to allow its crew to view the lighting Ceremony.
In 1948 the Flame departed from there by a Greek navy ship. It was taken from Corfu to Bari by His Majesty’s Ship Whitesand Bay of the Mediterranean Fleet.
“A large unmarked case arrived on board in Malta containing various bits and pieces, copper piping, burner regulator and joining goo,” said Lieutenant Commander Frederick Clark, the officer put in charge of the Flame.
Captain John Brothers was kept abreast of the progress of the Flame throughout the overnight voyage.
“To make the Flame look more dignified, my staff made an altar out of an inverted yard arm group light reflector,” Clark explained.
Eventually the ship docked at Bari, the young sailor who ran ashore with the Flame was reported in some newspapers as Cadet H. Potter. In fact, his name was James but he could still be said to have carried a “goblet of fire.”
The last time the Flame visited Corfu was as part of the Rio 2016 Relay.
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