Donald COLLINGE

Ontario native Don Collinge of the Toronto Sword Club became the Canadian national foil and sabre champion in 1936, a distinction that earned him a trip to that year’s Summer Olympics as a member of his country’s fencing delegation. There he competed in the team events for all three disciplines, as well as the individual foil and sabre tournaments, but advanced to the quarter-finals only once, as a member of the épée team, which was eliminated at that stage. The following year he was runner-up at the Canadian national championships in the sabre division, losing out to his Olympic teammate George Tully, who also won the épée and foil titles. In 1938 Tully captured the three championships once again, leaving Collinge in second, fourth, and fifth in sabre, épée, and foil respectively. Collinge continued to fence competitively until Canada’s entry into World War II, at which point he entered active duty as a member of the Royal Canadian Air Force. Eventually obtaining the rank of Flying Officer, he died in a flying accident (possibly brought on by friendly fire) while serving as a navigator in the early morning hours of June 7, 1944 and was buried in the United Kingdom.