John Snagge facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
John Snagge
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Reading the news c. 1944
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| Born |
John Derrick Mordaunt Snagge
8 May 1904 |
| Died | 25 March 1996 (aged 91) |
| Occupation | Commentator and presenter |
| Spouse(s) |
Eileen Joscelyne
(m. 1936; Joan Wilson
(m. 1982; |
John Derrick Mordaunt Snagge OBE (8 May 1904 – 25 March 1996) was a famous British newsreader and commentator. He was well-known for his voice on BBC Radio. He also received an award called the Order of the British Empire (OBE).
Contents
Early Life and BBC Beginnings
John Snagge was born in Chelsea, London, England. He went to Winchester College and then to Pembroke College, Oxford. There, he studied law.
After finishing his studies, John joined the BBC. His first job was helping to set up a new radio station in Stoke-on-Trent. In January 1927, he made his first ever sports commentary. It was for a football match between Hull City and Stoke City. This happened after the BBC got permission to broadcast big sporting events.
A Voice for Important Moments
In 1928, John moved to London. He became one of the main announcers for the BBC. From 1931 all the way until 1980, he was the voice of the yearly Oxford-Cambridge Boat Race. This is a famous rowing competition.
John also commentated on two very important events for the British Royal Family. He described the coronation of King George VI in 1937. Then, in 1953, he did the same for the coronation of Queen Elizabeth II. On February 6, 1952, he was the one who announced the sad news of King George VI's death.
Reporting During Wartime
When the Second World War began, John Snagge became the BBC's presentation director. This meant he was in charge of how news was delivered. He made many important radio announcements as the war went on.
By the time of the D-Day landings in 1944, he was presenting a show called War Report. This program shared regular news directly from the beaches of Normandy. On June 6, 1944, at 9:32 AM, he announced that Allied armies had started landing "on the northern coast of France." He did not say the exact location at the time.
Radio Comedy and Retirement
In the early 1950s, John Snagge helped make sure the funny radio series The Goon Show was created by the BBC. He was often mentioned in jokes during the show. He even recorded his own voice for many funny announcements. He also appeared as himself in one episode. John was a strong supporter of the show and helped prevent it from being cancelled.
Later, in the 1970s, he returned to his newsreader role. He appeared in the radio version of Dad's Army. He would set the scene at the start of each episode. He also appeared as himself in a 1960 TV episode of Hancock's Half Hour.
John Snagge officially retired in 1965. However, he continued to commentate on the Boat Race until 1980. Around this time, he also appeared on Noel Edmonds's Radio 1 show. When BBC Radio Stoke was launched in 1968, John introduced the new station. He joked about a break in transmission from 1928, saying "Normal transmission has now been resumed."
Family Life
John Snagge was the son of Sir Thomas Mordaunt Snagge. His father was a judge. His mother was Gwendaline Rose Emily Colomb.
John was married two times. His first wife was Eileen Mary Joscelyne. They married in 1936. Eileen passed away in 1980. He then married Joan Wilson in 1982. She passed away in 1992. John Snagge died in Slough in 1996, at the age of 91.
