| Host city | London, United Kingdom |
|---|---|
| Countries visited | Greece, Italy, Switzerland, France, Luxembourg, Belgium, England |
| Distance | 3,160 km |
| Torchbearers | 1,688 |
| Start date | 17 July 1948 |
| End date | 29 July 1948 |
| Torch designer | Ralph Lavers |
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The1948 Summer Olympics torch relay was run from 17 July until 29 July 1948, prior to the1948 Summer Olympics, held in London, United Kingdom. The relay was nicknamed the "relay of peace".[1] It was only the second occasion that atorch relay was held for the Olympics; thefirst was at the1936 Summer Olympics.
There were three types of torches designed for use on the relay: a standardsolid fuel powered torch made ofaluminium, a specialbutane gas torch used on boardHMSWhitesand Bay, and a final torch used to enterEmpire Stadium that was made ofstainless steel and powered by amagnesium candle.
The route itself was initially designed to be a direct one fromOlympia toWembley, taking in Italy, Switzerland and France. Belgium and Luxembourg were added to the route after those countries requested it. It was expected that the Greek part of the relay would be 750 kilometres (470 mi), but was reduced to 35 kilometres (22 mi) due toconcerns over security. After the 12-day journey, the torch arrived at the Empire Stadium only thirty seconds later than expected.
London having hosted the1908 Summer Olympics, the 1948 event was only the second Games to stage an Olympic torch relay, it being first run at the1936 Summer Olympics in Berlin.[2] Former British athleteDavid Cecil, 6th Marquess of Exeter, and the rest of the organising committee for the 1948 Games, agreed to run a torch relay for a second time.[3]
Each of the torches contained asolid fuel tablet made ofhexamine and 6%naphthalene (following torch running tests in May 1947) that fuelled the flame itself.[3] The solid fuel increased the distance each runner could run to 2 miles (3.2 km) over flat terrain, decreasing the number of torches needed to be produced, which in turn reduced the cost of the relay. There were eight tablets loaded into each torch, with the bottom tablets pushed up by the use of a spring. The design increased the burning time of each torch up to around fifteen minutes, an increase from the four-minute torches of the 1936 Olympics.[4] The torch itself was designed byRalph Lavers, with the brief that it should be "inexpensive and easy to make, of pleasing appearance and a good example of British craftmanship".[3] The torches were made fromaluminium, with a long shaft holding a cup that contained the burner. "With thanks to the bearer" was written on the cup of the torch itself, along with theOlympic rings.[3] The torches for the Greek leg of the relay were shipped to the Mediterranean aboardHMSLiverpool, along with a purpose-built torch for the leg aboard aRoyal Navy vessel from Corfu to Italy.[5]
A differently designed torch was used for the final leg. It was made ofstainless steel and was fueled bymagnesium in order to ensure that the flame showed up properly during the opening ceremony.[3] It was also designed by Ralph Lavers, with the frame for the torch created byEMI, and the magnesium candle supplied byWessex Aircraft Engineering. Neither the suppliers nor designer charged a fee for the final torch.[5]
* As planned
| Location | Distance | Stages | Torches |
|---|---|---|---|
| Greece | 750 kilometres* | 300 | 324 |
| HMSWhitesand Bay | 415 kilometres | — | 6 |
| Italy | 1,072 kilometres | 500 | 540 |
| Switzerland | 261 kilometres | 135 | 144 |
| France (i) | 521 kilometres | 270 | 300 |
| Luxembourg | 108 kilometres | 38 | 42 |
| Belgium | 287 kilometres | 108 | 120 |
| France (ii) | 126 kilometres | — | — |
| HMSBicester | 35 kilometres | — | 12 |
| England (Dover - Wembley) | 255 kilometres | 73 | 80 |
| England (Wembley - Torquay) | 330 kilometres | 107 | 120 |
| Total | 3,160 kilometres (1,960 mi) | 1531 | 1688 |
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While the general negotiation with other countries and the specific route were handled by the Organising Committee for the Games, the detailed organisation was delegated to a subgroup led by F.W. Collins.[7] Due to cost implications, the extensive route conducted by the 1936 Games was ruled out.[4] Instead, the simplest route from Olympia to London was to be used, going by sea to Italy and then run through Switzerland and France. The route was modified only when Luxembourg and Belgium both requested that the torch travel their territories.[5] A longer Greek route was planned, but reduced from an expected 750 kilometres (470 mi) down to 35 kilometres (22 mi) due to concerns overthe civil war in the country and a lack of security.[8]
The torch lighting ceremony took place on 17 July 1948 inOlympia, Greece.[8] As with the 1936 Summer Olympic relay, the torch relay was begun by focusing the sun's rays onto kindling using aparabolic reflector, which then lit the first torch. The kindling was conducted by aGirl Guide leader fromPyrgos, Elis. She was only chosen the previous evening due to the unsettled state of the country; the Athenian girl who was trained for the ceremony was unable to travel to Olympia.[8] In a symbolic gesture, the first runner, Corporal Dimitrelis of theGreek Army, laid down his arms and removed his military uniform before taking his torch in hand.[3][8] The kindling material for the first torch was handed over as a gift from the Chairman of the Greek Olympic Committee to Collins, forPrincess Elizabeth. It was then run to the Greek coast atKatakolo, where at 7 pm it boarded the Greek destroyerHastings bound for the island ofCorfu.[8] It stayed overnight in thecity of Corfu, and boardedHMSWhitesand Bay at 1:30 pm the following day where the flame was switched to a specially equippedbutane gas torch in order to ensure that there was a 48-hour lifespan available for the flame, despite the crossing only being expected to take 22 hours.[5]
The ship dropped the torch off inBari at 12:30 pm on 19 July.[8] It was run north through several Italian cities before crossing theSimplon Pass intoBrig, Switzerland on 23 July. From there it was run west until leaving the country atPerly-Certoux, and entering France atSaint-Julien-en-Genevois. The route then detours from the direct route to take in Luxembourg and into Belgium before re-entering France atLille on 28 July, finally departing the country atCalais.HMSBicester carried the torch across theEnglish Channel toDover, arriving at 8:25 pm on 28 July. It travelled through several towns in theSouth East of England until it arrived atWembley,[5] where it arrived only thirty seconds late after the entire journey. That delay may have only been in the final few hundred yards of the relay down Olympic Way outside ofEmpire Stadium as the pressure of the crowds on the torch carrier and their escorts reduced the pace to walking speed. Special celebrations were held at each border crossing, and atPierre de Coubertin's tomb inLausanne, Switzerland.[3][8]
It was agreed for a secondaryOlympic Flame to be lit inTorquay during the games (as the town hosted the sailing events), and a secondary torch relay was conducted to take the flame from Wembley south to the coast to Torquay. The arrangements were the same as from Dover to Wembley but in reverse.[9]
Outside Greece, the cities and towns visited by the Olympic flame were the following ones:[10]
