Sam Rockett (back to the camera) with exhausted swimmer Mareeh Hassan Hamad

Photograph of Marei Hassan Hamad at the finish of the 1951 Daily Mail International Festival of Britain Race. He finished third in the 1950 race, and then won the 1951 race in a time of 12hrs 12mins.

Hamad was an  Egyptian Army Warrant Officer, Winner of the 1951 Channel Swimming Race. Time 12hrs 12mins.

He had four successful swims. All France to England; September 18th 1949 15hrs 22mins; August 22nd 1950 Daily Mail swim 3rd in 12hrs 04 sec. August 16th 1951 Daily Mail Swim, First Place in 12hrs 12mins. August 21st 1954 Billy Butlin swim, Second Place in 12hrs 49mins.

He had two unsuccessful swims; 1948 he swam for 7 hours. 1949 for 14hrs.

Sam Rockett swam in the 1950 Daily Mail race and was the fourth man  to finish. He was Supervisor for the 1951 Daily Mail Race, an International race held in the “Festival of Britain year” and was also supervisor for the Billy Butlin races from 1953 to 1959, and the Sir Billy Butlin long distance walk from John O Groats to Lands End.

He played County Water Polo for a number of Counties. He was author of the book “its Cold in the Channel”

From the Sam Rockett collection.