John Snagge
| John Snagge | |
|---|---|
Reading the news c1944
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| Born |
John Derrick Mordaunt Snagge 8 May 1904 Chelsea, London, England |
| Died | 26 March 1996 (aged 91) Slough, Berkshire, England |
| Occupation | Commentator and presenter |
| Known for | Sport commentary |
| Spouse(s) | Eileen Joscelyne (1936-1980; her death) Joan Wilson (1982-1992;her death) |
John Derrick Mordaunt Snagge OBE (8 May 1904 – 26 March 1996) was a long-time British newsreader and commentator on BBC Radio.
Born in Chelsea, London, he was educated at Winchester College and Pembroke College, Oxford, where he obtained a degree in law. He then joined the BBC, taking up the position of assistant director at Stoke-on-Trent's new local radio station. He broadcast his first sports commentary (of a Hull City versus Stoke City football match) in January 1927, after the BBC obtained the rights to cover major sporting events.
In 1928, Snagge was transferred to London to work as one of the BBC's main announcers alongside Stuart Hibberd. From 1931 until 1980, he commentated on the annual Oxford-Cambridge Boat Race. He provided commentary for the coronation of King George VI in 1937 and again in 1953 for the coronation of Queen Elizabeth II.
At the start of the Second World War, Snagge was made the BBC's presentation director and delivered important radio announcements as the war unfolded. By the time of the D-Day landings in 1944, he was presenting the magazine programme War Report which featured regular news from the beaches of Normandy.
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