The son of an Army major, James Iremonger didn’t follow in his father’s footsteps, but spent more than 20 years in the RAF. James was educated at King’s College, Taunton, before moving to the RAF College at Cranwell in 1936. A keen sportsman, he played in the rugby first XV at both establishments and at Taunton was also an efficient high jumper and, in his final year, captained the rugby team. Iremonger obtained a permanent commission as a pilot officer in 1938, and went on to become a squadron leader, then group captain. He was awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross (DFC) in 1945. A member of the RAF bobsleigh team, he was in the Great Britain II team that finished 15th, and last, in the 4-man event at the 1948 Olympics.
Great Britain