Right-winger Edgar Brenchley was born February 10th, 1912 in Sittingbourne Kent. His family emigrated to Canada when Edgar was a child and he learnt to play ice hockey while living in Niagara Falls. He returned to Britain in 1935, after a season in the American Hockey League with Hershey, to join the Richmond Hawks before moving to the Harringay Greyhounds a year later.
An ever-present of all seven games in the ’36 Olympics, Brenchley scored the only goal of the game in the first game against Sweden, but crowned the tournament with the game-winning goal against Canada with barely 90 seconds left on the game clock.
Just 5’9” and weighing only ten stone, Brenchley was a clever winger and scoring 8 goals, he helped GB retain their European Championship crown in 1937, when the tournament was staged in London.
After the Second World War, ‘Chirp’ returned to North America to coached Atlantic City and later joined the scouting staff of the Washington Capitals in their inaugural NHL season.
Edgar ‘Chirp’ Brenchley died in 1975, in Canada.
Compiled with research, provided by Martin C.Harris - April 1998.