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Photograph - 4th Field Survey Squadron – CPL John Ratcliffe World Record, Keswick Barracks, Adelaide SA, 1986

  • CPL John Ratcliffe Guinness World Record, 4th Fd Svy Sqn, Keswick Barracks, Adelaide SA. Nov 1986.

    Exercise Routine - Guinness World Record 1986. .1) - CPL John Ratcliffe

  • CPL John Ratcliffe Guinness World Record, 4th Fd Svy Sqn, Keswick Barracks, Adelaide SA. Nov 1986.

    Exercise Routine - Guinness World Record 1986. .2) - CPL John Ratcliffe

  • CPL John Ratcliffe Guinness World Record, 4th Fd Svy Sqn, Keswick Barracks, Adelaide SA. Nov 1986.

    Exercise Routine - Guinness World Record 1986. .3) - CPL John Ratcliffe

  • CPL John Ratcliffe Guinness World Record, 4th Fd Svy Sqn, Keswick Barracks, Adelaide SA. Nov 1986.

    Exercise Routine - Guinness World Record 1986. .4) - CPL John Ratcliffe

  • CPL John Ratcliffe Guinness World Record, 4th Fd Svy Sqn, Keswick Barracks, Adelaide SA. Nov 1986.

    Exercise Routine - Guinness World Record 1986. .5) - CPL John Ratcliffe

  • CPL John Ratcliffe Guinness World Record, 4th Fd Svy Sqn, Keswick Barracks, Adelaide SA. Nov 1986.

    Exercise Routine - Guinness World Record 1986. .6) - CPL John Ratcliffe

  • CPL John Ratcliffe Guinness World Record, 4th Fd Svy Sqn, Keswick Barracks, Adelaide SA. Nov 1986.

    Exercise Routine - Guinness World Record 1986. .7) - CPL John Ratcliffe

  • CPL John Ratcliffe Guinness World Record, 4th Fd Svy Sqn, Keswick Barracks, Adelaide SA. Nov 1986.

    Exercise Routine - Guinness World Record 1986. .8) - CPL John Ratcliffe

  • CPL John Ratcliffe Guinness World Record, 4th Fd Svy Sqn, Keswick Barracks, Adelaide SA. Nov 1986.

    Exercise Routine - Guinness World Record 1986. .9) - CPL John Ratcliffe

  • CPL John Ratcliffe Guinness World Record, 4th Fd Svy Sqn, Keswick Barracks, Adelaide SA. Nov 1986.

    Exercise Routine - Guinness World Record 1986. .10) - CPL John Ratcliffe celebrates the new world record. L to R: Bob Rogister, Wally Chilcott.

  • CPL John Ratcliffe Guinness World Record, 4th Fd Svy Sqn, Keswick Barracks, Adelaide SA. Nov 1986.

    Exercise Routine - Guinness World Record 1986. .11) - CPL John Ratcliffe celebrates the new world record. L to R: Peter Imeson, Bob Rogister, Wally Chilcott.

  • CPL John Ratcliffe Guinness World Record, 4th Fd Svy Sqn, Keswick Barracks, Adelaide SA. Nov 1986.

    Exercise Routine - Guinness World Record 1986. .12) - CPL John Ratcliffe interviewed by media after setting the new world record.

  • CPL John Ratcliffe Guinness World Record, 4th Fd Svy Sqn, Keswick Barracks, Adelaide SA. Nov 1986.
  • CPL John Ratcliffe Guinness World Record, 4th Fd Svy Sqn, Keswick Barracks, Adelaide SA. Nov 1986.
  • CPL John Ratcliffe Guinness World Record, 4th Fd Svy Sqn, Keswick Barracks, Adelaide SA. Nov 1986.
  • CPL John Ratcliffe Guinness World Record, 4th Fd Svy Sqn, Keswick Barracks, Adelaide SA. Nov 1986.
  • CPL John Ratcliffe Guinness World Record, 4th Fd Svy Sqn, Keswick Barracks, Adelaide SA. Nov 1986.
  • CPL John Ratcliffe Guinness World Record, 4th Fd Svy Sqn, Keswick Barracks, Adelaide SA. Nov 1986.
  • CPL John Ratcliffe Guinness World Record, 4th Fd Svy Sqn, Keswick Barracks, Adelaide SA. Nov 1986.
  • CPL John Ratcliffe Guinness World Record, 4th Fd Svy Sqn, Keswick Barracks, Adelaide SA. Nov 1986.
  • CPL John Ratcliffe Guinness World Record, 4th Fd Svy Sqn, Keswick Barracks, Adelaide SA. Nov 1986.
  • CPL John Ratcliffe Guinness World Record, 4th Fd Svy Sqn, Keswick Barracks, Adelaide SA. Nov 1986.
  • CPL John Ratcliffe Guinness World Record, 4th Fd Svy Sqn, Keswick Barracks, Adelaide SA. Nov 1986.
  • CPL John Ratcliffe Guinness World Record, 4th Fd Svy Sqn, Keswick Barracks, Adelaide SA. Nov 1986.

Historical information

This is a set of 12 photographs of 4th Field Survey Squadron’s CPL John Ratcliffe setting a world record for an exercise routine comprising push-ups, sit-ups and double back-arches at Keswick Barracks, Adelaide in November 1986. A newspaper article of unknown origin titled “John sets world’s best time in routine” was published reporting the achievement. The article reported: “Corporal John Ratcliffe has smashed his personal best time, his greatest expectations and the 16-year-old Australian record for a push-up, sit-up and double back-arch routine. Corporal Ratcliffe, 37, set a world record by doing 1232 push-ups (clapping his chest with his hands between each one), 1936 back-arches and 440 sit-ups in one hour, 16 minutes and 29 seconds yesterday. Officials representing the Guinness Book of Records were present and passed his effort. The record was achieved by repeating a set of 14 push-ups, 22 double back-arches and 5 sit-ups, 88 times. The Australian record for the same routine was set in 1970 in the time of 1 hour 41 minutes. CPL Ratcliffe beat his personal best time by 13 minutes. “I could not do it without them” CPL Ratcliffe said of the crowd. Nearing the end of the routine when he was tiring, the crowd of more than 100 clapped and chanted encouragement. CPL Ratcliffe, who works in the Army’s surveying department, said the most important aspect of the exercise was raising money for Legacy, not getting his name in the record books.” This achievement was also reported in the Army Newspaper dated 11th Dec 1986. There are eight more photos that have not been published in the set of negatives.

Physical description

This is a set of 12 photographs of 4th Field Survey Squadron’s CPL John Ratcliffe setting a exercise routine world record at Keswick Barracks, Adelaide in November 1986. The black & white photographs are on 35mm negative film and are part of the Army Survey Regiment’s Collection. The photographs were scanned at 96 dpi.
.1) to .9) - Photo, black & white, 1986. CPL John Ratcliffe during his exercise routine.
.10) - Photo, black & white, 1986. CPL John Ratcliffe celebrates the new world record. L to R: Bob Rogister, Wally Chilcott.
.11) - Photo, black & white, 1986. CPL John Ratcliffe celebrates the new world record. L to R: Peter Imeson, Bob Rogister, Wally Chilcott.
.12) - Photo, black & white, 1986. CPL John Ratcliffe interviewed by media after setting the new world record.

Inscriptions & markings

.1P to .12P – There are no other personnel identified. ‘CPL RATCLIFFE “WORLD RECORD”. NOV 1986’ annotated on negatives sleeve.

Subjects

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