G.M. Sladen
Born 3 August 1904, Reigate, England
Died ?
137th player to be capped by the Royal Navy Rugby Union
7 caps
Played against the Army in 1927, 1929, 1930, 1935
Played against the Royal Air Force 1927, 1930, 1935
Inter Service Record
Played 7 Won 4 Drew 0 Lost 3
Inter Service Titles 1 plus 1 triple tie
1927 Royal Navy 6 Army 3
1927 Royal Navy 8 Royal Air Force 3
1929 Royal Navy 11 Army 17
1930 Royal Navy 10 Army 16
1930 Royal Navy 11 Royal Air Force 3
1935 Royal Navy 8 Army 11
1935 Royal Navy 13 Royal Air Force 8
Captain Geoffrey Mainwaring Sladen DSO DSC Royal Navy was a three capped England rugby International who also played seven times for the Royal Navy Rugby Union, being part of a winning Inter Services side in 1927, the year of his first Navy Cap. He won the first of his three caps for England against Wales in 1929 where he played centre in the 8 – 3 win at Twickenham.
However Sladen is probably most famous for the invention of the Sladen Suit. This was the rubberised suits worn by the ‘Charriot Riders’ i.e. the manned torpedoes during the Second World War. A second claim to fame and only proven to be correct when his papers were released to the Gosport Submarine museum was the bringing back to the UK a reindeer on-board the submarine HMS Trident. The reindeer was given to London’s Regent Park zoo upon being ‘released’ from the submarine.