THE first man from Galashiels to appear at the Olympic Games has died.

Swimmer Thomas Douglas Welsh (Doug) was the son of Bank Street newsagents Reid and Beatrice Welsh and was educated at the Burgh Primary School and Galashiels Academy.

He died peacefully in Johannesburg, South Africa, with his family by his side on November 19, aged 88.

Doug learned to swim aged 11. He quickly established himself on the circuit by winning Border, Eastern and Scotland Junior Championships.

The 110-yard and 200-yard freestyle were his preferred events.

At the age of 16 he attended the British Swimming Championships in Blackpool in 1949 along with teammate Betty Turner.

Betty won the ladies 110 yards event and Doug carried off the junior 110 yards title.

Although a junior, his winning time placed him within the top six fastest UK swimmers at that time.

On returning to Galashiels, they received an outstanding homecoming welcome and both were carried aloft through the town, followed by the Town Band.

A crowd of more than 3,000 gathered at the Burgh Chambers to congratulate them.

Doug represented Scotland and Great Britain in swimming and water polo between 1948 and 1958. While in the RAF he became European combined armed services freestyle 110 yards and 220 yards champion between 1950 and 1952.

During this time, he also represented Wales at basketball while he was based at St Athens.

The pinnacle of his career came in 1952 when he was selected to represent Great Britain at the Helsinki Olympic Games. He reached the semi-final in the 110 yards freestyle and was 6th in the 220 yards final.

He was selected to represent GB again at the games in Melbourne in 1956, however due to his final physiotherapy exams at Loughborough University, he was unable to travel.

Doug emigrated to South Africa in 1965 pursuing a successful career in pharmaceuticals.

In 1995 he became a founder member of the British Olympians Association and was elected South African representative of the organisation.

In 2007 he was inducted into the Scottish Borders Sporting Hall of Fame.

In South Africa he leaves behind his wife Wendy, three children and five grandchildren. Survived locally by his nieces and nephews, George and David Liddle, Helen Lees and Margaret Falconer (Bexley, Kent).