Also known as Roy Lorne, Sir Garth McClarty
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The year was 1948. The Second World War was over and British professional wrestling was in the early stages of a revival. Canadian Roy McClarty had served as a sergeant in the Canadian Army during the war, and turned professional wrestler soon after returning to civilian life.
He was thirty years old and had been wrestling professionally for just three months when he arrived in Britain in July, 1948, trained by Joe Pazandak. Born with the birth name of Roy Lorne McClarty on 31st July, 1948 in Expance, Saskatchewan, he was following a path started by wrestlers in the 1930s, and to be followed for decades later, crossing the Atlantic to learn his trade in the rings of Britain and Europe.
Our first documented sighting was at Belle Vue in Manchester on 14th July, opponent Dave Armstrong. He was back in the same hall just three days later, taking on Ernest Baldwin. For twelve months he wrestled in Britain and the Continent, sometimes billed as Sir Garth McClarty or Roy Lorne, mostly in the north of England and Scotland. British opponents included the top heavyweights of the time Bert Assirati, Robert McDonald, The Ghoul and Hassan Ali Bey amongst them.
Our final recorded contest in Britain was in June, 1949. Roy McClarty died on 27th April, 1998.
Roy McClarty in the U.K. (An incomplete record)
1948
July 14th Belle Vue, Manchester v Dave Armstrong
July 17th Belle Vue, Manchester v Ernie Baldwin
July 23rd Levenshulme v Leo Giroux
July 24th Belle Vue, Manchester v Alf Robinson
July 26th Edinburgh v The Ghoul
July 30th Levenshulme v Leo Giroux
August 6th Chester v Charlie Scott
August 14th Hanley v Olaf Svenson
August 20th Levenshulme v Jim Hussey
August 21st Bury v Eric Day
August 28th Hanley v Chick Knight
August 30th Aberdeen v Alf Rawlings
September 3rd Levenshulme v Sandy Orford
September 6th Edinburgh v Ernie Baldwin
September 7th Dundee v Bill McDonald
September 18th Hanley v Harry Pye
September 27th Edinburgh v Wally Seddon
October 2nd Kings Lynn v Chick Knight
October 8th Levenshulme v Joe Robinson
October 11th Edinburgh v Chic Knight
October 22nd Willenhall v Wally Seddon
October 29th Levenshulme v Bearded Monarch
November 5th Willenhall v Hassan Ali Bey
November 6th Hanley v Hassan Ali Bey
November 12th Chester v Hassan Ali Bey
November 15th Edinburgh v Dave Armstrong
November 26th Levenshulme v Kiwi Kingston
November 27th Bury v Harry Pye
November 30th Dundee v Sandy Orford
1949
January 10th Edinburgh v Ernest Baldwin
January 22nd Newcastle v Wally Seddon
January 25th Dundee v Eric Day
February 2nd Lincoln v Eric Day
February 12th Newcastle v Legs Langevin
February 14th Edinburgh v Alan Garfield
February 15th Aberdeen v Chic Knight
February 19th Hanley v Bob Silcock
February 25th Levenshulme v Bill McDonald
February 26th Bury v Chic Knight
March 5th Newcastle v Vic Hessle
March 7th Edinburgh v Ken Davies
March 8th Dundee v Hassan Ali Bey
March 19th Hanley v Bob Silcock
March 21st Huddersfield v Ken Davies
March 26th Newcastle v Chic Knight
March 28th Edinburgh v Jim Hussey
April 1st Levenshulme v Sam Burmister
April 8th Newcastle v Robert McDonald
April 15th Hull v Sandy Orford
April 27th Lincoln v The Farmer
May 24th Southsea v Elmo
June 25th Newcastle v Kiwi Kingston
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