Editing Harold Abrahams (section)

==Early life and education==
Abrahams's father, Isaac, was a [[Jewish]] immigrant from Polish Lithuania, then part of the [[Russian Empire]] since the [[Partitions of Poland]]. He worked as a financier, and settled in [[Bedford]] with his Welsh Jewish wife, Esther Isaacs.<ref name="greatath"/> Harold was born in Bedford in 1899. His eldest brother was the physician Sir [[Adolphe Abrahams]] (1883–1967), the founder of British [[sport medicine]]. His middle brother was another British Olympic athlete, [[long jump]]er Sir [[Sidney Abrahams]] (1885–1957).

Abrahams was educated at [[Bedford School]] and [[Repton School]], then both all-boys [[independent school (UK)|independent schools]].<ref name="greatath"/> Before attending university, Abrahams served the [[British Army]].<ref name="greatath"/> Having been a cadet, he was commissioned in the [[Bedfordshire Regiment]] as a [[Temporary rank|temporary]] [[second lieutenant]] on 5 March 1919;<ref name="LG 28 March 1919">{{London Gazette |issue= 31258 |date= 28 March 1919 |page= 4147 |supp= y |city= |title= |quote=}}</ref> he relinquished his commission on 1 September 1921 having completed his period of service.<ref name="LG 14 February 1922">{{London Gazette |issue= 32610 |date= 14 February 1922 |page= 1365 |supp= y |city= |title= |quote=}}</ref> 

He studied at [[Gonville and Caius College, Cambridge]], from 1919 to 1923. At Cambridge, he was a member of the Cambridge University Athletics Club (of which he was president 1922–1923),<ref name="ReferenceA">''Who Was Who – Volume VII – 1971–1980''.</ref> [[Cambridge University Liberal Club]],<ref>{{cite web |url=http://keynessociety.wordpress.com/2009/08/14/harold-abrahams-1899-1978/ |title=Harold Abrahams, 1899–1978 " Keynes Society |publisher=Keynessociety.wordpress.com |date=14 August 2009 |access-date=31 January 2011}}</ref> the [[University Pitt Club]],<ref name="ReferenceA"/> and the [[Gilbert and Sullivan]] Society.<ref>Hugh Hudson's commentary to the 2005 ''Chariots of Fire'' DVD.</ref> After university he trained as a lawyer. 

Abrahams was also a member of the [[Achilles Club]], a track and field club formed in 1920 by and for past and present representatives of Oxford and Cambridge universities. One of the club's founding members was [[Evelyn Montague]], who like Abrahams is also portrayed in the 1981 film ''[[Chariots of Fire]].''