On Saturday, 17 December 1938, George William Alexander Nicoll, a South African jockey aged 28, was found dead in his home at The Studio, Newmarket.
He was at the time first jockey to Sir Abe Bailey. Trainer Fred Templeman had second claim on Nicoll, and it was Templeman's father-in-law who discovered the body.
Nicoll was sat in an armchair wearing a gas mask inside which one end was attached to a gas pipe.
Mrs Nicoll said at a later inquest that her husband went to ride in Poland in March that year, but had to return in October on account of the crisis. On his return he only had about £40 in the bank.
There was little else apart from what she earned as a hairdresser.
Her husband had been pressed for arrears of income tax, about £300 and had an appointment with the income inspector that week.
Before taking his life, he had been drinking excessively.
George Nicol had ridden Sir Abe Bailey's Raymond to victory in the 1933 Cambridgeshire (below).