James Blackwood (born 3 August, 1911 in Melbourne, Australia), better known as Fins, the Marine, or the Diver, is an Oxford alumnus and Naval Engineer. He was a member of the University rowing team that won the world famous regatta between Oxford and Cambridge for three consecutive years. He is a fantastic swimmer and was the first person to swim across the English Channel on a bet. In 1935 he enlisted in the Navy and was promoted to Captain in 1936 but later demoted to Sergeant two years later due to an 'incident' during a stopover in Hawaii. Further problems made the General Staff give him the option of being expelled from the Navy or entering the Commando Corps as an ordinary soldier, the latter of which he did.