Call to honour ‘forgotten Olympic heroes’ of London 1948

British Future, which launches at the Museum of London Docklands today with the torch from the 1948 games, said there should also be a wider celebration of the country’s history.

The body’s director, Sunder Katwala, said: “Britain should use the Olympic and Jubilee year to know and celebrate its history as well as decide what this year’s Olympics says about Britain in 2012. In a special Olympics honours list, all living medallists from 1948 should now be awarded an honour such as an MBE.

“Few have received them. By the time we put the flame out all these forgotten heroes should have been recognised.”

Mr Katwala said the black sprinter McDonald Bailey should also be honoured after he only finished sixth in the 100 metres, even though he was suffering from laryngitis at the time.

Other medallists from the 1948 games who have yet to be formally honoured include Dorothy Manley, John Peake, Tommy Godwin and Catherine Gibson.

In the survey commissioned by British Future, Ipsos Mori surveyed a total of more than 2,000 people.

It found that 44 per cent agreed relations between ethnic groups are better now than they were in 1948, while 74 per cent did not believe that Britain was a more polite place.