Research Players who served in War

Jul 26, 2014
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As per request in List thread - Inaccuracy in official records, this is a thread to document known players/officials who served in World War I

I've attached a spreadsheet that contains my understanding of the VFL listing (contains a few extras that are not in Barb Cullen's excellent book "Harder Than Football".

Would be great to extend with other league, umpires, officals etc

Link to Rhett's excellent work on Richmond: http://tigerlandarchive.org/tiki-index.php?page=War

EDIT:
A list of known WWI players can be found here: http://tinyurl.com/ycob4fzf

Plus an interesting map showing places of birth / death - you can click on any of the markers to see the name of the player who was born/died at that location: http://tinyurl.com/y7yxbzl9
 

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  • WWI VFL players.zip
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royals1922

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Okay a starter.

From the Brunswick and coburg leader of 16 July 1915 at page 1

Enlistees from Coburg are said to include Captain coach George Marsh , Albert Andrews and W Templeton ( from the location of his shipping out details probably William Norman Templeton) and Edward Bawden who was at Gallipoli.


http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article87757127

NB George Marsh is the same George Marsh who played 7 games for Collingwood in 1905 as a 23 year old.The George Marsh of Collingwood was recruited from Coburg.
 
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royals1922

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From the same Brunswick paper, of 12 October 1917 at page 4.

Footballers G Bull and P Roberts

Coburg were a junior club at the time.
 

royals1922

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3 association umpires said to have enlisted including h Daniels( may be h Daniel on the list),c Knowles and s Sykes ( who may already be on the list as Sydney)

The age 9 August 1915 at page 8.

http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article154986967
 
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royals1922

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New player????

Drake ( from University). He is not listed as having played any games:

From the Prahran Telegraph of 4 November 1916,


http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article74836046

although I suspect named should be Jack Brake not Drake
 

35Daicos

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New player????

Drake ( from University). He is not listed as having played any games:

From the Prahran Telegraph of 4 November 1916,

http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article74836046

although I suspect named should be Jack Brake not Drake
Yes, should be Jack Brake, who played for University (1909-14) and Melbourne (1915, 1920-21). According to The Encyclopedia of AFL Footballers "he played in the famous Services game in London." I presume that's the game mentioned in the article.

Jack Drake, who played for Hawthorn in 1926, was killed in World War II.
 

royals1922

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Died in the Boer War-

Stanley Reid who played for Fitzroy from 1894 to 1898 and died in the Boer war in 1901( in a WA unit).

Charlie Moore (essendon ) is also not on the list

From the Broadford Courier of 2 August 1901 about Reid's death:


http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article58923800

Article is good reading. Tough as teak.
 

royals1922

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A curious one.

Edgar J Evans

He doesn't appear have played in 1917 but this article of the Bendigo Advertiser of 21 June 1917 suggests he played for the Geelong league side in 1917.

http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article90131184
 

royals1922

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More enlisted from this article in the Sporting Judge of 25 September 1915 in a Carlton v enlisted soldiers game


http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article154820143

Players named include

Collingwood

Rowan - on list as Percy Rowe -died
Seddon
Jackson

Melbourne

Evans
Lilley
Fraser
Lowell

fitzroy

King
Collins -died
Herron - not on list, possibly Percy Heron

Carlton

Burleigh
Baud
Challis -died
Triplett
Fielding probably on list as Fred Fielding played for collingwood and SM and died

South Melbourne

Freeman -died
Sloss -died
Thomas -died

Geelong

Orchard
Heinz

Richmond

sheehan
Danks
Nolan -died

Essendon
McIntosh -died

St Kilda
Lowrie -

9 players on this time did not make it through World War 1.
 

royals1922

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From the Argus if 23 April 1915 at page 11

Not on the list

A O'donoghue Carlton can't locate as a player

J A Gardner collingwood can't locatte as a player

G Donaldson essendon . Probably Clyde
A Gordon essendon
H Moran north Melbourne
T Heaney Fitzroy
A woodington nm
E McQueen nm
Brunswick g gibson
Brunswick c clowe
Brunswick r Sullivan
Brunswick r Gorman
Williamstown mctaggart
Williamstown Clemons
Brighton s Negro
Brighton j Slater
Brighton w Patterson
Brighton. A Collin
Hawthorn d mcconville
Hawthorn a Robertson
Hawthorn n Gibson
Port a howlett, j Menzies, h Adams, c Campbell, j Simmonds,

Northcote h Smith
Prahran h davis
 

royals1922

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W h Erickson , an old Essendon player
Essendon Gazette and keilor reporter 24 May 1917 at page 2
 

rbartlett

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From the Argus if 23 April 1915 at page 11

Not on the list

A O'donoghue Carlton can't locate as a player

J A Gardner collingwood can't locatte as a player

G Donaldson essendon . Probably Clyde
A Gordon essendon
H Moran north Melbourne
T Heaney Fitzroy
A woodington nm
E McQueen nm


Gee, that's interesting royals1922 - Thomas Heaney ?!
Played with Richmond 1906-1913, then Fitzroy 1913-1921 (excl 1918). I notice he only played in 1915 from Rd 10 onwards, so that would match with the article.
WhiteHartLane23 have you come across his war record at all, cause I can't see it on AWM site

Also, looking at your list and the Trove page - it looks like A. O'Donoghue is listed under South Melbourne, not Carlton as you have posted. That would therefore make him Alan O'Donoghue who played with Richmond in 1912, and then Sth Melb from 1914-15,17-18. (He played from Rd 6 onwards in 1915)
http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article1511893
 
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royals1922

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One of the benefits of this search besides the obvious honouring of the blokes is that it actually dovetails into other research being gone.
 

royals1922

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The Sporting Globe ran an audacious column to list as many sportsmen (from any level) who went to war.
The first instalment is here , it was weekly, and from my notes, ran around 6 months.
I got quite a few Richmond reserve names from this list
http://trove.nla.gov.au/ndp/del/page/20726124
That is from World War 2 sadly.

As if they were going to make it that easy for us for World War 1....
 

royals1922

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Found this article from the winner about Camp life on 12 April 1916

http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article154555355

Players not on the list

Ned Alley - who is probably Ted Alley
Dave Farmer - ex Prahran and umpire
Eric Kerr who is said to have played a few games for University and was the brother of Frank Kerr( only Frank is on the list and Eric is not listed as having played football for University so is this another player who has not hitherto been credited with VFL games).
 

royals1922

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Another article from the Winner of 26 December 1917

http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article154549298

which refers to a letter home

Ken McDonald - assistant secretary of the VFA
Red McCluskey from Footscray who is said to have died( he is on the list as Thomas McCluskey)
Mick Cloke - Brunswick, not on the list
G Ross Brunswick who is said to have died but he is not the George Ross who is on the list who is said not to have died. However the AWM lists 5 George Ross who did. So there is some mystery about this bloke
Stan Golde Brunswick
Cornell NM- could be Ralph Cornall on the list
Busbridge Williamstown - on the list probably as Norm Busbridge
Parsons and Bailes from Brighton - similar names are on the list for other sides
Bandy Samson - Footscray
Tommy Jones NM
Hoare Essendon - not on the list
Danks - Port Melbourne - a Dnks is on the list.
Tom McNamara - VFA boundary ump who did pass away - he is likely to be Thomas Harold McNamara
 
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