VFL/AFL players who died in active service

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Since the inception of the Victorian Football League in 1897, many of its players have served in the armed services, including the The Anglo-Boer War, World War I, World War II, the Korean War (in which Melbourne's Geoff Collins served as a fighter pilot), and the Vietnam War (in which Geelong's Wayne Closter served).

According to Main & Allen (2002, p.x), "no VFL footballer was killed in any wars other than the Anglo-Boer War and the two World Wars".

A number of the VFL players who served also lost their lives in active service. They were either killed in action, or died as a consequence of the wounds, injuries, and/or illnesses they had suffered in their active service.^[1]

Contents 1 The Anglo-Boer War 2 World War I 3 World War II 4 Footnotes 5 See also 6 References 7 External links

[edit] The Anglo-Boer War

Charlie Moore and Stan Reid, the only two VFL players to be killed in the Anglo-Boer War, had played against each other in the 1898 VFL Grand Final.

Reid had played in the back-pocket for Fitzroy and was one of Fitzroy's best players, whilst Moore had played at full-forward for Essendon. Fitzroy won the match 5.8 (38) to 3.5 (23), with Moore kicking one of Essendon's three goals.^[2]

Moore had already played a number of senior games for Albert Park Football Club (and, possibly, also for the South Melbourne Football Club) in the VFA before moving to play for Essendon in the VFL's inaugural year of 1897,^[3] whilst Stan Reid had played quite a number of senior games for the Fitzroy Football Club in the VFA prior to 1897.^[4]

Player	VFL Games	VFL Club(s)	Rank held at time of death	Date of death	Location
Charlie Moore	30	Essendon	Trooper, 4th Victorian Imperial Bushmen's Contingent	May 12, 1901	Kwaggashoek Farm, South Africa[5]
Stan Reid	24	Fitzroy	Lieutenant, 6th Western Australian Mounted Infantry	June 29, 1901	Middel-Kraal, South Africa[6]

[edit] World War I

Player	VFL Games	VFL Club(s)	Rank held at time of death	Date of death	Location
James Aitken	1	Geelong	Private, 5th Battalion, First A.I.F.	August 8, 1915	Gallipoli, Turkey[7]
Rupert Balfe	7	University	Lieutenant, 6th Battalion, First A.I.F.	April 25, 1915	Gallipoli, Turkey[8]
John Bell	18	Geelong	Captain, 68th Squadron, Australian Flying Corps	December 27, 1917	Western Front, France[9]
Lewis Blackmore	7	Essendon	Second Lieutenant, 1st Battalion, First A.I.F.	July 23, 1916	Pozières, France[10]
Norman Bradford	7	South Melbourne	Corporal, 23rd Battalion, First A.I.F.	August 4, 1916	Pozières, France[11]
Cliff Burge	5	Melbourne	Lieutenant, 24th Battalion, First A.I.F.	August 14, 1918	Villers-Bretonneux, France[12]
Arthur Caldwell	8	St Kilda	Private, 4th Battalion, First A.I.F.	July 26, 1915	Valletta, Malta[13]
Hughie Callan	71	Essendon S. Melbourne	Private, 14th Battalion, First A.I.F.	July 26, 1915	Bapaume, France[14]
George Challis	70	Carlton	Sergeant, 58th Battalion, First A.I.F.	July 15, 1916	Armentières, France[15]
Harry Collins DCM	6	Fitzroy	Lieutenant, 6th Battalion, First A.I.F.	August 10, 1918	Villers-Bretonneux, France[16]
Jack Cooper	136	Fitzroy	Lance-Corporal, 8th Battalion, First A.I.F.	September 20, 1917	Polygon Wood, Belgium[17]
Arch Corbett	7	University	Captain, Australian Army Medical Corps, First A.I.F.	June 25, 1920	Lost at sea off Toulon, France[18]
Alan Cordner	23	Geelong Collingwood	Private, 6th Battalion, First A.I.F.	April 25, 1915	Gallipoli, Turkey[19]
Claud Crowl	3	St Kilda	Private, 8th Battalion, First A.I.F.	April 25, 1915	Gallipoli, Turkey[20]
Joe Crowl	3	Geelong	Captain, 8th Australian, Light Horse, First A.I.F.	June 27, 1915	Gallipoli, Turkey[21]
Dave Cumming MC and Bar	21	University	Captain, 48th Battalion, First A.I.F.	May 3, 1918	Villers-Bretonneux, France[22]
Jack Doubleday	53	University Melbourne	Lieutenant, Australian Dental Corps, First A.I.F.	October 30, 1918	Died at sea, Indian Ocean[23]
George Elliott MC	80	Fitzroy University	Captain, Australian Army Medical Corps, First A.I.F.	September 25, 1917	Chateau Wood, Ypres, France[24]
Fred Fielding	18	S. Melbourne Collingwood	Private, 28th Battalion, First A.I.F.	August 8, 1918	Villers-Bretonneux, France[25]
Charlie Fincher	9	South Melbourne	Private, 5th Battalion, First A.I.F.	April 25, 1915	Gallipoli, Turkey[26]
Chris Fogarty	28	Essendon University	Lieutenant, 24th Battalion, First A.I.F.	November 29, 1915	Gallipoli, Turkey[27]
Jack Freeman	22	South Melbourne	Sapper, 2nd Field Company, Australian Engineers, First A.I.F.	November 15, 1916	Rouen, France[28]
Dick Gibbs MC	35	University	Captain, 59th Battalion, First A.I.F.	July 19, 1916	Fleurbaix, France[29]
Dave Gillespie	5	Carlton	Company Sergeant Major, 59th Battalion, First A.I.F.	March 27, 1917	Military Hospital Caulfield, Victoria[30]
Artie Harrison	20	Richmond Fitzroy	Lance-Corporal, 22nd Battalion, First A.I.F.	May 3, 1917	Bullecourt France[31]
Ed Harrison	7	South Melbourne	Sergeant, 24th Battalion, First A.I.F.	March 13, 1917	Étaples France[32]
Arthur Hinman	24	University	Lieutenant, 15th Battalion, First A.I.F.	May 10, 1915	Gallipoli, Turkey[33]
Lou Holmes	1	St Kilda	Captain, 10th Battalion, First A.I.F.	June 23, 1915	Gallipoli, Turkey[34]
Tommy Hughes	6	Carlton	Private, 23rd Battalion, First A.I.F.	May 3, 1917	The Somme, France[35]
Herb Hunter	3	Essendon	Captain, 7th Battalion, First A.I.F.	May 8, 1915	Gallipoli, Turkey[36]
Les James	72	Geelong	Private, 14th Battalion, First A.I.F.	October 22, 1917	Passchendaele, Belgium[37]
Arthur Jones	7	Fitzroy	Trooper, 8th Australian Light Horse, First A.I.F.	August 7, 1915	Gallipoli, Turkey[38]
Bill Landy	2	Geelong	Private, 58th Battalion, First A.I.F.	July 19, 1916	Fromelles, France[39]
Charles Langtree	1	Collingwood	Lieutenant, 159th Brigade Royal Field Artillery	August 3, 1916	Corbie, France[40]
Ron Larking MC and Bar	1	University	Captain, 38th Division, Signal Company, Royal Engineers	April 1, 1918	Neuve-Église, France[41]
Les Lee	2	Richmond	Private, 10th Machine Gun Company, First A.I.F.	June 8, 1917	Messines, Belgium[42]
Frank Lugton	36	Melbourne	Lance-Corporal, 24th Battalion, First A.I.F.	July 29, 1916	Villers-Bretonneux, France[43]
Jim Mackie	5	Melbourne	Private, 21st Battalion, First A.I.F.	March 20, 1917	Bapaume, France[44]
Peter Martin	15	Collingwood	Private, 6th Battalion, First A.I.F.	March 25, 1918	Military Hospital Caulfield, Victoria[45]
Stan Martin	65	University	Corporal, 22nd Battalion, First A.I.F.	May 3, 1917	Bullecourt France[46]
Tom McCluskey	9	Carlton Fitzroy	Private, 37th Battalion, First A.I.F.	October 4, 1917	Passchendaele, Belgium[47]
Fen McDonald	11	Carlton Melbourne	Private, 37th Battalion, First A.I.F.	April 25, 1915	Gallipoli, Turkey[48]
Fred McIntosh	39	University Essendon	Lieutenant, 59th Battalion, First A.I.F.	September 28, 1917	Polygon Wood, Belgium[49]
Arthur McKenzie	4	Geelong	Private, 1st Regiment South African Infantry	July 18, 1916	Delville Wood, France[50]
Stan McKenzie	14	Carlton	Sergeant, 1st Australian Clearing Hospital, First A.I.F.	December 8, 1915	Alexandria, Egypt[51]
Stan Neale MC	28	University	Captain, 59th Battalion, First A.I.F.	September 29, 1918	Bellicourt, France[52]
Jim Nicholas	1	University	Lieutenant Colonel, 5th Australian Field Ambulance, Australian Army Medical Corps	September 20, 1917	Belgium[53]
Bill Nolan	30	Richmond	Sergeant, 58th Battalion, First A.I.F.	July 23, 1916	Fleurbaix, France[54]
Bert O'Connell	2	St Kilda	Private, 24h Battalion, First A.I.F.	November 1, 1918	Wales[55]
Sid O'Neill	1	Fitzroy	Sergeant, 8th Australian Light Horse	August 7, 1915	Gallipoli, Turkey[56]
Alick Ogilvie	28	Melbourne University	Second Lieutenant, 12th Battalion, First A.I.F.	August 18, 1915	Malta[57]
Joe Pearce	152	Melbourne	Corporal, 7th Battalion, First A.I.F.	April 25, 1915	Gallipoli, Turkey[58]
Jim Pender	15	Carlton	Private, 14th Battalion, First A.I.F.	July 2, 1916	Bois-Grenier, France[59]
Hugh Plowman	26	St Kilda	Captain, 60th Battalion, First A.I.F.	July 19, 1916	Fromelles, France[60]
Les Primrose	16	University	Lieutenant, Australian Flying Corps	June 4, 1918	The Somme, France[61]
Alex Robertson	10	University	Second Lieutenant, 11th Battalion, First A.I.F.	August 6, 1915	Gallipoli, Turkey[62]
Ralph Robertson	14	St Kilda	Second Lieutenant, Royal Flying Corps & Second Lieutenant, 8th Battalion, Hampshire Regiment	May 11, 1917	Aboukir, Egypt[63]
Percy Rodriguez	22	University Melbourne	Second Lieutenant, 23rd Battalion, First A.I.F.	March 20, 1917	The Somme, France[64]
Bill Rogers	3	Carlton	Corporal, 3rd Battalion, Machine Gun Corps, First A.I.F.	September 22, 1918	near Rouen, France[65]
Paddy Rowan[66]	82	Collingwood	Sergeant, 29th Battalion, First A.I.F.	December 5, 1916	Western Front, France[67]
Gerald Ryan	18	Essendon	Lance Sergeant, 14th Battalion, First A.I.F.	February 6, 1917	Tidworth, Wiltshire, England[68]
Alexander Salton	8	VFL Goal Umpire	Private, 60th Battalion, First A.I.F.	September 10, 1916	France[69]
Cyril Seelenmeyer MC	6	University	Major, Australian Army Veterinary Corps	August 8, 1918	Fouilloy, Somme, France[70]
Joe Slater	108	Geelong	Captain, 22nd Battalion, First A.I.F.	May 3, 1917	Bullecourt France[71]
Bruce Sloss	84	Essendon S. Melbourne	Lieutenant, 10th Machine Gun Company, First A.I.F.	January 4, 1917	Armentières, France[72]
Claude Thomas	13	South Melbourne	Private, 14th Battalion, First A.I.F.	July 5, 1918	Hamel, France[73]
Jack Turnbull	12	South Melbourne	Private, 39th Battalion, First A.I.F.	May 2, 1917	Western Front, France[74]
Jack Walker	4	St Kilda	Sergeant, 8th Battalion, First A.I.F.	July 27, 1916	Pozières, France[75]
Mal Williams	7	University	Lieutenant Colonel, 1st Field Ambulance, Australian Army Medical Corps	May 2, 1917	The Somme, France[76]
Alf Williamson	19	Carlton Melbourne	Captain, 14th Battalion, First A.I.F.	April 11, 1917	Bullecourt France[77]
Tommy Worle	3	Collingwood	Sergeant, 8th Brigade Australian Field Artillery	July 31, 1917	Armentières, France[78]

[edit] World War II

Player	VFL Games	VFL Club(s)	Rank held at time of death	Date of death	Location
Syd Anderson	53	Melbourne	Flying Officer, 100 Squadron, R.A.A.F.	May 20, 1944	Shot down off Wewak, New Guinea[79]
Jack Atkins	4	Melbourne	Able Seaman, H.M.A.S. Perth, Naval Reserve	March 1, 1942	Sunda Strait, off Java[80]
Wilf Atkinson	1	Carlton	Flight Sergeant, 232 Squadron, R.A.A.F.	August 12, 1943	over Sicily[81]
Harold Ball	33	Melbourne	Private, 2/9 Field Ambulance, Australian Army Medical Corps	February 9, 1942	Singapore, Malaya[82]
Ron Barassi	58	Melbourne	Corporal, 7th Division Supply Column, Australian Army Service Corps	July 31, 1941	Tobruk, Libya[83]
Paul Bell	15	St Kilda	Lance Corporal, 2/5 Cavalry (Commando) Squadron, Second A.I.F.	July 4, 1945	Balikpapan, Borneo[84]
George Brock	4	North Melbourne	Leading Aircraftman, 1 Service Flying Training School, Point Cook	August 2, 1941	Air collision near the You Yangs, Victoria[85]
Harold Comte	104	St Kilda	Private, 2/24th Battalion, Second A.I.F.	May 30, 1945	Tarakan, Dutch East Indies[86]
Tommy Corrigan	107	Fitzroy	Sergeant, 1 Recruit Centre Melbourne, R.A.A.F.	January 9, 1943	Heidelberg Military Hospital[87]
Bill Cosgrove	3	Richmond	Fight Sergeant, No. 30 Squadron, R.A.A.F.	August 11, 1943	off Goodenough Island Milne Bay[88]
Bill Downie	69	Footscray St Kilda	Private, 105 Transport Company, Australian Army Service Corps	September 11, 1943	Burma-Siam Railway Burma[89]
Jack Drake	3	Hawthorn	Lance-Bombadier, 2/2 Field Regiment, Royal Australian Artillery	April 23, 1941	Bralos Pass Thermopylae, Greece[90]
Noel Ellis	3	Melbourne	Sergeant, 23rd Anti Tank Battery, Royal Australian Artillery	July 6, 1942	Queensland[91]
Bob Flegg	18	St Kilda	Warrant Officer, 70 Squadron, R.A.A.F.	July 7, 1944	over Feuersbrunn, Austria[92]
Bill Garvie	9	Richmond	Private, 20 Field Bakery Platoon, Australian Army Service Corps	July 27, 1944	Atherton Tablelands, Far North Queensland[93]
Alf Giblett	9	Hawthorn	Corporal, 2/24th Battalion, Second A.I.F.	June 19, 1943	New Guinea[94]
Godfrey Goldin	8	Essendon	Private, 2/7th Battalion, Second A.I.F.	February 7, 1943	New Guinea[95]
Alf Hedge	16	South Melbourne	Pilot Officer, R.A.A.F., attached to 78 Squadron, R.A.F.	May 4, 1942	over Hamburg, Germany[96]
Fred Heintz	14	Fitzroy	Private, 2/21st Battalion, Second A.I.F.	February 20, 1942	Ambon, Dutch East Indies[97]
Clyde Helmer	73	Geelong Melbourne	Warrant Officer Class II, Bomb Disposal Mobile Unit, Royal Australian Engineers	April 24, 1945	whilst defusing bomb at Aitapi, near Lae, New Guinea[98]
Bill Hudson	5	St Kilda	Lance Corporal, 51st Field Park Company, Royal Australian Engineers	April 11, 1945	New Guinea[99]
Len Johnson	69	Essendon N. Melbourne	Private, 4th Reserve Motor Transport Company, Australian Army Service Corps	January 24, 1942	near Singapore, Malaya[100]
Jack Keddie	1	Essendon	Sergeant, 127 Brigade Workshops, Australian Corps of Electrical and Mechanical Engineers	August 15, 1945	Wewak, New Guinea[101]
Stuart King	43	St Kilda	Flying Officer, 11 Squadron, R.A.A.F.	February 28, 1943	off Cairns, Far North Queensland[102]
Jim Knight	43	Geelong Carlton	Flying Officer, 30 Squadron, R.A.A.F.	October 11, 1943	Goodenough Island, Milne Bay[103]
Ralph Lancaster	44	Geelong	Gunner, 9th Light Anti-Aircraft Battery, Royal Australian Artillery, Second A.I.F.	August 28, 1942	New Guinea[104]
Norm Le Brun	50	Carlton Collingwood Essendon S. Melbourne	Trooper, 2/10th Australian Cavalry (Commando) Squadron	November 15, 1944	Aitapi, near Lae, New Guinea[105]
Jack Lynch	25	Geelong	Driver, 2/19th Transport Platoon, Australian Army Service Corps	September 8, 1944	Charters Towers, Far North Queensland[106]
Ken McLeod	54	University	Engineer-Lieutenant Commander, H.M.S. Glowworm, R.A.N.	April 8, 1940	off Trondheim, Norway[107]
Wallace Mills	15	St Kilda	Warrant Officer Class II, 2/41st Light Aid Detachment, Australian Corps of Electrical and Mechanical Engineers	November 24, 1943	Far North Queensland[108]
Derek Mollison	66	Melbourne	Captain, 2/12th Field Regiment 9th Division, Second A.I.F.	December 19, 1943	Rockhampton, Central Queensland[109]
Alex Nash DFM	1	Hawthorn	Pilot Officer, 8 Squadron, R.A.A.F.	March 28, 1944	off Bougainville Island, New Guinea[110]
Norm Oliver	13	Collingwood	Flying Officer, 4 Squadron, R.A.A.F.	June 27, 1944	Madang, New Guinea[111]
Jim Park	128	Carlton	Lieutenant, 2/6th Infantry Battallion, Second A.I.F.	February 9, 1943	Wau, New Guinea[112]
Alan Pearsall	2	South Melbourne	Flying Officer, R.A.A.F. (seconded to 16 Squadron, R.A.F.)	March 8, 1944	over English Channel[113]
Dick Pirrie	3	Hawthorn	Sub-Lieutenant, H.M.S. Invicta, Royal Australian Naval Volunteer Reserve	June 6, 1944	Normandy, France[114]
Ted Regan	11	Melbourne Essendon	Flight Sergeant, 11 Squadron, R.A.A.F.	July 9, 1943	over Burma[115]
Beres Reilly	13	St Kilda Melbourne Essendon	Pilot Officer, 454 Squadron, R.A.A.F.	July 23, 1943	over Crete[116]
Archie Roberts	48	Essendon Melbourne	Private, 2/21st Battalion, Second A.I.F.	June 6, 1945	Ambon Dutch East Indies[117]
Gordon Sawley	7	South Melbourne	Flying Officer, 19 Operational Training, R.A.F., R.A.A.F.	June 6, 1945	over Scotland[118]
Mo Shapir	2	North Melbourne	Flight Sergeant, R.A.A.F., attached to 108 Squadron, R.A.F.	August 15, 1942	Middle East[119]
Jack Shelton	2	S. Melbourne St Kilda	Lieutenant, 2/21st Battalion, Second A.I.F.	May 1, 1941	Libya[120]
Len Thomas	209	N. Melbourne Hawthorn S. Melbourne	Private, 2/3rd Independent (Commando) Company, Second A.I.F.	August 17, 1943	Salamaua, New Guinea[121]
Keith Truscott DFC and Bar	50	Melbourne	Squadron Leader, 76 Squadron, R.A.A.F.	March 28, 1943	Exmouth Gulf, Western Australia[122]
Jack Wade	26	South Melbourne	Private, 2/27th Battalion, Second A.I.F.	June 11, 1941	Syria[123]
Max Wheeler	1	Hawthorn	Private, 2/2nd Pioneer Battalion, Second A.I.F.	June 11, 1941	Syria[124]
Barney Wood	5	Melbourne	Sergeant, 2/16th Battalion, Second A.I.F.	June 9, 1941	Litani River, Syria[125]
Gus Young	10	Hawthorn	Bombadier, 3rd Australian Light Anti Aircraft Regiment, Royal Australian Artillery	May 29, 1941	at sea Middle East[126]

[edit] Footnotes

[edit] See also

• The VFL during the World Wars

[edit] References

• Batchelder, A., Melbourne Cricket Club Roll of Honour (1914-1918), Melbourne Cricket Club, 1998. [2]
• Hogan P: The Tigers Of Old, Richmond FC, (Melbourne), 1996. ISBN 0-646-18748-1
• Main, J. & Allen, D., Fallen — The Ultimate Heroes: Footballers Who Never Returned From War, Crown Content, (Melbourne), 2002. ISBN 1-740-95010-0
• Maplestone, M., Flying Higher: History of the Essendon Football Club 1872-1996, Essendon Football Club, (Melbourne), 1996. ISBN 0-959-17402-8
• Ross, J. (ed), 100 Years of Australian Football 1897-1996: The Complete Story of the AFL, All the Big Stories, All the Great Pictures, All the Champions, Every AFL Season Reported, Viking, (Ringwood), 1996. ISBN 0-670-86814-0

[edit] External links

• The official Australian War Memorial Web site
• AFL Player Statistics
• AFL Player Statistics (Round by Round)
• Mick O'Regan, "Lest We Forget - Sport and War", ABC Radio, 19 April 2002. (transcript)
• Paul Daffey, "The 10 best Anzac club links", The Sunday Age, 25 April 2004
• Chronology: A year by year summary of our history (Melbourne Football Club)
• Alan Grant, "Lest We Forget - Part 1" (St Kilda Football Club Official Website, 19 April 2007)
• Alan Grant, "Lest We Forget - Part 2" (St Kilda Football Club Official Website, 19 April 2007)