Category Archives: Services

The Rugby Club that Volunteered

Posted on December 17, 2018 by

Keith Gregson, Sunderland RFC’s archivist and historian has, through a combination of knowledge, effort and luck, pieced together the wartime records of all 45 rugby players who were selected to play for Sunderland RFC 1st, 2nd and 3rd XVs on 17 January 1914 – just over 6 months before the outbreak of the First World War. This is an abridged introduction to the full work, which is available to purchase. Continue reading →

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Lest We Forget – Fred Leonard Perrett (Wales) 01/12/1918

Posted on December 1, 2018 by

By the end of October 1918, Fred Perrett had been on active service on the Western Front for three years and, having already been twice wounded, he may well have felt that he had done his bit… Continue reading →

Posted in Countries, International Players, Lest We Forget, Services, Wales | 2 Comments

The England International who was sunk at Jutland…

Posted on November 26, 2018 by

Sydney Coopper was secretary of the RFU from 1924 to 1947.  In 1916 his ship was sunk during the nighttime exchanges during the Battle of Jutland.  Coopper survived.  This is the story of what happened that night on board HMS Sparrowhawk… Continue reading →

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Lest We Forget – Alexander James Ridland (New Zealand) 05/11/1918

Posted on November 5, 2018 by

Alexander James (Jimmy) Ridland died at Le Quesnoy in France on 5th November 1918 during the final week of the First World War.  A rifleman in the 1st Battalion of the New Zealand Rifle Brigade, he was the last of the 13 All Blacks who lost their lives in the war.  Continue reading →

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Flying Lions: Elfed Jones

Posted on October 8, 2018 by

Flying Lions: Elfed Jones

Continuing our series of biographies by David Smith, covering some of the British & Irish Lions who served with the RAF.
Continue reading →

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Lest We Forget – Walter Riddle Sutherland (Scotland) 04/10/1918

Posted on October 4, 2018 by

More than 60 Scottish rugby internationals have come from the Hawick club in the borders of Scotland but few have been more beloved than Walter “Wattie” Sutherland who was killed by a stray enemy shell in the village of Hulluch in France on 4th October 1918 aged twenty seven. Continue reading →

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Lest We Forget – Frank Jacob Gard (USA) 29/09/1918

Posted on September 29, 2018 by

Frank Jacob Gard (1892-1918) was a flanker who captained Stanford University and the All-American team that played Australia (1912) and New Zealand (1913).  He was a Lieutenant in the infantry who was killed in action at the Battle of Argonne Forest, France. Continue reading →

Posted in International Players, Lest We Forget, Services, USA | 1 Comment