Brighton Players in the first world war

[franks brother]

A picture postcard entitled "Albion Sharp Shooters" showing members of the Brighton & Hove Albion football team practising rifle drill in the early months of the First World War. (c1914).How many survived the onslaught

 

[Barrel of Fun]

According to Seagulls! The Story of Brighton & Hove Albion F.C.

Bob Whiting (320 apps), Jasper Batey (40 apps), Charlie Matthews (12 apps), Charlie Dexter (36 apps) and groundsman Fred Bates. Former players who sacrificed their lives were Arthur Hulme (174 apps), Jimmy Smith (65 apps 40 goals), Alan Haig-Brown (3 apps), Ernie Townsend (0 apps) and Tom Morris (46 apps).

A memorial was placed in the boardroom in 1923. Did it survive?

 

[pasty]

View attachment 48054A picture postcard entitled "Albion Sharp Shooters" showing members of the Brighton & Hove Albion football team practising rifle drill in the early months of the First World War. (c1914).How many survived the onslaught

Are you part of the "Brighton Past" facebook group by any chance?

 

[Barrel of Fun]

Are you part of the "Brighton Past" facebook group by any chance?

That's a great little group.

 

[Mellotron]

I was rather hoping this was going to be a Hiney Art thread of current BHAFC players being photoshopped into WW1 situations.

 

[theboybilly]

If they'd gone straight to France in August 1914 there wouldn't be all that many who survived the year. Mons, and the retreat to the Marne took it's toll on a small expeditionary force. But my guess is that these Albion players wouldn't have gone overseas until at least May 1915 by which time the BEF was considerably larger due to the volunteers coming through their training at home depots. Trench warfare was just about to rear it's ugly head and 1st Ypres would set the tone of the next 3 and a half years, so there was a good chance that half (or more) of these young chaps wouldn't have seen Blighty again, let alone play competitive football sadly.

 

[Thunder Bolt]

An undertaker in Brighton donated a marble slab which is engraved with the names of players and staff in the World wars. It is in the Memorial garden at the Amex.

 

[Bevendean Hillbilly]

I remember seeing a photograph of the Army 11 taken sometime during WW1 that was made up of professional footballers. If memory serves there were 2 Brighton players in there.

 

[Working class pride]

Wasn't Charlie Webb appointed (re appointed) manager when he was still in a prisoner of war camp after being captured by the Germans?

 

[Thunder Bolt]

...

 

[theboybilly]

I remember seeing a photograph of the Army 11 taken sometime during WW1 that was made up of professional footballers. If memory serves there were 2 Brighton players in there.

Bob Whiting and Billy Jones? Both played in the 1910 Charity Shield match and the signed up for the 17th (Service) Battalion, Middlesex Regiment. I think the whole Clapton Orient squad signed up for this unit plus others from clubs such as Man United, Liverpool, Sheff Wed, Chelsea & Heart of Midlothian

 

[Spun Cuppa]

There was a Captain Ashleigh Warburton-Barnes who infamously put a sitter over the bar during the Christmas Day ceasefire game in no-mans land v the Germans in 1916

Not sure if any current players are a direct descendant