Post by jonw on Aug 4, 2014 21:16:32 GMT
On this 100th anniversary of the start of the First World War we remember two of our own, who died in battle.
Dickie Freeman fell with the Pompadours at Mons. He was a talented inside forward who played for the Iron between 1911-14 and once scored four times in a 10-0 win over Maldon. James Sharpe died in battle at The Somme in 1917. He was a half-back who played in the 1910-11 and 1913-14 seasons. First team captain Walter Burch was injured and discharged through disability in 1917. Narly Green was gassed and wounded in France. He received a military medal and bar for acts of gallantry at the battle of Arras. He returned to play after the war although his health was affected by his injuries and he died in 1938 at the age of 50.
The following is an extract from the forthcoming First Volume of the Braintree Town History Book, covering the 1898-1968 period:
The Great War began in Europe on 28th July 1914, with Great Britain declaring war on Germany on 4th August. Men throughout the land rushed to enlist for what was initially believed to be a short lived conflict, and the upcoming football season was suspended. The 1914-15 Essex County F.A. Handbook went to print before the outbreak of war, listing the Manor Works Honorary Secretary was listed as R.B. Crittall.
One match was played at our Panfield Lane ground. On Saturday 5th September 1914 Witham met Terling in the held over play-off replay for the Championship of the Braintree & District League. The war greatly affected the strength of each team and there was some doubt whether a game would be possible. The weather was very hot and a small gate paid a total of £3 10s which was given to the Prince of Wales War Fund. Witham won 1-0. After the game a recruiting meeting was held with the object of getting footballers to enlist in the Army.
Mr. R.J. Johnson, who presided, said the following Braintree Manor Works men were already fighting with the Army: Messrs. Bellis, Burlong, Sharpe, Scott, Tolley, Freeman, Curdling, Burch, Nash, Parker and Hodges while Braintree Albion had been obliged to abandon football because they had so many players with the Army. He appealed for other Braintree footballers to come forward and fight for their country.
The following article appeared in The Essex County Chronicle on Friday 11th September 1914:
ESSEX COUNTY FOOTBALL ASSOCIATION
FOOTBALLERS AND ENLISTING. PATRIOTIC RESOLUTION
A special meeting of the Executive Committee of the Essex County Football Association was held at the Great Eastern Hotel, London on Wednesday evening. Mr. H.A. Hants (the chairman) presiding. The Rev. Canon H.A. Lake, a vice-president, was also present.
The subject of discussion was what steps to take with regard to football in the county during the crisis. The Hon. Sec. (Mr. J.T. Clark) said they had received quite a number of communications from various competitions with regard to the matter. The Essex and Suffolk Border League had had to suspend operations altogether, and the Woodford League had suspended operations for a month. Clacton Town, Harwich & Parkeston and Colchester Town and other clubs had also suspended their fixtures.
In the discussions that ensued, it transpired that other leagues had been compelled to suspend their programmes owing to the number of players who had enlisted. With regard to a suggestion that the council should suggest that all leagues should be abandoned for the time being, it was pointed out that several of the clubs in the metropolitan area had heavy ground rents to pay – in some cases over £100 – and that the obligation would remain.
The Assistant Hon. Sec. (Mr. A.W. Andrews) said that 116 clubs had not renewed their membership and a number of competitions, particularly in North Essex, had ceased for the time being.
The following resolution was adopted:
(1) That the Council was gratified to learn that a large number of players and officials at Essex clubs had volunteered for service in one capacity or another and hoped and believed that others would follow suit in the immediate future.
(2) The ready response to the “call to arms” in many instances, especially in North Essex, had led to clubs temporarily suspending operations and in view of this fact the General Council decided that the best interests of the Association would be served by deferring until December 9th the question of running the Essex Senior and Essex Junior Cup competitions. It was also decided to play no inter-county matches and the Council received that while holding the view that each competition and club should act according to its convictions in regard to the European crisis and the playing of football by amateurs, the Council saw no reason to interfere at present with the games the clubs saw fit to arrange but trusted that the sports world would, as far as possible, be confined to those precluded from serving their King and country.
Dickie Freeman fell with the Pompadours at Mons. He was a talented inside forward who played for the Iron between 1911-14 and once scored four times in a 10-0 win over Maldon. James Sharpe died in battle at The Somme in 1917. He was a half-back who played in the 1910-11 and 1913-14 seasons. First team captain Walter Burch was injured and discharged through disability in 1917. Narly Green was gassed and wounded in France. He received a military medal and bar for acts of gallantry at the battle of Arras. He returned to play after the war although his health was affected by his injuries and he died in 1938 at the age of 50.
The following is an extract from the forthcoming First Volume of the Braintree Town History Book, covering the 1898-1968 period:
The Great War began in Europe on 28th July 1914, with Great Britain declaring war on Germany on 4th August. Men throughout the land rushed to enlist for what was initially believed to be a short lived conflict, and the upcoming football season was suspended. The 1914-15 Essex County F.A. Handbook went to print before the outbreak of war, listing the Manor Works Honorary Secretary was listed as R.B. Crittall.
One match was played at our Panfield Lane ground. On Saturday 5th September 1914 Witham met Terling in the held over play-off replay for the Championship of the Braintree & District League. The war greatly affected the strength of each team and there was some doubt whether a game would be possible. The weather was very hot and a small gate paid a total of £3 10s which was given to the Prince of Wales War Fund. Witham won 1-0. After the game a recruiting meeting was held with the object of getting footballers to enlist in the Army.
Mr. R.J. Johnson, who presided, said the following Braintree Manor Works men were already fighting with the Army: Messrs. Bellis, Burlong, Sharpe, Scott, Tolley, Freeman, Curdling, Burch, Nash, Parker and Hodges while Braintree Albion had been obliged to abandon football because they had so many players with the Army. He appealed for other Braintree footballers to come forward and fight for their country.
The following article appeared in The Essex County Chronicle on Friday 11th September 1914:
ESSEX COUNTY FOOTBALL ASSOCIATION
FOOTBALLERS AND ENLISTING. PATRIOTIC RESOLUTION
A special meeting of the Executive Committee of the Essex County Football Association was held at the Great Eastern Hotel, London on Wednesday evening. Mr. H.A. Hants (the chairman) presiding. The Rev. Canon H.A. Lake, a vice-president, was also present.
The subject of discussion was what steps to take with regard to football in the county during the crisis. The Hon. Sec. (Mr. J.T. Clark) said they had received quite a number of communications from various competitions with regard to the matter. The Essex and Suffolk Border League had had to suspend operations altogether, and the Woodford League had suspended operations for a month. Clacton Town, Harwich & Parkeston and Colchester Town and other clubs had also suspended their fixtures.
In the discussions that ensued, it transpired that other leagues had been compelled to suspend their programmes owing to the number of players who had enlisted. With regard to a suggestion that the council should suggest that all leagues should be abandoned for the time being, it was pointed out that several of the clubs in the metropolitan area had heavy ground rents to pay – in some cases over £100 – and that the obligation would remain.
The Assistant Hon. Sec. (Mr. A.W. Andrews) said that 116 clubs had not renewed their membership and a number of competitions, particularly in North Essex, had ceased for the time being.
The following resolution was adopted:
(1) That the Council was gratified to learn that a large number of players and officials at Essex clubs had volunteered for service in one capacity or another and hoped and believed that others would follow suit in the immediate future.
(2) The ready response to the “call to arms” in many instances, especially in North Essex, had led to clubs temporarily suspending operations and in view of this fact the General Council decided that the best interests of the Association would be served by deferring until December 9th the question of running the Essex Senior and Essex Junior Cup competitions. It was also decided to play no inter-county matches and the Council received that while holding the view that each competition and club should act according to its convictions in regard to the European crisis and the playing of football by amateurs, the Council saw no reason to interfere at present with the games the clubs saw fit to arrange but trusted that the sports world would, as far as possible, be confined to those precluded from serving their King and country.
