The Tocumwal Bloods will be commemorating locals who contributed to World War I and II in its ‘Anzac round’ match this Saturday.
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The Bloods will be competing against Blighty in a night game, with seniors starting at 6.15pm.
Players will wear commemorative jumpers and will present medals to the best on ground for both senior football and netball.
Tocumwal has a long history with the armed forces, particularly during World War II when the air force base was located at Tocumwal, but this year the club is also focusing on those who served in World War I.
Club member Greg Watmore said there has been some extensive research into those local men and women who have fought in the wars, with some paying the ultimate price.
“Our senior netball medal is called the Alice Adcock Medal, while the football medal is called the Sandy Family Medal,” he said.
“The Sandy Family came to Tocumwal in 1909 and operated the brick works.
“Where the skate park in Deniliquin St stands today was the site of the quarry and many homes were built using these bricks including the Mercy Convent.
“The Sandy Family consisted of Mr and Mrs W Sandy and 13 children.
“At the outbreak of World War II, nine Sandy family children headed off to war - seven boys and two girls.
“Two of the brothers fought alongside each other in Tobruk while another was son the HMAS Sydney when it sank the Italian cruiser in 1940.
“Mrs Sandy wore nine stars issued by the Commonwealth Government for the number of siblings who served.
“All children returned home to become great contributors to the Tocumwal FNC and community.”
Alice was a Tocumwal woman who volunteered as a nurse in 1939, when the Blitzkrieg broke out.
In February 1941, she travelled to the Middle East on the Mauretania with 6000 others.
“While on board, an engineer officer composed a poem titled ‘The girl from Tocumwal’, inspired by Adcock who reportedly cherished it through the war.
“She treated casualties at Amiriya, Egypt, and casualties from Syria at Palestine.
“Her ship returned to Australia following the Pearl Harbour attacks on December 7, 1941.
“Japanese naval manoeuvring meant Adcock ended up at the 600 bed hospital at Port Moresby in Papua New Guinea, caring for those injured on the Kokoda Trail.”
Following the conclusion of that campaign, Alice returned to Australia and quickly redeployed to a 2000 bed hospital at Morotai, Indonesia as second in command.
“At the end of the war, she worked repatriating prisoners of war in the Philippines from India, Australia, Britain, Canada and the US.
“She did this for several years before returning home to work as a matron at the Finley Hospital, where she was promoted to Captain by Governor General Lord Gowrie VC.
“She was also awarded the Royal Red Cross in at Government House, Melbourne in 1945.”
In their research, the club has also discovered at least 11 World War I veterans with a direct connection to the Tocumwal Football Netball Club.
Among the most celebrated in the club were George Richard Prideaux and James Edward Cottle.
In the latter part of the 1914 season, the name G Prideaux appeared in the Toc team list.
He played in the final game of the home and away season, but may have also played in the prior game and following first semi-final (as the teams were not listed in the newspaper).
By the end of that season, war had been declared. Britain was at war, and the fledgling Australian nation would stand side-by-side; ‘For King and Country’ was the cry.
And so, many of Australia’s young adult males enlisted, for what they thought would be a wild adventure, of fun, medals and return home as a hero.
History shows that the opposite was reality and George Prideaux became one of the 60,000 Australian casualties of WWI.
As was stated on his enlistment papers, George was 19 years-old, born at Invergordon and a drover - which may explain why he was in Toc at that time.
At 6ft 1in (184cm), he was tall - very tall for those times.
“The most basic of facts were that George enlisted at Tocumwal in October 1914, served in the 3rd battalion, and died six months later, killed in action in Turkey in May 1915,” Mr Watmore said.
“However, the copious documents found in his military records in the National Archives of Australia website reveal an amazing fact.
“In the following months, after the war office informed George’s family that he was killed in action, in Gallipoli on May 19, 1915, there was a series of heart-wrenching letters from his mother to the war office.
“Numurkah resident Mrs Prideaux was desperate to know if George, her only son, was really dead, as she had received a postcard from him dated May 21, two days after his reported death.
“After repeated confirmations of his death by the war office, Mrs Prideaux regularly followed up that his personal effects, had not arrived.
“When they do finally arrive almost a year later, the brown parcel contains, among other small items, George’s diary.
“And in that diary, George wrote that he first saw action on April 25, 1915, the very first ANZAC Day.
“After fighting his way up into the hills of Gallipoli, George was killed three weeks later and is buried in the 22nd Parade Ground Cemetery, some 300m from Lone Pine.
“So, the TFNC has its very own original ANZAC and a part of this club is buried in the fields of Gallipoli forever.”
James was the second of three brothers to fight in WWI, the eldest being Billy Cottle - a star of the early Toc footy teams.
James, or Jim as he was best known, enlisted on January 8, 1915 at 21 years-old.
He arrived in Gallipoli on May 27, 1915, one day after his brother Billy and only one week after George Prideaux’s death.
He was hospitalised with jaundice, and upon recuperation, was sent to fight on the western front in France.
During the famous battle at Pozieres, he was promoted to Lance-Corporal.
A few days later, on August 30, 1916 at 3am, he and another soldier went out to search for wounded comrades.
He never returned, nor was he seen again.
Jim was listed as missing, and determined by a court of inquiry six months later to be killed in action.
In 1931, during the course of exhumation work near another battlefield at Moquet Farm, his remains were found and identified by his ID disc. He is now buried in the Serre Rd No 2 Cemetery, Hamel, France.
Mr Watmore said these veterans, others from WWI, the Sandy family and Alice Adcock will all be honoured in a special service on game day.
“We have invited the RSL members down to the ground, where the club will hold a minute silence, play the national anthem, and the last post.
“Descendants of the Sandy family will also be in attendance to present the medal.”
Other Tocumwal Football Netball Club members who served in World War I are as follows:
Leslie Terence (Les) Boyle (SN: 1378): Labourer. Enlisted October 20, 1914, at 19 years-old. 13th Battalion, rank of Lance Corporal. Saw action in Gallipoli and France, wounded in action (shrapnel to chest). Awarded Military Medal for bravery, France.
Charles Samuel (Charlie) Boyle (SN 828): Blacksmiths Strike; Enlisted September 26, 1914, at 25 years-old. Son of Terence Doyle). 13th Battalion, ran of Lance Corporal, stretcher-bearer. Saw action in France. Mentioned in dispatch for distinguished gallantry, wounded in action (bullet in thigh).
William Frederick (Billy) Cottle (SN: 1594): Labourer. Enlisted January 8, 1915, at 31 years-old. 1st Battalion, rank of Private. Saw action in Gallipoli (arrived May 26, 1915, one week after death of George Prideaux). Twice wounded (periscope/bullet wound to wrist and hand) and repatriated to Australia as a result of wounds. Eldest of three brothers from Toc who fought in WWI.
Robert Samuel (Bobby) Hutson (SN19683): Plumber. Enlisted January 18, 1916, at 29 years-old. 8th Brigade/29th Battery, rank of Private/Driver. Saw action in France.
John James (Jack) McConnaughty (SN:1228): Labourer; Enlisted April 14, 1915, at 27 years-old. 22nd Infantry Battalion, rank of Lance Corporal. Saw action in Gallipoli and France. Took part in raid on enemy trenches and wounded in action (gunshot wound to chest).
Henry (Harry) Shaw (SN: 2438): Drover. Enlisted April 30, 1915, at 28 years-old. 14th Battalion, rank of Private/Officer’s Batman. Saw action in Gallipoli and France.
W Smith: Enlisted July 1915.
Reginald Francis (Reg) Turner (SN:945): Farmer. Enlisted March 3, 1916, at 25 years-old. 3rd Reinforcements, Mobile Veterinary Unit, rank of Private. Departed Melbourne December 22, 1916; hospitalised Capetown, South Africa on January 23, 1917), with rheumatic fever. Invalided to Australia, March 23, 1917.
Lawrence Patrick (Claude) Walshe (SN:7871): Farmer. Enlisted July 16, 1917, at age 20. 2nd Tunnelling Company, rank of Sapper. Saw action in France and was wounded in action (thigh).
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