9th Infantry Brigade Sports during the Great War
Inverell Times (NSW: 1899 - 1907, 1909 - 1954), Tuesday 28 March 1916, page 4
FOOTBALLERS SEND OFF
The members of the Imperial Football Club and many friends, gathered at the Oxford Hotel last Friday night to give a fitting farewell to Messrs Albert BUXTON and William BUXTON, George William ANDERSON and Thomas LOWREY, the four footballers who left for Narrabri Camp this morning.
The chair was taken by Mr. J. Spicer who, after the toast of the King had been duly honoured, proposed the health of the departing soldiers. While expressing regret at their departure, he was very pleased that they were prepared to fight for their country and congratulated them on the step they had taken. He was sure each would make a good soldier, and if they did as well on the battlefield as on the football field, they would be a credit, not only to the town of Inverell, but also to the Australian forces. He hoped each volunteer would safely return to play the good old game of Rugby. Messrs. W. Callinan and Neal McCarthy also spoke to the toast. Mr. Spicer then presented each soldier with a pocket wallet. Mr T. Lowry, on behalf of his comrades returned thanks for the presents and said they would value and put them to good use. He considered they were only doing their duty by doing their little bit. They were entering the ranks to become soldiers, and there would be no fear or them taking part in disgraceful scenes such as had occurred recently in Sydney. He hoped that he and his mates would once more don the green jersey in Inverell. A pleasant evening was ended by the singing of the National Anthem and Auld Lang Syne.
3rd Division AIF Rugby Football Team
Battalion Rugby, 3/11/1918 Transport Section beat D Company 18-Nil. 4/11/1918 H.Q Coy beat D Coy 1-Nil. 12/11/1918 A Coy beat D Coy 6-3. 21/11/1918 C Coy drew 3 all with D Coy. Transport Section beat H.Q. Coy 11-3 to win the Battalion Championship at MERELESSART Nov 1918.
Driver: 1389 Percy Jack GOLDRICK. Transport Section 35th Battalion Rugby Premiers.
Lance Sergeant: 2405 Neil Robert SUTHERLAND. 35th Battalion AIF.
25.11.18. Kindest regards from your “Little” Brother Neil. ‘D’ Company 35th Bn Rugby Football team France. Just Players. Rough but honest.
34th Battalion AIF Rugby Team November 1918
Rear Row: Left: Colonel: WILCOX. - Right: Major: Arnold Leroy FRY.
Second Row: left: Lieutenant: STALLEY (Sports Officer) - MALKBURRING - RIFF - Private: 20670 Arthur POWER - Private: 7475 William Henry "Joe Lee" FLOWERS - Sergeant: 114 Robert "Bob" LINDSAY - TOMKIN - Regimental Sergeant Major: 43 John James CROSS.
Second Row: Left: Unknown - Private: 7483 George Allen "Mick" HARRIS - Major: Harry Dixon WHEELER - Tommy JOHNSON - Captain: Telford Graham GILDER - Lieutenant: 1973 Reuben PARKES - KERR
Front Row: Left: Scotchy TURNER - Budge WHITE - Private: 7491 Alexander Robert JOHNSTON.
No: 1 Waratahs Rugby Football Club Campbelltown, N.S.W. 1913
Private: 466 Walter HAGAN. MM. 36th Battalion AIF, front row: second from the left.
Carrington Football Club Roll of Honour 1914 -1919
Private: 7491 Alexander Robert JOHNSTON. South Sydney Halfback (1921-1926) . 34th Battalion AIF
2nd Lieutenant: 799 James JACKSON. "Pluggy" BELGIAN CROIX-de-GUERRE 34th Battalion. was the original half back for the "Cessnock Goannas" Ruby League Team in 1911.
34th Battalion AIF
Company Sergeant Major: 467 Jeremiah Arthur "Bull" JENNINGS. 34th Battalion AIF. Merewether Advanced Football Club.
Corporal: 90 Herbert "Herb" GRAY. 35th Battalion AIF. Merewether Advanced Football Club.
Private: 899 William Robert SPARKES. 34th Battalion AIF. Merewether Advanced Football Club.
34th Battalion AIF Soccer Team November 1918
Rear Row: Left: Colonel: WILCOX. - Right: Major: Arnold Leroy FRY.
Company Sergeant Major: 467 Jeremiah Arthur "Bull" JENNINGS. 34th Battalion AIF. Merewether Advanced Football Club.
Lance Corporal: 2291 Peter George COPPOCK. M.M & Bar. 34th Battalion. Weston.
Private: 899 William Robert SPARKES. 34th Battalion AIF. Merewether Advanced Football Club.
Local players from from Minmi Wanderers - Weston - Cessnock Blue Bells - West Maitland - Merewether - West Wallsend.
35th Battalion AIF
Temporary Sergeant: 2133 Henry RANDALL. 35th Battalion. AIF. C Company Soccer Premiers November 1918.
35th Battalion AIF Soccer Team winners, (C Company) inter-company Football Competition, Presentation on the steps of Mairie in the village square 3rd of January 1919.
Left to Right: Major: Hugh John CONNELL. D.S.O. M.C @ Bar, 2nd in Charge, Lieutenant Colonel: Harold Fletcher WHITE. C.M.G. D.S.O. Croix de Guerre Commanding Officer, Private D Lee, Captain: 1167 Richard Valentine LATHLEAN. M.C @ Bar Officer in charge C Company, Corporal: 2133 Henry RANDALL, Corporal L Whittaker, Private Yallow, L/Corporal J Mitchell, and Private J Thraves. "Chick" 35th Battalion (Transport Section) mascot.
Aldershot Training School 1918. Front and Centre.
Sergeant: 922 Thomas Flood WARDLE. 35th Battalion AIF. West Wallsend Premiers for 1912, 1913, 1914.
2nd Lieutenant: 1069 Thomas Fraser BRUCE. 36th Battalion AIF.
9th Infantry Brigade Sports Medal presented to Lance Corporal: 1500 Daniel George SMITH. 33rd Battalion AIF.
No:3 Class-Physical and Bayonet Training. Aldershot, October 1917
England 1917. Physical Fitness Training Class. Sergeant: 432 Frederick GALLEGHAN, back row, centre.
Captain: Gilbert Gordon COGHILL. M.C. 35th Battalion AIF
Inter-Allied games, Paris 1919. Representing Australia in the Heavy Weight Division.
Private: 414 Hugh DEVON. 35th Battalion AIF. Hugh Devon fought world boxing champion Les Darcy in Newcastle on the 21st September 1914 and lost in the 6th round on a TKO.
Gold Fob Watch presented to L.H.ROBINSON the Winner of the Light Weight Boxing Champion on board the S.S. ANCHISES 1916 during their voyage from Australia.
(Fob Watch: Ian Robinson: Grandson)
Private: 2121 Leonard Harold ROBINSON. 36th Battalion AIF. Boxer who fought against world boxing champion Les Darcy in 1915. Rutherford Army Camp.
NSW Rugby Union Program. AIF Team v Australia (Harrower Collection)
The Sydney Morning Herald report of the match said: "Bringing from overseas a set of forwards with a reputation for unusual strength and brilliance, the A.I.F. Rugby Union team quite realised expectations at the Sydney Sports Ground on Saturday. The attendance numbered 10,000, which is surely an indication that rugger has not lost its 'kick'. Great enthusiasm prevailed throughout the game, and the soldier team had a hearty welcome.”
The SMH also reported '…the Diggers thoroughly deserved the high reputation that had preceded them’ and that ‘the fifteen stands out as one of the greatest seen on Sydney grounds’.
To great acclaim and good crowds around the country, the AIF won all eight games on their exhibition tour - sweeping a young Australian side - and scoring 268 points and with only 78 scored against them. It was regarded as the perfect “morale booster for for rugby union in Australia in the immediate post-war period.”
Colonel Marcus Fielding, a military historian and Australian Army Rugby Union vice-president, wrote a book about the 1919 AIF team: "Comrades in Arms and Rugby".
AIF No:1 Rowing Crew
Under Construction: 16/12/2020-24/01/2026.