Almanac Life: Citrus Bob’s ANZAC Day

MY ANZAC DAY

 

Anzac Day 2025 was a bit different for me. Normally it is either the dawn service locally or a trip to Melbourne for the big game.

 

This year I decided with my presenter to talk about on our Saturday morning gig on ABC about men who paid the supreme sacrifice for their country but with a sporting theme. Time did not allow a full snapshot of my research but here are some for our readers.

 

I commenced with ANTHONY (TONY) WILDING in my list as an ANZAC  sporting champion . Killed in France in 1915. Although not an Australian there would be no ANZAC without our friends from across the ditch.  Wilding was 31 and still had years of competitive sport ahead of him like many others.

 

Tony Wilding won the Davis Cup with Norman Brookes (Later Sir Norman, 2 games for St.Kilda )  in 1907/8/9/10/14 playing as Australasia. He also won 9 Wimbledon Titles  ( 4 singles, 4 doubles, 1 mixed ) 2 Australian Opens.

 

He played 693 games  636 wins  57 losses.  Winning ratio of 91.7%

 

The first Australian rules footballers (from Victoria)  killed in war were Walter ‘Charlie’ Moore (Essendon 30 games 34 goals) and The Rev. Stanley B Reid (Fitzroy 24 games o goals 1898 premiership player).  They were killed in the Boer War in South Africa.

 

One of the first cricketers killed in action was the Victorian player Frank Lugton who only played a few games for his state.

 

 

Arch Lugton front left on ground. Warwick Armstrong ‘The Big Ship’ captain seated in middle.  (Photo courtesy Ken Jacobs)

 

Probably the most interesting of all sportsmen killed in war was the death of three Ashes’ cricketers, Ross Gregory  (Australia), and Englishmen Ken Farnes and  Hedley Verity.  Gregory in his last test match at the G in 1937  was caught Verity bowled Farnes for 80. For some reason he was not chosen for the last tour of England by Australia before WWII.

 

These three players were the only Ashes’ players killed in the Second World War.

 

Melbourne Football Club, of all sporting clubs was probably the hardest hit during WWII. Keith ‘Bluey’ Truscott DFC(2)  50 games and 31 goals. Truscott was killed in a training accident in WA, he was a legendary war hero. Ron Barassi Snr (58 games and 84 goals) killed in Tobruk and Harold Ball (33 games and  33 goals) who was beheaded by the Japanese.

 

Ball was just 21 years of age and was destined to be a champion player for the Demons.  The best first year player at Melbourne is called the Harold Ball Memorial Trophy. He came from the Sunraysia town of Merbein also the home town of Herb Henderson (Footscray) and Hassa Mann (Mebourne).

 

We concluded our segment by talking about one of finest sporting come war books that I have ever read.  The book The Changi Brownlow by Roland Perry which tells the story of Australian prisoners of war at the brutal Changi prison. To maintain their spirits they decided to have an Australian Rules football competition.   The competition was devised by Brownlow Medallist Wilfred ‘Chicken’ Smallhorn (Fitzroy) and Australian wicketkeeper Ben Barnett who were internees at the camp..  It is a book well worth reading and one that shows the character of the Australian.  Captain of one of the teams was Harold Ball.

 

This is just a small snapshot of sporting people at war, many survived but many paid the supreme sacrifice.

 

 

More stories from Citrus Bob Utber can be read Here.

 

 

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