Harriers and WW1

[garthrockett]

(previously posted on the old site but now updated- hope its of interest to people with Remembrance day imminent.)

There were over 5,000 men playing professional football in the UK by August 1914. Although records are incomplete it is estimated that over 2,000 former professionals served in some capacity with the military forces during the 1914-1918 conflict.
League attendances fell away during the second-half of the 1914-15 season due to the impact of the war and it was then decided to suspend the Football League for the 1915-16 season. Professional footballers were at the time only contracted to play for one season at a time, so most were therefore out of work.

A special ‘Footballers Battalion’ (similar to the ‘Pals’ Regiments) was formed in December 1914 as part of the 17th (Middlesex) Regiment. The battalion was led for a time by the future Wolves Manager Major Frank Buckley. Wounded himself on the Somme in 1916, Buckley kept a detailed record of what happened to the men under his command. He later wrote that by 1939 over 500 of the battalion's original 600 men were dead, having either been killed in action, died of wounds suffered or in the influenza epidemic of 1917-20.

George Williams was born in Wednesbury in September 1879 and first played for King's Hill School, Monway FC, Oldbury and Wednesbury Old Athletic before joining West Bromwich Albion in October 1900. A commanding centre-half, from 1902 onward he played in turn for Brierley Hill Alliance, Kidderminster Harriers, Wrexham, Stafford Rangers, Willenhall Swifts and Walsall. Even though Williams was born in England he did not disclose the fact to the Welsh FA and actually represented Wales on February 23rd 1907 in an international versus Ireland in Belfast, Wales losing 3-2. Rifleman George Williams later served with the King's Royal Rifle Corps during World War I and was killed in action during the Somme offensive on 27th July 1916.

James Stanley ‘Dick’ Garlick was one of Harriers’ greatest players during their first 25 years. Dick was the son of James and Annie Garlick, of 163 Chester Road, Kidderminster. He made his debut against Aston Villa Reserves in 1898. He went on to play in every position (including goalkeeper!) although half-back was his best position. He was transferred briefly to Football league side Burton Swifts in 1899. Garlick was one of the first local volunteers to enlist to fight in the Boer war, joining the Worcestershire Yeomanry in March 1900. On demobilisation he returned to Kidderminster and the Harriers. He was Club Captain right through the Edwardian period, and was ultimately awarded a testimonial match against Walsall in December 1907, raising £40. By this time he was landlord of the Bay Horse public house in Market Street, Kidderminster. He rejoined the Worcestershire Yeomanry at the start of the 1914-1918 conflict and on 11th April 1915 sailed from Avonmouth for Egypt, arriving in Alexandria on 22nd April. However, as a 35 year old Quartermaster Sergeant Dick Garlick died on active service (possibly of dysentery) on 9th June 1915 and buried in Tel El Kebir cemetery, Egypt.

Joseph Frederick Hargrave was from Atherstone, and was signed up by Aston Villa as a centre-forward. He belonged to a family of talented footballers, with two brothers playing in the Birmingham combination. He began his football career with then Second Division Burton at the start of the 1903-04 season and later played for Leeds City during 1905-7, scoring 19 goals in 32 appearances. He also later played for Walsall, Stoke, Stafford, and at Kidderminster Harriers. A Gunner in the 346th Siege Battery, Royal Garrison Artillery, he was killed in action in Belgium on 19th October 1917 and buried in Steenkerke Belgian Military Cemetery.

Harold Godfrey Bache (20 April 1889 – 15 February 1916) wasn’t a Harriers player per se but was a well known locally born ‘gentleman sportsman’ characteristic of the Edwardian era, playing rugby, hockey and tennis (even playing at Wimbledon) but who particularly excelled as an amateur footballer and cricketer.
Born in nearby Churchill, Worcestershire, he was one of three brothers from an affluent family of solicitors. He attended King Edward Grammar School, Birmingham from 1898 – 1908. He then attended Cambridge University 1909-11, gaining his Blue in all the above sports.
He played 20 first-class county cricket matches 1907-1910, 17 of them for Worcestershire, making his first-class debut for Worcestershire against Surrey in 1907.
He taught in France for a while before returning to the Midlands to join West Bromwich Albion. He also played football for the Corinthian Casuals 1909-15. He debuted for WBA against Aston Villa on 21st Feb 1914, and although playing only 14 games for Albion (scoring 4 goals) had been a England international some time before he moved to the Hawthorns, gaining 7 caps (1910-13). Against France in Ipswich in 1910 he scored 7 of England’s goals in their 20-0 victory.

On the outbreak of war Bache joined the Army and was commissioned as a Second Lieutenant in November 1914. Bache starred in a fund-raising Army football match at Blundell Park in October 1914 playing for the 10th Lincs against the 5th Lincs in front of 5,000. The 10th Lincs won 3-2, with Bache scoring twice. Bache was also prominent at a recruiting rally held on 24th October 1914 at The Hawthorns, following a match against Bolton Wanderers. The intention was to form an “Albion Company” from WBA supporters and local footballers that would serve together with the Reserve Battalion of the 5th South Staffs Regiment. The appeal met with some success and by the following Tuesday some 42 men had put their names forward for service.
He first went to France in July 1915 with the 10th Battalion, Lancashire Fusiliers. Presumably given his talent with the cricket ball, this talent was translated into a military application and he was made 10th Battalion’s ‘Bombing officer’ in charge of all aspects of Mills bomb (hand-grenade) use and charged with organising the training of up to eighty designated ‘bombers’.
Lt. Bache was killed in action with the Fusiliers at the age of 26 in Sanctuary Wood on the Ypres Salient on 15th February 1916. He was reportedly shot by a sniper just after returning from an attempt to regain a lost trench. He is commemorated on the Menin Gate war memorial