Ten Saints fought in World Wars and failed to return. It is important that all Saints players, administrators and supporters remember them on Anzac day.
They were all young men who heard the call to arms, enlisted and then proceeded overseas to fight for their country. They did not return to their families and they did not return to the club for which they played.
World War 1
Arthur Edward Caldwell. Private 4th Battalion Australian Infantry – 8 games for the Saints in 1909
Arthur was 25 when he died on 26 July 1915. He was born in Young in NSW to Thomas and Agnes Caldwell. When he was young the family moved to Melbourne where Arthur went to school at North Williamstown Public School. My research has revealed 3 brothers and a sister (Sarah) but there may have been more siblings. Large families were the norm in those days.
His brother Jim Caldwell played 155 games with Sth Melbourne. He is somewhat of a Swans legend. He also coached Carlton in the 1920s. His brothers Thomas and Joseph also served overseas with Thomas winning a Military Medal for his bravery in action.
On 26 July 1915 Arthur died as a result of wounds he had sustained at Gallipoli. He had been transferred in a hospital ship to Malta . He is buried at Addolarata Cemetery in Malta alongside two other Australian servicemen who also died of wounds.
Claude Terrell Crowl. Private 8th Battalion Australian Army- 3 Games for the Saints in 1911.
Claude was killed in action on the 25th of April 1915 the day of the landing. His unit the 8th Battalion was one of the first on the beach at Gallipoli . He was a farmer born in Stratford that great Gippsland town which has produced so many league footballers including the legendary Saint Bill Young.
Educated at Caulfield Grammar young Claude went straight into the Saints team direct from school. His parents were Richard and Jane Crowl of Poowong also in Gippsland.
Claude’s Cousin Captain Joseph Terrell Crowl 8th Australian Lighthorse was also killed at Gallipoli on Walters Ridge on 27 June 1915 Aged 31. He also played VFL football for Geelong in 1906.
Hugh McDonald Plowman. Captain 60th Battalion Australian Army- 26 Games for the Saints 1910 – 1912.
Hugh was killed in action on 19 July 1916 in France aged 27, in a battle that was destined to take it’s place in Australian History. For Australian losses this day knows no equal.
After playing for StKilda he joined the AIF and was promoted to Captain. His parents William and Margaret Plowman of Malvern were obviously proud as his career progressed.
In July 1916 Hugh was a Captain in the 60th Battalion part of an Australian force made up of the 4th and 5th Divisions AIF. One of the commanders was the famous Brigadier General H E Pompey Elliott. In overall command were Generals White and Birdwood from Gallipoli fame.
British General Haking Commander of the 11th British Corps had put in place a plan to attack the German trenches at a place called Fromelles. The Australian task was to attack an area known as the Sugarloaf salient south of Armentiers. Elliot had formed an opinion this attack was at a grave risk of disaster and although White and Birdwood agreed they were unable to countermand the British General.
After two days of delay the Australians attacked the salient manned by the 6th Bavarian reserve. Despite shelling of the German trenches that went on for several hours the Australians met a withering tempest of machine gun and rifle fire that decimated their numbers. In scenes similar to Gallipoli lines of Australians went over the top never to return. In the 5th Division , 35 officers were hit, half mortally. Hugh Plowman died in No Mans land probably in a ditch called River Laies that became a death trap for scores of Aussies.
Following the battle the scenes in the Australian trenches were unequalled in the history of the AIF. In one night on 19 July 1916 Australia lost 5533 men killed, wounded or taken prisoner. Hugh McDonald Plowman was just one of those killed.
World War 2
Harold WJ Comte- Private 2/24 Australian Infantry Battalion, 104 Games for the Saints 1930- 1937.
Army records list Harold’s name as William Henry James Comte. They are one and the same. The history of Australian servicemen reveals many who were known as a name slightly different to the name they served under. Harold was born in Moama on 10 April 1910. He was recruited from Echuca just over the Murray playing his first game for the Saints in 1930. He was a very versatile player who could play equally in defence or on the ball. He represented Victoria in 1932 and won the Saints Best and Fairest. On retirement he stayed in Melbourne and when he enlisted he was living with his wife Ruby in Westgarth. Harold died from wounds he received at Tarakan in Borneo on 30 May 1945..
William Downie- Private 105 General Transport Company, 15 Games for the Saints 1933. 54 Games for Footscray 1929-32.
Bill came to the Saints from Footscray in 1933. He had been originally recruited from Eaglehawk. He was a tall strong Ruckman who after playing for the Saints went to Northcote winning a premiership in 1938. Bill enlisted on 24 September 1940, 3 months short of his 31st birthday, according to army records. His football records have him a year older. Perhaps he had to say he was younger to enlist. There are many incidents of incorrect birth dates to be found in Army records.
Bill was captured by the Japanese in Burma and interred in the infamous POW camps.
His army records simply state he died of illness on 11 September 1943 while a Prisoner of war in Burma. Many of these records were understated to protect family and next of kin (wife Margaret} from the unpleasant reality but other references suggest that a Japanese guard who he had angered for some reason killed Bill. This is more than likely fact.
Robert Barnes Flegg- Warrant Officer Royal Australian Air Force, 70 Squadron. 18 Games for the Saints 1941.
Bob Flegg came to the Saints from Sandringham aged 22yrs in 1941. He headed the Saints goal kicking with 47 goals in his only year and in one game his second he kicked 7 goals. He enlisted with the RAAF on 5 December 1941.
Bob was seconded to the RAF as many Australians were and was killed in an air battle on 7th July 1944 aged 25. His records indicate he was killed in action in Austria yet other references suggest this air battle was over Yugoslavia. War memorial details suggest he was presumed lost in action in the European theatre but he was located later and laid to rest in the War cemetery at Rohr.
Bob was born in Hampton in 1918 to parents William and Grace Flegg. He married shortly before his enlistment and his wife Leslie was living in Bentleigh at the time of his death. He was the local boy from the southern suburbs who made his mark at Sandringham and then in one great year with the Saints.
Ross William (Bill) Hudson- Lance Corporal 51 Australian Field Company, 5 games for the Saints 1942.
Bill came from West Adelaide in 1942 and played 5 games before he enlisted on 5 August 1942. He was born in Adelaide to parents Albert and Ann in November 1920. He was 21 when he played for the Saints. In his 5 games he stood out as a handy player kicking 6 goals.
He died of injuries received in battle in New Guinea on 11 April 1945 aged 24. His wife of a few short years Eileen remained in Keswick in Adelaide. Bill is buried in the Allied War Cemetery at Bomana in Papua New Guinea.
Stuart Patrick King - Flying Officer 20 squadron Royal Australian Air Force.
43 Games for the Saints 1931-1933.
More seems to have been written about Stuart King than most other sportsmen. Stuart was born on 22 April 1906. He was already 25 when he made his debut with the Saints in 1931. Already qualified as a lawyer he was recruited from University Blacks. In 1932 he was made Captain of the Saints. Stuart balanced his football with his other sport cricket. He represented Victoria at both sports and was a member of the Victorian Cricket team, which scored a world record 1107 against NSW at the MCG in 1926/27. He made only 7 in that great total but was a regular middle order batsman in that great team.
Unfortunately Stuart became involved in one of the many internal disputes at the StKilda Football club and as a result left the club at the end of 1933. Too often the Saints have been torn apart by internal wrangling. This particular dispute was simply known as the StKilda internal dispute of 1933. It claimed several players and committee.
On 30 March 1942 shortly before his 36th birthday Stuart King enlisted in the RAAF. He was killed in a flying battle over New Guinea on 28 Feb 1943. He had not turned 37. There ended the life of one of Victoria’s best all round sportsman of the era. He left a wife of several years Kathleen and their two children.
Beresford Stanley Reilly - Pilot Officer 454 Squadron Royal Australian Air Force. 2 Games for the Saints 1938. 8 games Nth Melbourne 1935 to 1936 and 3 Games for Melbourne in 1937.
Beres as his name is recorded in several references is interesting in that he was a fringe player for 3 clubs in the space of only 4 yrs. He played 2 games for the Saints in 1938 and then moved on. He was still only 23 when his VFL career finished so it is presumed he moved on to pursue a professional career. On 1 March 1941 aged 26 he enlisted with the RAAF and attained the rank Pilot Officer. He went with his squadron to the Mediterranean and on 23 July 1943 aged 27 he was presumed shot down over or near Crete.
Beresford was born in Melbourne to parents William and Winifred Reilly of Carlton. His wife of a short time Mary was living in Station St North Carlton at the time of his death. There is no record of children.
Jack A Shelton/ John Thomas Shelton- Lieutenant 2/24 Infantry Battalion- 28 Games for the Saints 1926 and 1928 and 1929. 7 Games for South Melbourne 1930.
John Thomas Shelton was his real name. Known as Jack he was called Jack A Shelton when he played VFL because another Jack Shelton also played for the Saints at the time. His son went on to play for Hawthorn and his nephew the famous Ian (Bluey) Shelton played for Essendon.
Jack enlisted on 23 July 1940 aged 35. He was just in time to be sent with the 9th Division to the Middle East. On 1st May 1941 Jack was killed in action at Tobruk aged 36.
Jack was born in Avenel on 24 January 1905 to parents Richard and Jane Shelton. His home address was known as Mittagong Avenel. The “A” in his name was said to come from his hometown Avenel to differentiate him from the other Jack Shelton at StKilda. His wife Winifred and son William remained at Avenel. William went on to play 12 games for Hawthorn from 1957 to 1959.
The Commonwealth War Graves commission looks after the graves of all our men and women lost in War. On all the graves the inscription “Their names liveth for evermore” takes pride of place.
For these Saints whether they have played 2 games or 100 they are entitled to be remembered at the club for evermore.
Postscript
Bill Downie, Harold Compte and Stuart King played in a famous year for the Saints. In Round 5 in a game against North Melbourne the Saints took a fearful battering. Only 16 men could take the field after half time and the side finished the game with only 15 men.
The Saints hung on to win by 14 points. After the game officials struck a badge for each player. This badge is the origin of the crest all players now wear proudly on their jumpers. In the same year Jack Davis the Saints great Centre Half Back came third in the Brownlow voting and our legendary full forward Bill Mohr kicked 74 goals in a side that managed 6 wins for the season.
References:
Every Game ever Played - Compiled by Stephen Rodgers. Viking O'Neill
The Encyclopedia of AFL Footballers - Russell Holmesby and Jim Main. Crown Content
Anzac to Amiens - C E W Bean. Australian War Memorial
First World War - Martin Gilbert. Harper Collins
Australian War Memorial Archives
Gallipoli - Les Carlyon. Pan McMillan Australia
