Footballers and the War.

Free Lance, Volume XVII, Issue 915, 25 January 1918, Page 17

Footballers and the War.

An interesting Letter from the Fighting Front.

"OETER MoColl, the Wellington old- -&- time athlete and- Rugby footballer, writes me from France under date 12th November, 1917. Many of the names he mentions in his communication are familiar to. me, and, no doubt, will be to.the sporting readers of the Free Lance. Here is his letter:—.•-■•. Dear "Touchline," —A line about some of the boys I.have met here lately and who were "well known in the toeball playing fields. We have a very good little side in the Ist Light Trench Mortar Battery, and, in playing five matches in about , nine days, winning four and drawing one, you can see that we have done fairly well. Against us, playing for First Brigade Headquarters Staff was Loveridge, of Taranaki, who gave a great display as fiveeight. Little Len Roberts (brother of Teddy, who is still at Cqdford) more than made up for Loveridge on the other side; he has all his brother's nippy style of play, and is good goods. We won 8 to nothing, after a hard go. We also won our next against 2nd Bgd. L.T.M.B. by 23 to nil, but I saw no one in their side I knew of old. Then we met a West Coast Company Ist Battalion side, which included Arthur Thompson (late Old Boys' Club half-back, and brother of Mona, the "All Black"), out they had no combination, and we beat them 18 to 0. Then we played a Hawke's Bay Company Ist Battalion, whom we beat 16 to nil after a fairly stiff game. I saw no one there either whom- I knew. Yesterday we- walked about four miles to play "a match against West Coast Company, 2nd Battalion, and a side who was supposed to give us a "smack up." Jack Donaldson (late St. James's and League player), Hedges (late Poneke;, McQueen (Southland), and the rest a big upstanding lot, made a hard pack to play against. The result was a draw, 3 all, West Coast getting a penalty goal to a try by our side, scored in the last minute. Little Roberts has played some fine, nippy games for us, and our wing-for-ward, Brierly (an Otago player) is

playing a fine wing-forward game, which, if he gets his deserts, must place him in the Divisional Representative side. He scored a try in each match, and a couple of tries , in two games. We tried to get Sam Cameron (Taranaki) for our side, but it was no go. * * * * I daresay yon heard about poor Reg Taylor's death. A moment's indecision instead of lighting out for the protection of a. trench a little bit away from their dug-outs in the wood, and woof! old Fritz had got Taylor and another. Ross. the Auckland half-back, got smacked and old Charlie King, but I think they survived. [Charlie King, the old Melrose, St. James, and Wellington Rugby and League player, returned with one of the recent batch of woundeds, bearing the signs of the smack-up Peter refers to.] Often see Billy Wilson (Athletic Club and League player) charging to and fro. He is a runner of note and bears a charmed life apparently, judging by the number of stunts he gets into and out of; and a runner's life in such times is the reverse of a happy one. Jim Moffitt is still going strong: he is some big chief in getting the rations along to the soldier boys. Jim is a regular guide to the footballers' whereabouts, and is quite a chara.cter in his way. Sandy Weir (Wellington Club) got a bad smack, you know, but has survived, but big Tiny Cotter (another Wellington boy) paid the extreme account for King and country. * * *■ •» Whilst over in "Blighty" I met Micky Stewart of Records Office, Headquarters (the one-time Victoria College and Wellington champion light-weight boxer). He xDroved a true friend to me and is out on his own for a knowledge of London. He expects to be elected a member of the National Sporting Club, which would be a high honour, would it not ? [In a chat with Duncan Menzies, in whose office Stewart was in when he enlisted, the expected honour in Peter's letter came Stewart's way, and he is now a member of the National Sporting Club. Evidently the New Zealand boys can get anvwhere if they try.] ' - " In the same offices as Stewart are Stoney Hale, who used to play such a fine game on the wing for Orientals, and Walley Baumgart, the one-time Athletic Club player , and who was a good sprint runner. I met Hughie McLeod, the old Oriental five-eight, and had several good days with him in the City of the Big Smoke. If you should have the pleasure of meeting Hughie in after days, ask him how he enjoyed the Trentham meeting though domiciled in London and you'll raise a laugh. "Rangi" Wilson's name caught my eye as playing in ' 'Blighty 5 ' lately, according to the ''Chronicles of the N.Z.E.F." Jack Murphy, who used to play in the front of the Oriental scrum with me, was in London, too, for a few days, and it< appears he is up at Cambridge for a commission.

Brother Murphy and I duly celebrated the auspicious 'meeting. ■» * # ■»■ I daresay you were shocked to hear of poor Dave Gallaher's death. By the clipping enclosed you'll see that he had a great mark of respect paid him by the "Morning Post." *• * ■» •» ■ Since writing the. above few lines I have seen Sam Cameron playing good games for a Taranaki Ist Company side, and met old Jim Moffitt, who told me of 20 names in a hurry of players of note from our great little country. Not having a note book I failed to get hold of them. I met Ernie Dodd (Wellington and New Zealand representative), the other night, and he had to get the jersey on again, of course. Ernie said "two goes in three days, Peter, and then rousted out at three the last morning to go up the line and do Engineers' fatigue. Oh, h 1, what a - stiffness in the joints, my fellow countrymen." Alongside the toeball : ground the two-uppers go for their lives and hundreds of francs change hands amongst the diggers (as they call one another). The old crown and anchor boards get a big run, too. I can tell you the Army is a funny concern. A Taranaki 2nd Company plays about the best all-round football about here. They beat West Coast, who drew with us, by 12 to : 3 (four tries to one), back and forward they shot it about spiritedly. We beat A. T. Thompson's side return (6 to nil), and a strong Ruahine side 3 to nil (Billy Wilson played for them). Such big, hefty men have come through in" this last Reinforcements that one cannot but admire our countrymen. If new 'Zealand is not able to produce a side out on its own from all these grand men, I'm Rip Van Winkle in the prophecy line. "Rangi" Wilson is here again, so. Jim Moffitt told lie.

Au revoir and best of regards to all old sports and yourself. I have been round, with a note book looking for Jim Moffitt, but he went to "Blighty," I hear, on leave.