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FALLEN SPORTSMEN.

I BUTHLESS WAR. The war ruthlessly continues to thin the ranks of sportsmen. About two months ago the Hon. Julian Grenfell, Bon of Lord Desborough, died of wounds in hospital at Boulogne. Now his younger brother, the Hon. G. W. Grenfell, has been instantaneously killed by machine-gun fire in leading a counterattack. Deep sympathy has been offered to Lord Desborough who has lost two nephews as well as two sons—Captain Francis Grenfell, V.C, and Captain R. Grenfell. The Hon. G. W. Grenfell was a gifted scholar as well as a good allround athletic. He won the Newcastle scholarship at Eton and gained honours at Oxford. Whilst at the University he was successful in the heavy-weight boxing competition of 1910, and with the late Hon. J. N. Manners as partner gained the tennis doubles in 1911 and 1912. Destined for the bar he joined the Bth Rifle Brigade last September and went to France about two months

ago. Another Cambridge Blue, Lieutenant J. H. Fosdick (7th Rifle Brigade) has fallen. He was in both the cricket, and association football elevens at Charterhouse, and at the 'Varsity got into the soccer team as a Freshman. Last July he was one of the Corinthian footballers who sailed for a tour in the. Argentine. Just as they were about to disembark news came of the outbreak of war, and the whole party immediately returned. Fosdick, on reaching England, at once joined the Cambridge Officers' Training Corps, served with the South Wales Borderers, and then became attached to the 7th Rifle Brigade, receiving the rank of lieutenant. Lieutenant IT. N. L. Renton (9th Rifle Brigade) who has been killed, was a most promising wicket-keeper. He was head of his house at Harrow, and "kept" for the school against Harrow at Lords last summer. In the ordinary way he would have gone up to Oxford next term, but instead he obtained a commission. Whilst in training he took an active part in promoting military sport, and ran for his battalion in the team race started by the King at Aklershot. Captain Phillip Collins (7th Rifle Brigade), who has been killed .was one of the men mainly responsible for the advance of hockey into the front rank of sports. He founded the Beckenham Club, whose members are chiefly old 'Varsity players, took part in several international matches, and on retirement became honorary secretary of the Hockey Association. He retired from this position a year or bo ago, and had since represented the association on the British Olympic Council. It is a pathetic coincidence that on the same day as Captain Collins was killed Lieutenant S. IT. Shoveller, the most brilliant centre forward hockey has known, was wounded. They were offi-

cers in the same brigade. The story of the death of lieutenant George Mitchell, the young Yorkshireman who made a wager with Georges Carpentier that he would "stand up" longer against the famous French boxer than Bombardier Wells, the British heavy-weight champion had done, is told in a letter home by Pat Condon, the professional boxer. Mitchell, the nephew of the late Mr. Percy Illuigworth, the Chief Government Whip, won his wager but about seventy seconds boxing against Carpentier was sufficient to satisfy 'his ambition. Condon writes: "Lieutenant Mitchell was undergoing bomb practice and trench mortar instruction in the next field to our stores. I was grilling a steak when I heard an explosion. No notice was taken of it, as have explosions all day, but we soon heard that there had been an accident. From what I could gather, Mitchell had set the time fuse of a trench mortar, and as it did not go off he got out of the trench to fix another fuse. Immediately it went off and killed him and three others, besides wounding a lot more." The death of Lieutenant F. E. b. Hulton Sams will be regretted in Queensland as much as in this country. At Cambridge he won fame as a boxer, winning the feathers in 1901, 1902, and 1903, and during the three years he held a curacy in Birmingham he often "put the gloves on,' in encouragement of the sport amongst the members of his church. In 180S he went out to Queensland and joined the bush brotherhood, there receiving the title of the "fighting parson." Returning home on the outbreak of war, the old Cantab was anxious to go to the front as a chaplain., but as this was not possible he setourcd s commission in the fith Duke of Cornwall's Light Infantry. He was the leading spirit in his battalion, wheher it was r'inning, football or boxing, and in telli:ig of his death his commanding officer wrote, "His death has caused a gap that can never be filled."

One sunny morning, before the start of a match with Yorkshire, Alan Marsha), who has died in a military hospital in Malta, after fighting with the Australian Forces at Galipoli, went out for a preliminary "knock" with a pipe in his mouth. Lord Hawke was batting at the next net, and Marshal greeted him with '"Morning. m'Lord," and received the usual courteous reply. J. N. Crawford was then in charge of the Surrey team, and he called out, "Hi, Marshal, what do you mean by practisiug with a pipe in your mouth?" At once came the reply, "Sorry, but I haven't a cigar." This little story has its significance in the failure of Marshal to fulfil the promise of his gifted talents in English cricket. He came to England lucking experience but with a remarkable natural aptitude for the game. At the time W. G. Grace had started the London County Club, which played at the Crystal Palace, and the discerning veteran at once saw in the young Queenslander a champion in embryo. Ho coached Marshal and was at once repaid. This was in 1005, and in that season the Australian scored 2752 runs and took 118 wickets. In 1906 he did a great deal better, his total of runs being 4077, including thirteen centuries, and wickets 210. Meanwhile he had been qualifying for Surrey by residing in the county mid playing for the latter in 1907 he was at once successful to a high degree, making 1005. In 1808 he became one of "the" batsmen of the year; his reputation was made and Grace's prophecy that he would become a second Victor Trumper appeared likely to be fulfilled. But with most unhappy suddenness his cricket career came to an end. One hesitates to say that lie was spoilt by success, but he kicked over the traces and quarrelled with the Surrey Club. That little story of the pipe tells of his independence whilst a general instability of temperament often put him outside the power of the control that must be exercised in the management of a county team. With all his whims, however, Marshal had a lovable personality. He enjoyed his cricket and played it with fine sportsmanship. Standing Oft 3in, stroflß and suuplo of muscle, he was aj-

most the ideal of a batsman. As big men often are he was botihared by slow bowling, but in few strokes was he at fault. He sadly missed his opportunity in English cricket, but he has died a hero's death, aad will always be remembered. To the ordinary public lus disagreement with the Surrey Club was a mystery. They knew him tsy his splendid prowess on the field, and were baffled by the announcement that he had severed his connection with the Surrey Club.

GOLFING AT THE FRONT. It has been told how a golf coime has been constructed at Ruhleben Damp, Germany, where British prisoners of war are interned. An oven quainter place for the game to be played is behind the trenches in France, where, in the lull of battle, every sport from the schoolboy's pastime of "piggy" to golf, is being happily exploited to driva dullness and melancholy to the shades. Tom Fernie, himself a distinguished member of that famous Scottish golfing family, enlisted in the Glasgow Highlanders soon after the start of the war, and was at the front for some time. At present he is back in England recovering from a nasty wound that is mending under treatment. It was he who was responsible for this battlefield golf course. It consists of six holes laid out in two fields where the grass is short and thick. The distances of the holes vary from 250 to 300 yards, with hazards of ditches and barbed wire entanglements; and the holes made with ration tins. Here is the story of one of the games played by Fernie. "There were three of us, and we had two clubs and three balls which one of our officers had borrowed from goodness knows where. Picture the three of us—three aeroplance and a captive balloons on the skyline, and big guns sending over a few souvenirs to the Huns, and we three kilties havTng a nice quiet game with the gutty. The grass was rather long in parts so we requisitioned the services of three French urchins to help us look for the balls and to carry our belts and bayonets. I gave my opponents each a stroke and a hole, and though the ground was very lumpy we had a very interesting game. The caddies were most amusing. They picked up the game very smartly and were as proud as Punch, marching round with our belts swung bandolier fashion round their necks."

Permanent link to this item
Hononga pūmau ki tēnei tūemi

https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/newspapers/TDN19151009.2.34

Bibliographic details
Ngā taipitopito pukapuka

Taranaki Daily News, 9 October 1915, Page 6

Word count
Tapeke kupu
1,586

FALLEN SPORTSMEN. Taranaki Daily News, 9 October 1915, Page 6

FALLEN SPORTSMEN. Taranaki Daily News, 9 October 1915, Page 6

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