Memorial Details

Memorial 1914-18 County Rugby F.C.

D47.091

DURHAM CITY

Durham County Rugby Union.

1914-18

Book entitled “Durham Rugby County Union 1876-1936”. This is covered in red leather with the title embossed in gold on the front with the Club shield. This is a history book of the club, and page 4 carries a list of those who were killed in the Great War.

Leather binding.

County Players killed in the / Great War
Our pride is in your sacrifice
Know that we “carry on”.

1. The photo of March 1914 is worthy of scrutiny. Seven of the players were either killed in action or died on war service, including two sets of brothers.

Photo: Tony Harding

Durham County Rugby Union 1876-1936 Sixty Years Records of the County Fifteen.(Including four unofficial matches played prior to the establishment of the Union, October 10th 1876). 1936. C. Berkley Cowell and E. Watts Moses. Printers and Publishers Andrew Reid & Co., Newcastle on Tyne. In Tyne & Wear Archives Ref. L5028 / Sports.

The following additional information
has been extracted from the book with some
additional information by James Pasby.
Page 33,
W.A. Robertson; W.H. Coulson; J.A. Bruce; N.B. Hall; R. Noble; A.T. Harrison.
These latter four were North Durham Forwards, the first three of whom fell in the War.

Some Outstanding Personalities
I have only extracted selective paragraphs

Page 53
Charles Y. Adamson
(Half or Centre, 1894-1907) Old Dunelmians, Durham City, Bristol.
Between his first and last County matches, Charles Adamson placed an interval of thirteen years; let us examine his somewhat varied career during this interval. He played in 27 matches for Durham, in which he scored no less than 40 goals (including 2 dropped and 8 penalties) and 7 tries. He was in the team that visited Australia in 1899, along with A. Ayre-Smith (a forward).
Remaining in Australia at the conclusion of the tour, he enrolled in the Queensland Imperial Bushmen (Mounted Infantry) and saw considerable amount of active service in the South African War. Following demobilisation, he returned to England and assisted Bristol for a season, his services being thus lost to Durham for three complete seasons, during which 19 championship and three friendly matches were played.
For a complete history of his rugby career, see Page 54, 55.
Charles Young Adamson was commissioned into the Tyneside Scottish Battalion of the “Fifth Foot” early in the late war, and as a Captain and Quartermaster of a battalion of the Royal Scots he fell in action in September, 1918 on the Macedonian Front.*
*See “Tyneside Scottish” by Graham Stewart and John Sheen, 23 Bn., Page 193 Hon Lt 21/12/1914, “Killed in action” 17/09/1918 for further details.

Page 56
Robert William Adamson (eldest of the family) was reported wounded and missing in May, 1915, whilst serving as an officer in the 7th Battalion of the Durham Light Infantry.

Page 60, 61 and 62.
Arthur James Dingle (1911-13) Hartlepool Rovers and Oxford University.
One of the outstanding three-quarters in England in the seasons immediately preceding the War.
He was commissioned to the East Yorks. Regiment in 1914 and was killed at Gallipoli in 1915. His brother, Hugh, likewise a “County man” was also killed in the War, and they are thus numbered amongst the 95 Old Dunelmians who gave their lives.

Durham International Players
Page 66
Joseph Brunton of North Durham, later to become Lieut.-Col., D.S.O. and a famous referee, also preferred Northumberland, his native county.
James L. Huggan, Darlington Grammar School, a seat of learning, not at that period generally associated with Rugby talent, had the honour of enriching London Scottish and Scotland herself with the services of this very charming fellow, who secured his one cap against England in 1914, only later to be numbered amongst the countless thousands who fell in the war. He like Jimmy Dingle and hosts of other gallant lads would, most assuredly, have added to their laurels had they survived.

Page 79
A.M. Gelsthorpe (Centre or wing three-quarter, 1913-20) Durham University and Sunderland.
He was a member of the team which one the Northern Group Championship in 1914 and subsequently lost to the Midland Counties in the Final. After serving with great Distinction throughout the War, in which he won the D.S.O., He entered Holy Orders.
+ See Picture Page Midland Counties 1914.

Page 85
Alfred Frederick Maynard (1910-13) Durham City and Cambridge University.
First appeared for the County whilst still a boy at Durham School, but only played three times in all owing to the prior claims of his University. Was awarded his Blue in his first term at Cambridge and played v. Oxford in 1912 and 1913.
Unfortunately his promising career was terminated by the War, during which he was killed in action in France with the Royal Naval Division on 13th November, 1916, after serving with distinction in Egypt and Gallipoli.

Page 111
Durham School
Extract from above Page:
‘Eight gave their lives in the Great War (C.Y. Adamson, R.W. Adamson, A.J. Dingle, H.J. Dingle, N.F. Humphreys, A.F. Maynard, N.C. Neilson, and F. Paterson).’

Page 226 to 244
Roll of County Players from 1873 to 1936 (inclusive)
Those killed in the War only.
Adamson, C. Y., Old Dunelmians, Durham City, Bristol.
Adamson, R.W., Durham City.
Blakey, D., Winlaton Vulcans.
Bruce, J.A., N.Durham.
Casebourn, R.T., Hartlepool Rovers.
Dingle, A.J., Hartlepool Rovers. Oxford or Cambridge blue.
Dingle, H.J., Durham University Durham City.
Elliott, R., Durham City.
Farrow, C.O. Hartlepool Rovers.
Farrow, J.H.T., Hartlepool Rovers.
Fausett, C.R., Hartlepool Rovers.
Foster, R.B. N Durham.
Humphreys, N.F., Durham City.
Hunter, T., Winlaton Vulcans.
Levitt, J., Tudhoe.
Maynard, A.F., Durham School, Durham City.
Neilson, N.C., Sunderland, Winlaton Vulcans.
Noble, R., N. Durham
Paterson, F., Hartlepool Rovers.
Perry, J., Hartlepool Rovers.
Purves, R.P., Hartlepool Rovers.
Robson, G., Westoe.
Robson, R.H., Hartlepool Rovers.
Smith, . Durham City.
Vater, W.J., Winlaton Vulcans.
Whitford, J., Hartlepool Rovers.

Tony Harding; James Pasby; Tyne & Wear Archives

If you are researching this memorial please contact 2014@newmp.org.uk

 

DURHAM      Durham County Rugby Union.

Page 4

   County Players killed in the

   Great War

   Our pride is in your sacrifice

   Know that we “carry on”.

   C.Y. Adamson      Durham City

   R.W. Adamson      Durham City

   D. Blakey         Winlaton Vulcans

   J.A. Bruce        North Durham

   R.T. Casebourn    Hartlepool Rovers

   A.J. Dingle       Oxford University and Hartlepool Rovers

   H.J. Dingle       Durham University and Durham City

   R. Elliott        Durham City

   C.O. Farrow       Hartlepool Rovers

   J.H.T. Farrow     Hartlepool Rovers

   C.R. Fausett      Hartlepool Rovers

   R.B. Foster       North Durham

   N.B. Hall         North Durham

   N.F. Humphreys    Durham City

   T. Hunter         Winlaton Vulcans

   J. Levitt         Tudhoe

   A.F. Maynard      Durham School, Cambridge University

                     and Durham City

   N.C. Neilson      Sunderland, Winlaton Vulcans and

                     Northern

   R. Noble          North Durham

   F. Paterson       Hartlepool Rovers

   J. Perry          Hartlepool Rovers

   R.P. Purves       Hartlepool Rovers

   G. Robson         Westoe

   R.H. Robson       Hartlepool Rovers

   J. Smith          Durham City

   W.J. Vater        Winlaton Vulcans

   J. Whitford       Hartlepool Rovers

NamesD47.091   

Notes for this Parish

Individual stories for this Parish