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STORIES OF SPORTSMEN ON SERVICE:
Thev Still Play Games When They Can
By PERCY TAYLOR
*/~\NCE a sport, always a sport"—
^ and that applies even when the
sportsman is proudly wearing the Aus
tralian uniform and can play only at
odd times. Apart from the pleasure
they derive, there is sound common
sense in it also. Military authorities
realise that, as may be gathered from
the number of inter-service football
competitions that have been played in
recent months, and from the fact that
cricket competitions are now being ar
ranged.
Let me ramble hither and thither
among the stars, telling little incidents
that occur to me as their names are
mentioned.
About a fortnight after the death in
THE LATE ROSS GREGORY batting for Australia in the Test match against England in Melbourne in February, 1937. Help
THE LATE ROSS GREGORY batting
for Australia in the Test match
against England in Melbourne in
February, 1937.
action of Pit-Off Ross Gregory, the
Test, Victorian, and St Kilda cricketer,
I received a letter from him. It was
written on board ship en route to the
Par East. "I suppose opportunities
for playing cricket will be limited," he
wrote, "but I would like to think that
I shall be more fortunate than I was
in England. Apart from a couple of
games I played with Bill Edrich, the
English Test player, in Scotland, I
could not play. I was unable to accent
Plum Warner's invitation to play at
Lord's because of the fact that I was
stationed in Scotland. I saw a lot of
'Gubby' Allen (captain of the last
English team to tour Australia) and
Percy Chapman (former captain) each
time I visited London. I also played
some golf in Scotland."
Message from King
Chief among the hundreds of messages
of condolence received by Mr and Mrs
Gregory was one from His Majesty
the King. Written from Buckingham
Palace, it was as follows: "The Qusen
and I offer you our heartfelt sympathy
in your great sorrow. We pray that
your country's gratitude for the life
so nobly given in its service may bring
you some measure of consolation."
(Signed) GEORGE R.I.
Another letter that also expresses
the thoughts of many admirers of a
great sportsman was from Don Brad
man, the Australian Test captain. Don
wrote: "My first impulse upon reading
the poignant announcement of Ross's
death was to do something that might
soften the blow to his parents. Un
fortunately, the comfort that mortals
can give in such circumstances is
totally inadequate. Nevertheless, I
must write and say how sad and upset
I am and how sincerely I mourn with
you in the loss of your beloved son,
my friend, and one of Australia's
gallant boys. It is only a short while
since Ross appeared in the first-class
cricket arena, but his performances
placed him very quickly among our
leading stars. I cherish among my
recollections the nartnership he and I
enjoyed in Adelaide against the Eng
lishmen, and it was with great regret
that, the selectors just failed to in
clude him in the Australian team for
England in 1938.
"But it was not so much his cricket
ing ability which appealed to us as
his charming, unaffected, and lovable
nature. In all my career I did not
meet, and never hoped to meet, a
more modest or lovely character. You,
his parents, should be proud to think
you gave Australia such a worthy
representative, who played for her in
peace, and nobly fought for her in
war. May God comfort you both in
this dark hour, and may the inevitable
victory be quickly achieved so that
you will know your, and his, sacrifice
was not in vain."
As far as war service is concerned
no one is better known in Australia
than "Bluey" Truscott, Squadron
Leader, with a DFC and bar, in recog
nition of his great feats against the
Germans while in England. He re
ceived a great welcome when he re
turned to Australia, and is now in
action miles away from Melbourne.
none Help
MELBOURNE FOOTBALLER, "BLUET" TRUSCOTT, now a squadron-leader
in RAAF, and awarded DFC and bar, is the centre of this group of Australians
at an undisclosed operational base. With him are Flt-Lt C. N. Wawn,
DFC (left), and Sad-Ldr P. Turnbull, who has been reported missing since
the picture was taken.
none Help
Recently he was given charge of a
squadron, and one can be sure that he
will continue to get results. He still
loves football, and in letters to friends
tells of several games he played re
cently. One of them was witnessed by
Pit-off Percy Page, secretary of the
Melbourne Football Club, with which
team Truscott played in the premier
ship grand final in 1940, just before
REPRESENTATIVE OF SEVERAL SPORTS is this group of trainees at an unarmed combat training school. From left — Bobby Brown (boxing), Harold Rixon (football), Leo Monaghan (football), Claude Hooper (Rugby), Goff Vockler (swimming), and Lionel Brodie (tennis). Help
REPRESENTATIVE OF SEVERAL SPORTS is this group of trainees at an
unarmed combat training school. From left — Bobby Brown (boxing),
Harold Rixon (football), Leo Monaghan (football), Claude Hooper
(Rugby), Goff Vockler (swimming), and Lionel Brodie (tennis).
going overseas. Truscott, by the way,
recently met with a slight mishap. It
necessitated the insertion of 8 stitches
in a wound in the head, but after 8
days in hospital he is fit again.
Among a number of first-class sports
men in a camp not many miles from
Melbourne are Len Darling and
Brighton Diggins. It is a real "he
man" camp, and what they teach the
boys there in the way of commando
tactics is just nobody's business. One
can just imagine how these 2 enjoy
the life.
Diggins has the honour of having
been captain-coach of Carlton when
it won the 1938 premiership of the
Victorian Football League. He was
a star in the West when he was
brought over to play with South Mel
bourne, and -later transferred to
Carlton as leader. Brighton must
look back to that game with un
bounded satisfaction, because, not
only did he lead the team to victory,
but he played one of the finest games
of his career.
Brilliant Lefthander
Len Darling, who shone Just as
brightly in the baseball field as at
cricket, was one of our most brilliant
lefthanders. He played reasonably
well for us in a tour of England,
and his last game for Australia was
in the third Test of the last tour,
played in Melbourne. Most of us
have vivid recollections of that game.
It will be remembered that England
was caught on a soft wicket and
closed at 9/76. Darling was the real
star in the field, and took 3 catches
to dismiss Barnett, Hammond, and
Leyland respectively. Two of them
were acrobatic, and I have seldom
heard a crowd cheer so spontaneously
as they did at one in particular.
In a chat I had with several Test
men some time ago Len's name came
up for discussion, and they told me
that one of his best efforts was in
Queensland,. when Eddie Gilbert, the
aborigine express, was at the top of
his form—and he was distinctly
fast. Len and Leo O'Brien, after
Woodfull, Ponsford, and Rigg had
made only a few each, went after
Gilbert, Darling making a brilliant
185 and O'Brien a sound 145 not out.
This pair of lefthanders added 301
runs, and Victoria won by an innings
and 329 runs—some victory. Fleet
LEN DARLING, one of our most brilliant left-handers, is training with a number of well-known sportsmen at an Army camp where commando tactics are taught. Help
LEN DARLING, one of our most
brilliant left-handers, is training
with a number of well-known
sportsmen at an Army camp where
commando tactics are taught.
wood-Smith took 6/22 In the first
innings.
Among others in that same camp
are Jim Willard and Lionel Brodie,
tennis stars of NSW and Vic respec
tively. Jim and Bill Bayley, who
later became secretary of LTAV,
represented Australia in Olympic
Games some years ago. Jim was one
of the hardest men in the land to
defeat. Lionel, one of the younger
school, is a graceful and hard-hitting
righthander.
Cheeriness is the keynote of a letter
written by Sgt Allen Vosti, an all
round cricketer of Essendon, and a
brother of the famous Essendon foot
baller, Jack. He is in a foreign clime,
but it does not prevent the game being
played. "The conditions are hardly
the best," he writes, "but they guaran
tee no champions. When one raises
his bat in true VCA style to allow the
ball to pass to the keeper, and it sud
denly breaks back about 3ft, and takes
the leg stump, it is time to forget
style and have a swing." When he
wrote he was in hospital with sand
fly fever.
Harry Alexander, who played in a
Test against Jardine's team, wrote
from abroad to say that he had taken
part in a few cricket matches. He was
captain of the regimental team, but
seldom bowled (he was the State fast
bowler for several years).
An influential group of citizens has
just completed a 3 weeks' tour of Aus
tralian battle stations. One member
of the party was watching a group of
officers enjoying an after-dinner game
of what he called "deck tennis, with a
medicine ball that weighed a ton."
He was particularly impressed with the
physique and agility of one of the
players, and, being an ardent sup
porter of St Kilda Football Club, tried
a little scouting for his club. "You are
just the type we want at St Kilda,"
he said. "What about joining up with
the club when you have settled the
Japs?" "Why should I play with St
Kilda?" was the reply. "I am a Mel
bourne player." It was Capt Gordon
Jones, the Melbourne half-back.
BRIGHTON DIGGINS, who wos captain-coach of Corlton when it won the 1938 League premiership, is now among first-class sports men in a "he-man" Army camp. Help
BRIGHTON DIGGINS, who wos
captain-coach of Corlton when it
won the 1938 League premiership,
is now among first-class sports
men in a "he-man" Army camp.
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