We remember in particular those servicemen that had played for Queen’s Park Rangers at some stage in their career before losing their lives serving their Country. Last year I recorded the names of the following players:- Evelyn Lintott, Albert Bonass, Frank Cannon, Joseph Dines, Charles Clarke, Albert Edwards, H.J.Pennifer, John Tosswill and H.V.Thornton. After some further research, I noted that Dennis Signy mentions in his book, a ‘J.Butler ‘as being a victim of the Great War. Furthermore, Gordon Macey refers to a player with that surname but no initial who made his debut against Arsenal on Boxing Day 1916 and went on to make seven War time appearances for the R’s. After last year’s article, ‘Ken Neth’ commented that H.J.Pennifer used his second name, John and H.V.Thornton’s Christian names were in fact ‘Harry Vernon’. Thanks to him for passing on those details. I have also come across some additional information for some of the following players:-
Albert Edward Bonass was born in York on 1st January 1912 and also played for Dringhouses, York Wednesday, Darlington, York City, Hartlepool, Chesterfield and QPR was the last club he played for – He was killed just 8 weeks or so after VJ Day in 1945 whilst on a training flight in a Stirling bomber.
Frank Cannon was a Solicitor’s Clerk in Hitchin after leaving school and went on to play for Hitchin Town. He was described as a ‘dashing player and good dribbler with a fine shot’. He scored a hat trick for the R’s against West Ham in April 1908 and that performance eventually led him to sign for them. After the outbreak of the Great War he joined the Army and became a Sgt.Major in the Essex Regiment. He was killed on the Western Front on 15th February 1916 and buried at Potijze in Belgium.
Joseph Dines was born in King’s Lynn on 12th April 1886. He won more than twenty amateur caps for England as a half back. He also played in all three matches in the 1912 Olympics in Stockholm for the Great Britain team which won him a gold medal. He was one of three brothers to enlist but Joe only survived eleven days. He was cut down by machine gun fire on 27th September 1918.
John Marks writes in his excellent ‘Heroes In Hoops’ book that Dennis Higgins was an amateur defender who played thirty times for the R’s. His debut was against Reading in a Southern League match on 21st March 1913. He joined the Sportsmen Battalion and became a Captain. He was so badly injured at Ypres in Flanders that he never played again.
WE WILL REMEMBER THEM
(The postcard shown above is of the Shepherd’s Bush War Memorial on The Green)
Steve Russell