Lest We Forget

At 12 noon on Saturday 10th November 2018, before Rotherham Men's 1st X1 match with Huddersfield Dragons 1st X1 , both teams will hold a minutes silence to honour both the dead and the survivors of World War One.

Although it is difficult to trace those who served their country, we do know that Huddersfield HC lost Lieutenant Leslie Crowther of Edgerton in 1915 and Lieutenant C A Roberst, just six months before armistice was signed.

Amongst those who served from Rotherham Hockey Clubs were Harold S E Watson of Fitzwilliam Road who served in the RAF before returning to hockey after the war and, subsequently becoming head teacher of Wellgate Primary School. He captained the club and in the second world war he served as an ARP.

A second luminary was Gostwycke Cheesewright, a Sheffield University trained architect from Rawmarsh, who was a prolific goal scorer pre-war, but does not appear to have returned to the sport upon his return. he was active in the affairs of the YMCA.

The sons of brass founder George Gummer, Leonard and Percy, served in the Kings Own Light Infantry and the Royal Horse Artillery respectively, while others who served included Douglas Cowan, James Currier, James Ackers and Bombardier, Bernard Knowles. Additional, we remember Lieutenant A Picken DFC. There will have been many others whose history is presently lost to us.

'WE WILL REMEMBER THEM'

It has been suggested that the first recorded fixture between a Rotherham team and a Huddersfield team was in 1922

(information provided by RHC historian Peter Feek)

Updated 09:40 - 30 Aug 2019 by Richard Haigh