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Remembered Today:

International cap


lexxie

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Hi all I hope someone will be able to help me with this 

I have been offered a medal group consisting of a 15 star trio a GSM bar N W persia and a LSGC and with it is a football cap which says England International Mesopotamia and a photo of him in a football shirt with the cap on

Would anyone know of any England games around this time maybe interservices or interregimental

Any information would be gratefully received 

His name was George Godbold 

Thanks in advance 

Atb

Mark 

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Putting his name into Google should tell you whether he was a professional international football or not

I haven’t looked as don’t want to take all of the fun away from you :hypocrite:

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Quote

maybe interservices or interregimental

No official international matches were played by England, at either Professional or Amateur levels, during the the war or indeed the 1939-45 war and therefore the cap George Godbold is wearing is not an official FA issue cap.

It is possible that the match for which this unofficial cap was given could have been a match between English soldiers and those from the other home nations or from the wider empire or allies, with Mesopotamia being the venue rather than the opponents.

Do you have a copy of the photo?

What Regiment was did he serve in?

Dave

Edited by HERITAGE PLUS
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“International” matches did take place. There’s a photo of a rugby game on awm.gov.au with the caption:-

Sadiyeh, Mesopotamia. c. 1917-12. A throw-in during a Rugby Union football game between British Cavalry officers of the Mesopotamian Expeditionary Force and Australian members of the Force, probably including members of the 1st Cavalry Divisional Signal Squadron.

 

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Mark,

What were George Godbold's regiment & regimental numbers on the 1914-15 Star trio and his regimental/army number from the LSGC as these would hopefully help to identify him.

Duncan 

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Mark,

Have you thought of contacting the Royal Logistic Corps Museum, Connaught Rd, Kings Worthy, Winchester SO21 2RG to see if they might have any newsletters or similar for RAOC units in Mesopotamia.

George Godbold’s entries in the medal rolls are under the RAOC while his entry on page 191 of WO 100/419 shows both his RAOC.

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On 09/08/2022 at 19:52, PhilB said:

Australian members of the Force

The main AIF unit in Mesopotamia was the "1st Australian & New Zealand Wireless Signal Squadron" a total of about 600 men but probably not more than about 400 in theatre at any time. There was also an AFC unit but it was very small. There were of course a very large number of Indian Army troops, but most of the officers were British.

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Mate,

These types of games were held all over the place, to keep the soldiers busy while waiting to go home.

In France they had a kind of Olympics with soldiers from all the Allied nations, the same in Egypt where a few of my Light Horse soldiers played in a number of games.

I belive there was also games held in the UK from all Allied nations

While I have no record of Aussies or Kiwis from the many Sig Troops/Sqn's, we sent there (Mesopotania) (as above) to play in any games

Most service records I have seen of these (Sports) men, show there attached for the games, from France to Egypt but I've seen no such for Aussies in Iraq?

KLINE    Herbert Gordon    430    Pte    9 LHR    C Sqn B Troop reported WIA 26-5-15 L/foot shot accident at Russells Top to (1 ASH) hosp Lemnos 5-15 rtn 6-15 to San Sect 9-15 to San Cpl 9-15 (G) to 3 LHTR 6-17 rtn 1-18 to T/Sgt C Troop? (from cole) 8-18 (possibly Lt Hannaford's Troop) revert to hosp (malaria) 8-18 rtn 10-18 att Sports football Cairo 2-19 att ADS 3-19 att Luxor Relief Expedition 3-19 rtn 4-19 to hosp (malaria) 4-19 RTA MU malaria (shown 18 LH CMF 6 months later WWII ) brother George 9 LHR
 

FITZPATRICK    Alan Lorimer     504    Pte    12 LHR    C Sqn att DSqn/6 LHR 8-16 (G) rtn 2-16 to MG Sect 7-16 to 2 LH MGS 8-16 rtn C Sqn 8-16 to 4 LH MGS 2-17 to L/Cpl 3-17 to T/Cpl (from west) 11-17 revert 11-17 to hosp L/arm accident playing football) 1-18 rtn 5-18 to T/Cpl (from semmens) 6-18 revert 8-18 to T/Cpl 8-18 to Cpl (from langford) 9-18 to T/Sgt (from wilson) 10-18 to UK EEF sports 3-19 later WWII Lt 5Bn VDC brother Harrie 13Bn
 

HARDWICK    Harold Hampton    21439    Spr    1 Sig Sqn    19R shown T/Prov Sgt on ship 6-18 revert to Sig Trg unit 8-18 tos 2 LH Sig Sqn 11-18 to UK leave 3-19 part of the sportsman (boxing & swimming) for the games at Aldershot 4-19 and to France for the Inter Allied games 6/7-19 (CMF prov 2/Lt Sigs 1-7-21 to Lt 16-5-22 to Capt 1-7-25 to Maj 22-8-35 later WWII T/LtCol 1 Cav Div Sigs ED
 

S.B

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Thanks, Lexxie. That doesn’t look like an army setting though I suppose it may well be if the cap is army related. The badge on his vest also doesn’t look military - unless Frogsmile says differently!

There is a Mesopotamia in Oxford where there is now the Merton College sports ground. Is it possible that that is where the match was played?

Edited by PhilB
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2 hours ago, PhilB said:

Just looked again. He’s not wearing the same cap as in the other photo!

Could be the same cap, very hard to tell. The tassle was probably more a silver or off-white colour 100 years ago. The white embroidery of the front of the cap is merged into a blob. As photos of that period routinely used a large silver content a 1200dpi or higher scan of the photo may be able to determine if it is indeed the same cap.

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