Rugby Union Internationalists who fell

[daggers]

There have been earlier threads on this. If you search 'army rugby' using the search button at the top, you will find one mentioning the same match.

D

[chrissparrow]

Does anyone know why Williams was buried at Corbie? It is a long way from Mametz and most of the graves are from died 'died in hospital' cases (with the exception of Billy Congreve, who is another case) in Corbie.

Chris

[rugbyremembers]

John (Purley)

Many apologies, but I had not seen your post from September until now - somehow the Forum alert did not operate.

Very interesting RPP account.

Would be very interested to hear about your friend's book re WW1 and rugby. I have been encouraged to turn the www.rugbyremembers.co.uk story into a book.

best wishes

Stephen

[daggers]

See my post on 8 Dec in Book Reviews - "For Poulton and England, life & times of an Edwardian Rugby hero, by James Corsan".

I think this must be the one, unless two authors have hit on the same subject.

D

[purley]

See my post on 8 Dec in Book Reviews - "For Poulton and England, life & times of an Edwardian Rugby hero, by James Corsan".

I think this must be the one, unless two authors have hit on the same subject.

D

No thats the one and very good it is yoo

John

[rugbyremembers]

Many thanks both. Off to the library/amazon

[NigelS]

An article in today's Sunday Telegraph Click on some of the results of research by Nigel McCrery for his new book on the subject, Into Touch, which is being published in January

NigelS

[anthony osborne]

NigelS,

thanks for sharing the link - will keep my eyes out for the book.

As an ex rugger player Northampton Saints supporter (Come on You Saints!).I'm sure it will provide a fascinating read.

All the best,

Ant

[rflory]

Lieutenant David Dickie Howie, Royal Field Artillery

Howie was born at Rosebery Temple, Midlothain, on 12 May 1888, the son of Archibald and Jessie Howie (formerly Mitchell) of The Grange, Kinghorn, Fife. He was educated at Kirkcaldy High School where he was a forward on the School XV for three years and won the Nairn Cup, which was given to the champion athlete at the school, in 1903. and at Geroge Watson's College. Before the war was a farmer.

In 1912 he played forward for Scotland against Wales, Ireland, England, France and South Africa and in 1913 against Wales and France, earning seven Caps in all. He enlisted as a Trooper (Regimental Number 2033) in the Fife and Forfar Yeomanry at Kirkcaldy on 2 September 1914 and trained in England until he was commissioned as a 2nd Lieutenant in the 1/6th City of Glasgow Battery, 2/3rd Highland Brigade, R. F. A.

Howie embarked at Devonport on 18 August 1915 and landed at Alexandria on 1 September 1915. He was posted to 1/5th Battery, 1/4th Lowland (Howitzer) Brigade, R. F. A. in Gallipoli. On 28 September 1915, he was admitted to the 13th Casualty Clearing Station and released for duty on 4 October 1915.

During the evacuation of Anzac he caught a fatal chill and on 16 January 1916 he was admitted to the Anglo-American Hospital in Cairo with pneumonia. He died on 19 January 1916 of “self-inflicted revolver wounds, whilst temporarily of unsound mind, due to the delirium of pneumonia.

A Court of Enquiry was held at Polygon Camp, Aggassia, Cairo on 3 February 1916. The President was Lieutenant Colonel W. C. Peebles, TD and the two members were Captain A. O. Deas and 2nd Lieutenant E. Auld. Lieutenant McArdle, D.C., R.A.M.C., Medical Officer with the 4th Lowland (Howitzer) Brigade, R.F.A. stated that “I attended Lieut. Howie from 13th Jan. 1916, when he first reported sick. From that date he was kept in bed and treated as simple Pyrexia. At no time did he show any abnormal mental condition and only once, after a large does of Dovers Powder, was he slightly delirious.

Captain Kennard, D. G., R.A.M.C., Berkshire Yeomanry indicated that “Lieut. Howie was admitted to Hospital on the night of January 16th, 1916. He passed a fairly good night. On the afternoon of the 17th, he became restless and delirious. The Hospital Orderly stayed with him that night. He continued to be delirious at times during the day of the 18th, when signs of pneumonia were detected and a special nurse was obtained for him. On the night of the 18th/19th, he passed a much better night, but was still wandering in his head up to 4’o’clock in the morning of the 19th, after which he appeared to be quite rational. I saw him at 9.30 am, 11 am and 1 pm on the morning of the 19th. He answered all my questions and appeared to be rational. On entering the hospital at 5pm, I was informed by the Matron that Lieut. Howie had shot himself. I saw him and he was quite dead from a gun shot wound on the left side of the forehead. He gave no indication while in Hospital of suicidal tendencies. His valise was strapped up until a few minutes before his death, and it was not known he had a revolver in his possession.

Nursing Sister Laycock, A. S., Q.A.I.M.N.S.R. stated that she “was on duty when Lieut. Howie entered the Hospital. He was very ill but fairly quiet. He was suffering from delusions and slightly delirious. On the 17th January he was much worse and became worse on the 18th. I took the report for the night of the 18th at 8 o’clock on the morning of the 19th. He was reported to be much better. The patient was quiet and drowsy most of the day. He took his nourishment well, and when I last saw him about five minutes before his death he was apparently sleeping. As I entered the room again I heard the revolver report, and saw the patient still in the position he would be in, in shooting himself. The valise was strapped up when I left the room and I noticed it was open when I returned.

Based on the evidence given during the hearing the court concluded “that 2/Lieut. D. D. Howie, met his death by a revolver wound self-inflicted, while temporarily of unsound mind due to the delirium of pneumonia. The court further recommended “that in the case of all officers admitted to hospital, all fire arms or other dangerous weapons should be delivered up to the Hospital Authorities.” He was buried in the British Cemetery, Old Cairo, Grave No. 267 D. He left an estate of £1,952 1s 3d. His name is on the Kinghorn War Memorial.

Married Marie Winifred Gibson Linton, the daughter of Dr. Linton of Edinburgh, and they lived at 1 Mayfield Gardens, Edinburgh and later at 95 Glenferrie Road, Glenferrie, Melbourne, Australia. They had one child: Eleanor Margot Linton Dickie who was born at Skegness on 4 May 1915.

Sources:

Army List

Medal Index Card

Commonwealth War Graves Commission website.

Officer’s Papers, National Archives

Rugby Football Internationals Roll of Honour

To What End Did They Die: Officers Died at Gallipoli

Currier, 24 January 1916

Newcastle Journal, 29 January 1916

Evening Telegraph, 31 July 1916

Courier, 22 September 1923

[rflory]

2nd Lieutenant Stephanus Sebastian Lombard Steyn, Royal Field Artillery

Steyn was born on 10 November 1890, at Malmesbury, Moorreesburg, Cape Province; the son of Dr. G. Harvey Steyn of Salt River and Moorreesburg and Margaret Fraser Steyn of “Rividge”, Kenilworth, Cape Town, South Africa. He attended Edinburgh Academy in 1901 and Diocesan College, Rondebosch, South Africa from January 1902 to 1908 passing his Matriculation, 2nd Class in 1907 and Intermediate, 2nd Class in 1908. For six years he served in the Cadet Corps. He also played wing on the soccer team and played for both the “Bishops” and for the “Varsity” alongside the famous Poulton.

Steyn was selected as a Rhodes Scholar and attended University College, Oxford from 1909 to 1914, where he played on the XV and XI and was a Blue 1911-1912. He represented Scotland in Rugby versus England in 1911 and versus Ireland in 1912 winning a Scottish International Cap. His nickname was “Beak.”

After leaving Oxford he continued his medical studies at Guy’s Hospital in 1913. He enlisted as a Trooper (Regimental Number 185) in King Edward’s Horse on 27 October 1910 at the age of 22 years and 6 months and served with it until 28 February 1913. Attested to King Edward’s Horse on 1 March 1913, he was embodied with that unit on 5 August 1914 and served with ‘C’ Squadron at Watford, Herts. until 6 December 1914. His Commanding Officer stated his character upon discharge as “Very Good.”

Steyn served with the South African Field Artillery until being commissioned as a 2nd Lieutenant, Royal Field Artillery on 8 December 1914. He embarked for France on 19 September 1915 at Southampton and landed at Havre the next morning. On 22 September 1915 he was posted to ‘D’ Battery, 115th Brigade, R. F. A. and embarked for the Mediterranean Expeditionary Force at Marseilles on 1 December 1915, disembarking at Salonica on 17 December 1916.

He was posted to ‘B’ Battery, 117th Brigade, R. F. A. on 20 July 1916 and served with it in Salonika, being promoted to Temporary Lieutenant, R. F. A. on 30 November 1916. On 24 July 1917 he was addmitted to the 28th General Hospital in Salonica with typhoid fever and later that day transferred to the Officers’ Convalescent Hospital at Salonica. He was released from the hospital and joined the Royal Artillery Base Depot in Salonica on 6 August 1917.

On 29 September 1917 he embarked for Egypt and served with the 117th Brigade, R. F. A. in Palestine

He was killed in action in Palestine on 8 December 1917 at the age of 25. His body was originally interned in a temporary grave but in December 1920 his body was exhumed and reburied in the Jerusalem Military Cemetary in Palestine.

Sources:

Army Lists

London Gazette

Medal Index Card

Officers’ Papers (WO339/16148)

South African Soldier’s Papers

Obituaries from the Old Diocesans Union

The Times, 29 December 1917, page 2b

Steyn:

[seaJane]

Have just come across an obituary in Journal of the Royal Naval Medical Service, vol. 1 (1915), pp.496-497:

Temporary Surgeon David Revell Bedell-Sivright, M.B., Ch.B. Edin., B.A. Cantab.

"died of acute septicaemia on September 5, 1915, while serving in the Naval Division with the Mediterranean Expeditionary Force at the Dardanelles. He was educated at Cambridge, where he took his B.A. in 1902, and at Edinburgh University, where he graduated M.B., Ch.B. in 1910. He was a member of the Royal Medical Society, Edinburgh, and after holding the appointments of House Surgeon of the Eye Wards and House Surgeon of the Out-patient Department of the Edinburgh Infirmary, he went into private practice in that city. He was a very distinguished Rugby football player, obtaining his "blue" at Cambridge, and playing for Scotland against England in 1901, 1902, 1904, 1906, and 1907. He played seven times against Ireland, and eight times against Wales. He captained the British team that visited Australia and New Zealand in 1904, and also played against the "All Blacks" and "Springboks" when they visited this country. He entered the Navy on January 25, 1915, and was appointed to Haslar on February 5. He joined the Naval Division in March."