2/4th FOOTBALL TEAM NORTHAM 1941
The football team was formed at Northam Camp in November 1940. The team was formed and managed by WX8407 A.S. ‘Snow’ Hewby former WW1 Veteran. Snow had a significant personal history in WA Football playing for Perth from 1920 to 1929.
Snow Hewby had fought in WW1 as well as enlisting in WW2. He was a member of the WA State Football team in 1921 and played in the carnival that year.
WX8778 Lou Joseph Daily, a Sandover Medallist was the team captain. He had played at Subiaco and Geelong. His very successful sporting team included several League players and talented players from around the country and metropolitan area. The team played and defeated South Australian combined A.I.F. team at the curtain raiser to a finals game held at the Adelaide Oval. The team played in WA, SA and Darwin prior to sailing overseas.
Daily enjoyed a very fine football career playing in several State football Clubs. Please read an official account of his playing days.
Please read further about the 2/4th players
BACK ROW: WX8374 Con Ryan – Norseman, WX3440 Frank McCaffrey (NSW), WX 8778 Lou Daily played Subiaco, Collingwood and Geelong, WX8407 Snow Hewby was Manager WA State team 1921, WX9327 E. Hunt Quairading, W9289 R. Anderson – Swan Districts, WX7714 F. Clarke,WX7996 T. Tompkins – Toodyay.
MIDDLE ROW: WX8638 Clive Hellmrich – Swan Districts, WX8729 Ron Badock – Norseman, WX9268 Joe Pearce – Swan Districts, WX8952 R. Riebe – Metropolitan, WX7715 C. Spackman – Kalgoorlie, WX8617 J. Dore – Perth also State Footballer.
(Dore switched to playing baseball at State Level after the war)
FRONT ROW: WX9129 J. Ovens, WX9143 J. Smith – Fremantle, WX8753 J. Wheelock – Norseman, WX9552 W. Innes – East Perth and Cyclist, WX1002 H. White – Swan Districts, WX9887 A. Mussman – East Perth.
According to the football results of 4 July 1941, WX9351 John (Jack) Treasure enjoyed a cracker of a game with leading goal kicks!
Surviving members: Con Ryan, Frank McCaffrey, T. Tompkins, Ron Anderson, Ron Badock, J. Smith, Joe Pearce, R Riebe, Jim Dore, C. Spackman, Jack Wheelock, H. White.
2/4th players not included in above team but known to have played include:
Jack Treasure, Sanderson.
Below: Mussman, Dore, Badock, Spackman
Those who did not Return to Australia included:
WX9327 Edgar Harold Hunt of Quairading, worked on the Burma-Thai Railway with ‘D’ Force, Thailand, V Battalion. Hunt died at Hindaine Camp of bacillary dysentery 10 August 1943, 29 years.
Edgar was employed as farmhand at Jacob’s Well near Beverley and moved to Dangin to work prior to enlisting. In 1937 his father was a grocer in Beverley where Edgar spent his formative years.
Parents Percy and Alice Hunt sadly lost both their sons to Australia’s war effort. Edgar’s younger brother Campbell also died and the community of Beverley lost two fine young men.
Edgar was a talented footy player and played for Swan Districts Football Club prior to enlisting. (We have not been able to confirm Hunt ever played with Swan Districts – it is conceivable he ‘tried out’ however, was unsuccessful). He also played for the 2/4th footy team with Clive Hellmrich, a former Swan Districts player.
WX7714 Francis Denis John Clark died Kuii Camp, Burma-Thai Railway, malaria/cardiac beri-beri 10 October 1943, aged 30 years
Major Alf Gough, Commanding officer of ‘D’ Force Thailand, V Battalion said Clark would cook dishes for him when he was ill with beri-beri. Clark himself became exhausted and ill.
Clark had earlier looked after his mate Forrie Lee Steere who had been diagnosed and was very ill with cholera , and confined to the isolation tent. Lee Steere amazingly rallied at one point, but his too weakened body was exhausted and he was unable to hold on and he died a week later.
One night in October, Clark came into the tent, climbed into his bunk saying he was very, very tired. The next morning, Cough wrote ‘Clark remained in his bunk, too tired to go on, he was exhausted.’ Cough wrote he recognised the look in his eyes. Clark’s body now too weak to hold his indomitable spirit.
WX8638 Clive Hellmrich died Kanchanaburi malaria/beri-beri/dysentery 22 December 1943 aged 33 years.
‘Clive’ Hellmrich was a talented sportsman, in particular Australian Rules Football. He was a left footer and prior to enlisting in October 1940 he played 10 games for Swan Districts Football Club 1934 and 1935; scoring total of 11 goals and 2 points. Clive shared roving duties with Ron Badock in the 2/4th footy team. Read further about 2/4th Football team.
WX9129 Ernest ‘Jesse’ Ovens KIA Ulu Pandan, Singapore, 12 February 1942 aged 24 years.
WX9552 William ‘Bill’ Leonard Innes KIA Hill 200, Ulu Pandan, 12 February 1942, aged 22 years.
Bill was a talented all-round sportsman. He excelled in cycling, cricket and football.
Innes first played football with Mt. Lawley in 1932 and then transferring to live in Kalgoorlie. He distinguished himself for his all-round sporting ability. In 1937 he won the junior professional cycling championship of Kalgoorlie, both for the road and track. He also had a good season with North Kalgoorlie cricket club and was a keen swimmer. Returning to Perth in July of that year he linked up with his old club – Mt. Lawley and played consistently for the remainder of the season. Due to his brilliant form in 1939 he was awarded the Strempel medal, which was awarded to the fairest and best player for the season in the Metropolitan Junior Football Association. (Other East Perth players who won this award included Eric Sweet and Jack Clayton.) Innes played his first league game for East Perth on the 25th May 1940 and completed a total of 12 games for the season.
http://www.eastperthfc.com.au/news/12198/royals-in-the-battle-of-singapore
WX9887 Alfred ‘Alf’ or Snook Mussman of East Perth, KIA Reformatory Road, Ulu Pandan, 11 February 1942 aged 30 years.
WX9351 John Treasure died Kuii Camp,Thailand of cerebral malaria13 September 1943 aged 24 years.
In the West Australian newspaper of 4 July 1941, Treasure kicked 4 goals for 2/4th, achieving the highest number of goals for the team.
