Fremantle Caledonians

This is a fb post from the Bassendean Caledonians FC facebook page

LEST WE FORGET...

Our Callies ANZACS

The club was founded on 11 February 1913 as the Caledonian Soccer Club by members of the Fremantle Caledonian Society.

World War I

The tragedy of the First World War interrupted the formative years of the club. Most of the Caledonian soccer team's players and officials enlisted in the Australian Forces in the 1914–18 War. They were J. Anderson, J. Cowan, A. Marr, F. Beisley, R. Dewar, J. McFarlane, C. Braidwood, J. Durward, D. McKinnon, A. Brown, W. Earnshaw, R. McKinnon, G. Brown, J. Gourley, A. McPherson, D. Cameron, C. Grieve, C. Monteath, J. Chalmers, D. Henry, D. Reid, W. Chalmers, R. Leonard, J. Simpson, A. Cowan, F. Lyon, J. Thompson.

In addition, the West Australian of 14 May 1915 mentions a Callies player, Wilkie, as ‘being in Khaki’, and later references were made by Alec Marr to ‘wee McGregor’ serving at the front. Another Caledonian official, J. H. Campbell may be John Hollis Campbell who embarked with the 11th Battalion on 15 June 1917, while Archibald Cameron of High Street, Fremantle who served with the 27th Battalion may be the A. Cameron who was one of Callies’ original players.

Amongst all these players and officials a group of 14 were guests of the Fremantle Caledonian Society at a farewell function in the Caledonian Hall at the end of the 1915 season. When the Society organised a welcome home function for the Caledonian recruits four years later only five of the 14 attended, the rest having been killed, wounded or otherwise traumatised by the conflict.

The extent of the Caledonian sacrifice to the Australian War effort can be seen in that all but five of the regular first team players in this squad made the supreme sacrifice while serving in the First World War.

The Caledonian players killed in action were ‘Barney’ Cowan, ‘Barney’ Henry, ‘Dickie’ Leonard, Dave McKinnon, Jamie Simpson, Frank Lyon, William Chalmers MM and Charlie Monteath.

REST IN PEACE....

From https://www.facebook.com/profile/100056650463643/search/?q=soccer%20anzacs