
Listed below are some of the Ex Hammers that sadly lost their lives fighting for their country. This was first published a year ago but deserves a wider audience
The Poem is by Rupert Brooke, a soldier who died in 1915
If I should die think only this of me;
That there’s some corner of a British field
That is forever England. There shall be
In that rich earth, a richer dust concealed
A dust whom England bore, shaped, made aware,
Gave once her flowers to love, her ways to roam
A body of England’s breathing air
Washed by rivers, blest by suns of home.
And think this heart, all evil shed away
A pulse in the eternal mind no less
Give somewhere back the thoughts of England given
Her sighs and sounds, dreams happy as her day
Ans laughter, learnt of friends; and gentleness
In hearts at peace, under an English heaven
Frederick Costello also known as Frank was born in Birmingham 1882, Costello is listed as playing for West Bromwich Albion and Halesowen before joining Southampton in 1907. Signed for the Hammers in 1909 but didn’t stay long, playing just 12 Southern League games in which he scored 3 goals. He quickly moved on to Bolton Wanderers in an exchange deal which saw Jack Foster come to the Boleyn Ground.
By 1914 Costello was living back in Southampton and joined his hometown regiment the Royal Warwickshire. A member of the 2nd Battalion which were one of the first Regiments to see action in Northern France at the Battle of Le Cateau. Moving south and east towards Belgium they also saw action in the Battles of Marne and Aisne and for Frank finally to Messines, not far from Ypres in Belgium.
Some time on the December 19, 1914, 30 year old Frank was killed, sadly he has no grave but is remembered on the Ploegstreet memorial, in Hainaut Belgium, between Lille and Ypres to its North. To give you a sense of scale, the memorial lists 11,386 men who have no grave.
Born in Grays 1890 William Kennedy was a school teacher who played for West Ham United between 1910-1912 and was living in Cromwell Street, Gray’s at the time he played for the club. A knee injury sustained in a third round FA Cup replay with Middlesbrough, effectively ended his first-class football career.
Although not considered fit enough for the rigours of professional football, he was, however, given the all-clear to participate in the greatest conflict ever known to man – World War One. His parents were Scottish and so it was he joined the London Scottish 14th Brigade, it is believed he died on October 13, 1915.
Like so many others he has no grave but is listed on the Loos Memorial, Loos-en-Gohelle in France which commemorates over 20,000 dead that have no grave. The panel that bears William’s name, can also be found that of his brother John who died aged 29.
Born Hitchin, Hertfordshire November 8, 1884 Frank Cannon was signed in 1909 from Queens Park Rangers after scoring an impressive hat-trick against the Hammers in 1908. However Cannon only played 4 games for the Irons’ scoring a solitary goal against Norwich City in a 5-2 win. On leaving the Boleyn Ground he signed for New Brompton the forerunner of Gillingham before moving on to Halifax Town.
Rose to Colour Sergeant Major in the 11th Essex Regiment where he fought mainly around Ypres and the battlefields of Passhendale. He died on the February 15, 1917 of shrapnel wounds. After his death the following appeared in his local newspaper written by QM Sergeant L.P Martin: “The 13th Essex had been in the trenches for sixteen days and were just about to be relieved, ‘He was just ready to leave the trench when several shrapnel shells burst over him, wounding him and several others. Although his wound was rather serious – he was wounded in the back – it was quite thought he would get to England and recover, but I am sorry to say he died on his way to the dressing station about an hour after he was hit.”
On the day of his death the Germans fired over 16,000 shells. A commemorative plaque to the 13th Essex Regiment (The West Ham Pals) was unveiled outside the West Stand club shop in 2009.
Born Preston, Lancashire June 21,1882. William Kirby started his football career with Swindon Town before making a scoring debut in his Southern League for the Hammers in the 2-4 away fixture at Millwall 5th September 1903.
Nicknamed “Sunny Jim” by colleagues and fans alike, William return to Swindon Town for 1904-05 and then commenced a seven year stay at Portsmouth. His wanderings were far from over, however, the 1912-13 season seeing him with his home club, Preston North End. He then had spells with Merthyr Tydfil and Exeter City up to the outbreak of WW1.
The records show that William was originally in the Royal Engineers but was invalid out of the war and worked at the Arsenal in Woolwich. He re-enlisted again at Woolwich and fought with the East Yorkshire Regiment 6th Battalion and by late September 1917 was fighting at the Battle of Polygon Woods around Ypres which formed part of the bigger Battle of Passchendaele and this is where he died whilst serving his country 3rd October 1917. William Kirby is buried in Bard Cottage Cemetry
Words and pictures by ClaretandHugh historian and lifelong supporter Nigel Kahn
Follow Nige on Twitter @mywhufc
Thanks Nigel,
To think all these people died in the name of greed and power.
Antony . C . Sutton .
History documented that they have been keeping from public by burying historical facts.
Google wiki and enjoy the journey to truth kept from history books by the elite !!!! Fact !!!!!!
You will be shocked !!!!!!!!!! So you think the Germans lost the war’s !!!! And the yanks saved the world ?
A lot of books by Sutton but well worth the read for the truth !!!!!
Sorry but you have the second line of the poem wrong. It should read: “That there’s some corner of a foreign field..” This can be confirmed on The Rupert Brooke Society website.