The last post

Yesterday (11th November) was the anniversary, marked on the anniversary of the 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month well over one hundred years ago, which marked the end of the First World War by the signing of the Armistice in the 1914-18 Great War. Bells chimed all over the country then and will again today, Remembrance Sunday, offering multiple ceremonies remembering the fallen of many conflicts. Yesterday's Sky Blues Championship game at the CBS Arena against Stoke City also marked the occasion with a military salute and well respected pre-match minute's silence observed by the players and 25,000 crowd.

The Remembrance Day salute at the CBS yeterday

Today we take our own opportunity to remember the fallen of that terrible four years that engulfed much of the world. The civilian and military losses were profound and cast a shadow over subsequent generations.

CCFC also used its programme yesterday to mark 'Poppy Day' and the game was prefaced with a pre-match minute's silence and playing of the last post. The victims of the Second World War and particularly the Coventry Blitz were also remembered as was those who served (and died) in subsequent conflicts. You can watch the solemn tribute in November 2023 in the video shot by CCFPA's Mike Young (below) -just click the link or image.

The two sides and the CBS crowd bear witness for a minutes' silence and the last post

This article is another means CCFPA would like to play a small part in the commemoration of this important day. It is appropriate this Former Players Association particularly remembers the small but significant numbers of CCFC players and officials who gave their lives during the great war. The club's 1919-20 Handbook (right) prepared for the new post-WW1 season, the first the club ever played in the Football League, contains a roll of honour (above right) of those CCFC players killed and wounded during the Great War.

We remind ourselves here of their sacrifice and thank them for it. The following were either killed in action or died later as a result of their injuries/ treatment. May they continue to Rest In Peace:-

George Warren - Hinckley born central forward, 'Chubby' or 'Tubby' Warren built up experience with Rangemoor Albion; Burton Swifts (1898); Sheppey United (1899); Hinckley Town (1900); Leicester Fosse (1903) and Gresley Rovers (1904) before arriving at CCFC's neighbours Nuneaton Town in close season 1906, moving to Highfield Road for the 1907-08 Southern League season and had three successful seasons with us before moving to Willenhall Swifts in close season 1911. Small, light but powerful he always found the net and scored 68 goals in his 119 games in all competitions for our club. He soon joined Stockport County later in 1911, then returned to Nuneaton for a season in 1912-13. A season with Hinckley United followed earning him a trial with Aston Villa in August 1914 just before war broke out. He enlisted in February 1917 in the 2nd Battalion York & Lancaster Regiment serving in France/Flanders. Sadly George was killed in action in May 1917 and is buried in Philosophe British Cemetery. Mazingarbe

Steve Jackson - A Birmingham man he was killed in action on the 26th October 1917 aged 27 during his battalion's attack on a fortified mound south-west of Hamp Farm, in front of the village of Gheluvelt. The full back originally came to CCFC as an eager reserve from Hay Mills United in the close season of 1910 but evident limitations only got him 13 appearances in the first team shirt for CCFC's Birmingham League side plus a Birmingham Senior Cup outing in the four seasons spent in Coventry. Steve enlisted in the Army in September 1914 and joined the 7th South Staffs Regiment. He served with them in the Dardanelles, was wounded and made Sergeant. On recovery he was posted to the 1st Batallion in France/ Flanders and became acting 'B' Company Sergeant-Major. He was awarded the Military Medal (M.M.) during fighting at Bullecourt in 04/1917; and the Distinguished Conduct Medal (D.C.M.) during a raid in the Bullecourt sector.

Tom Morris 1914-15

Tom Morris - Hailing from Caistor Tom joined up in March 1915 and was killed in action aged 31 later that year. He was serving in France/Flanders with the 2nd Batallion Lincolnshire Regiment. Starting out at Haycroft Rovers and Grimsby Rovers the centre half soon graduated to Grimsby Town (1906) and Brighton & Hove Albion (1907) becoming player-coach with Leeds City (1909-11) where he made over 100 appearances. Tom joined Scunthorpe and Lindsay United as player-coach in close season 1912before joining Coventry City in May 2014. By the time he joined up he had played 18 times for CCFC in the Southern league scoring twice.

John Harkins - Jack Harkins was a Scot from Musselburgh who had already played for the Black Watch before joining Middlesbrough in September 1906 where he played 39 times. The wing half then joined successively Broxburn Athletic (1908; ), Bathgate (1909) and Leeds City (1910) where he played 63 times before moving to Darlington in close season 1912. Coventry City bought him in May 1914 and by the time he rejoined the Black Watch for the war effort he had played for the Bantams 19 times scoring once. During WW1 he served largely in the Persian Gulf and was sadly killed in Action during the defence of Kut Al Amara in Iraq on the 22nd April 1916. He was buried at the Amara War Cemetary (Iraq)

Walter J Kimberley - The 1919 yearbook seems to have mixed up Walter with Frederick William Kimberley a prominent local businessman and councillor who became first hon. Treasurer of the Coventry City Supporters Club by 1920 and later a Director of CCFC! Walter was a native of Birmingham educated at Gower St. School and developed his football skills through Gravelly Hill FC; Tower Unity; Selly Oak St. Mary's; the Coldstream Guards (1904) and Aston Manor FC (1907) before playing 7 senior games for the Villa in 1907-08. Seemingly associated with City from 1910 he made 24 appearances in the S.League and cup (1 goal) between 1912-14 before transferring to Walsall in close season 1914. He was a Guardsman reservist up to then when he joined up full time. He became a Lance Corporal (No.5465) in the 1st Coldstream Guards. He was captured at 'Retreat of the Marne' though initially reported as 'killed in action' and incarcerated as a POW at Doeberitz in October 1914 where he contracted TB. He was later allowed to join a prisoner exchange programme and repatriated in 1916 but sadly died of TB at his Aston home on the 22nd April 1917.

The 1919 Handbook missed another CCFC player who died in the services:-

Jack Tosswill

John Tosswill - 'Jack' Tosswill first played for home town club Eastbourne graduating successively to Hastings & St.Leonards; Aberdare Athletic; Tunbridge Wells Rangers and Maidstone United before signing for Queen's Park Rangers in cs 1911. Liverpool snapped him up in June 1912 where he played 11 games (1 goals) before moving to Southend United from where CCFC signed him in November 1913. He apparently played despite being hearing impaired. He eventually made 20 Southern League and Cup appearances for City (3 goals) before joining the Army in Dunstable in August 1914 and became a Corporal in the Royal Engineer Signals - motorcycle section) by February 1915.

The signal training centre taught communication including the use semaphore, lamps and telephone line laying -all key parts of the war effort. Tosswill was taken ill while with the unit at Southampton, and died following an operation in autumn 1915.

Of the many CCFC players who served during WW1 the following were also wounded:- Jerry Best, Stanley Day, R.O.'Bob' Evans, Eli Juggins, Walter Wilson and Billy Yates

CCFC 1914-15

Readers can do further research using the following useful website about footballers in WW1 - https://www.footballandthefirstworldwar.org

Later today we also briefly pay tribute to those CCFC players who served during WW2 (1939-45).

Thanks to CCFPA's Mike Young for sourcing the material. Share Post