Harry Bamford (footballer)

This article is about the Southampton footballer. For the Bristol Rovers footballer, see Harry Bamford.
Harry Bamford
Personal information
Full name Harold W. Bamford
Date of birth 1886
Place of birth Southampton, England
Date of death 26/11/1915
Place of death Red Cross Hospital, Etaples, France
Playing position Left-half
Youth career
Bitterne Guild
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
1908–1911 Southampton 7 (0)

* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only.


Harold W. "Harry" Bamford was an English amateur footballer who played as a half-back for Southampton in the Southern League from 1908 to 1911.

Football career

Bamford was born in Southampton and played his youth football for Bitterne Guild before joining Southampton in the 1908 close season.[1]

Most of his time with the "Saints" was spent in the reserves whom he helped win the Hampshire Senior Cup in 1910. His first-team debut came on 9 January 1909, when he took the place of Bert Trueman at left-half for the Southern League match at Luton Town, which was lost 1–0.[2] Bamford retained his place for two further matches, before John Robertson replaced him, although Bamford returned for two matches at the end of February. Bamford made two further appearances, in April 1910 and in April 1911.[3]

Later career

In 1911, Bamford decided to quit football in order to continue his career as a schoolteacher.[1]

War service

It has not been possible to ascertain why Bamford enlisted in a Shropshire battalion for WW1 having been living in Southampton in 1911. The 1st Battalion were based at Tipperary in August 1914, as part of the 16th Battalion of the 6th Division. They mobilised for war a month later and landed at St. Nazaire, France on 10 September. Harold is thought to have been badly wounded during skirmishes around the Ypres salient in November 1915.

The area around Etaples was the scene of an immense concentration of Commonwealth reinforcement camps and hospitals. It was remote from attack and accessible by rail from both north and south and this is probably how Bamford found his way to one of the hospitals in the area.

He succumbed to his wounds, dying of septicaemia and was buried at Etaples Military Cemetery, Pas de Calais, France, (Plot 1, Row A, Grave 15). He is one of 10770 Commonwealth soldiers interred in this military cemetery. His headstone reads: "Until the morning dawns and the shadows flee away."

Bamford held the rank of Second Lieutenant and was awarded the 1914-15 Star, Victory and British War Medals.[4]

The Commonwealth War Graves Commission records show he was the son of Annie Bamford, of 5, Cliff Rd., Itchen, Southampton, and the late Abraham Bamford. Native of Southampton. He is buried at ETAPLES MILITARY CEMETERY near Le Touquet.[5][6]

References

  1. 1 2 Holley, Duncan; Chalk, Gary (1992). The Alphabet of the Saints. ACL & Polar Publishing. p. 22. ISBN 0-9514862-3-3.
  2. ↑ Chalk, Gary; Holley, Duncan (1987). Saints – A complete record. Breedon Books. p. 45. ISBN 0-907969-22-4.
  3. ↑ Chalk, Gary; Holley, Duncan. Saints – A complete record. pp. 45, 47 and 49.
  4. ↑ "Saints' greatest sacrifice (From Daily Echo)". M.dailyecho.co.uk. Retrieved 2015-12-29.
  5. ↑ "Casualty Details". CWGC.org. 1915-11-26. Retrieved 2015-12-29.
  6. ↑ "Harold Walley Bamford". Southampton Cenotaph. Retrieved 2015-12-29.
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