07/11/2014 - ManUtd.com, Paul Davies
For club and country - part two
After paying tribute to the Manchester United and Newton Heath players who perished in World War I, part two of our feature salutes the men who played for our club and died in World War II, as well as honouring the first Red who died in armed conflict - in the Boer War.
BOER WAR
Driver 12690 Gilbert Godsmark | Army Service Corps (att. 75th Battery Royal Field Artillery) | Newton Heath 1900
Although he wasn’t a serving soldier when he joined the Heathens, as a former soldier Goldsmith was called up at a time of national emergency just months after joining the club. Regarded as quite a prospect, having been spotted by ex-Heathen Bob Donaldson while playing in Kent, the 25-year-old succumbed to disease while serving in Pretoria.
FIRST WORLD WAR
Gunner 957763 Francis B. Carpenter | 61 (The Denbighshire Yeomanry) Medium Regiment, Royal Artillery | Manchester United 1939-40
This reserve teamer was in the territorial force, a gunner in a medium artillery regiment. He had hardly made any appearances by the time he was being shipped off to France, where he was killed during the retreat to Dunkirk, being listed as missing.
Pilot Officer 117256 George Curless | 625 Squadron, Royal Air Force | Manchester United 1940-44
A graduate of the Manchester United Junior Athletic Club, Curless was not only a young reserve but also part of the ground staff working as a clerk in the offices. From Orrell, he joined the RAF volunteer reserve and underwent pilot training in the United States. He was flying from RAF Kelstern in Lincolnshire when his aircraft disappeared on a bombing raid of the Kiel canal in northern Germany. The squadron war diary recorded ‘no contact’ from his plane; it was his very first mission.
Flying Officer 179037 David H. Fenner | 98 Squadron, Royal Air Force | Manchester United 1944
This Glaswegian was a guest player for the Reds on six occasions – being registered with Airdrieonians then Stenhousemuir in the late 1930s. United's museum curator Mark Wylie explains: “Fenner served in 98 Squadron, which were doing army co-operation sorties after the invasion of Normandy – such as knocking out strong points, bombing tanks and hitting rail heads The squadron’s war diary states his aircraft as last being seen flying into a cloud over Holland but it’s not known what happened after that.”
Pilot Officer 119552 George L. Gosnell |2 Squadron, Royal Air Force | Manchester United 1941-42
Museum curator Mark Wylie: “We’re unclear whether he was an Oldham Athletic player who guested for Manchester United or vice versa, he could even have been somebody else’s player who guested for both. A pilot flying North American Mustangs in army close support and photo reconnaissance, he seems to have crashed his aircraft in the UK and died of his wounds. His grave is in Oldham.”
Corporal 3660044 Hubert Redwood | South Lancashire Regiment | Manchester United 1933-43
He was a first-teamer in the 1930s, a highly regarded full-back, and but for the war he may very well have gained Football League representation and even represented England. From St Helens, he was serving in the forces when he caught tuberculosis, was discharged from the army and later died. He has a war grave, in his home town, due to his army service resulting in his early demise.
Walter Spratt | Civilian | Manchester United 1915-20
Spratt represented the Reds during the First World War, having joined from Brentford in early 1915 and played only once after the conflict. By the Second World War he was living in London and working in Southwark, and was among 35 people killed by a V2 rocket. Mark Wylie: "We have included him here because he lost his life due to enemy action."