Soon after Jack Freeman topped South Melbourne’s goalkicking in 1914, he enlisted for war. Two years later he died of wounds in the most tragic of circumstances.

Sapper Freeman was one of 16 of the club’s players to make the supreme sacrifice, nine in World War I and seven in World II. Thankfully, no player from any club has been killed in following conflicts, including Korea and Vietnam.

Freeman, known affectionately as “little Jack”, was recruited from the quaintly-named Rose of Northcote club and made his debut with the Southerners in 1913.

Although short at 5ft 7in, Freeman was a wonderful goalsneak who played for South in the 1914 Grand Final loss to Carlton before swapping his red and white uniform for khaki.

He was serving with the 2nd Field Company, Australian Engineers, when hit by a German shell in November, 1916, and was rushed to a field hospital behind the lines in France.

Despite being severely wounded, Freeman wrote to his parents: “Don’t worry about me. I am only thankful it is not worse.” Freeman’s only concern was for his parents as he did not want to worry them, even though he had had his left foot and right leg amputated.

Sadly, he died of his wounds a few days later, on his 25th birthday of November 15, and was buried at the St Sever Cemetery Extension, Rouen, France, as one of the bravest of the brave.

The nurse who cared for him, Estelle Doyle, wrote to Freeman’s parents: “You get more than an extra amount of sympathy from me, for I belong to Melbourne (the St Kilda Nurses’ Home in Charlwood Road) and it grieves me most dreadfully to see our boys die. But in some cases truly this is the most merciful thing for them and for those who love them ... believe me for him, it is the best and most merciful thing.”

The club’s most talented player to fall in World War I was the brilliant Bruce Sloss, who was named Champion of the Colony (a forerunner of the Brownlow Medal) in 1911 and was rated best on the ground in South’s 1914 Grand Final loss to Carlton.

Sloss, the best follower of his era, enlisted straight after the Grand Final and, after machine-gun training at Port Melbourne, was assigned to the 10th Machine-Gun Company and sent overseas on May 25, 1916.

He was captain of the Third Division side in an exhibition match played against the Australian Training Units side in London on October 28, 1916. The match was played in front of 8000 cheering Diggers, along with the Prince of Wales (later King Edward VIII) and King Manuel, of Portugal.

Tragically, the 27-year-old Lieutenant Sloss was killed by white-hot shrapnel behind the lines at Armentieres, northern France, on January 4, 1917. The South Melbourne Record newspaper noted that grown men cried when news of his death reached Australia. Sloss is buried at the Cite Bonjean Military Cemetery, Armentieres.

One of the finest footballers to play in the red and white, he was inducted into the club’s Hall of Fame last year.  

Another South Melbourne player died of wounds, leaving behind a wife and five children, including a son he never saw.

Jack Turnbull played 12 games with South in 1908 before abandoning his VFL career to seek employment in the country. He married Mary Adams in Horsham and enlisted in the army early in 1916.

Private Turnbull was an unusual Digger as, instead of drinking in estaminets while on leave, he trawled French shops to buy toys and dolls for his children, including baby John, who was born after Turnbull sailed to the other side of the world.

Little John was just three months old when Turnbull was severely wounded when a shell exploded near him on April 30, 1917. He died of wounds (to the legs and chest) at a clearing station on May 2. Chaplain, the Rev. Joseph Best, wrote to Mrs Turnbull to tell her that her husband had been wounded “while bravely doing his duty” and had been buried at the Trois Arbres Cemetery near the village of Steenwerck, France.

In World War II, the most  famous of South’s seven fallen heroes was 1933 premiership player Len Thomas, a brilliant centreman who later was captain-coach of Hawthorn and North Melbourne. His father Bill played in South’s 1909 premiership side and the Thomases remain the only father-son combination to play in premiership sides with the club.

Len Thomas was with North when he enlisted in 1940 and asked why, he replied: “I just had to do it.” Thomas was married, to Edith, and had two children, Barry and Lynette, but felt it was his moral duty to serve his country.

Tragically, Corporal Thomas was killed in action while fighting as a commando in New Guinea, at Salamaua, five miles behind enemy lines, on August 17, 1943. The South Melbourne Record paid tribute to Thomas by describing him as “one of the greatest footballs this district has produced”.

The 16 South Melbourne fallen heroes will always be remembered for their courage, commitment and, most of all, the ultimate sacrifice of life. They are:

WORLD WAR I
CALLAN, HUGH (36 games, 1907-10)
FIELDING, FRED (1 game, 1911)
FINCHER, CHARLES (9 games, 1913)
FREEMAN, JACK (22 games, 1913-14)
HARRISON, EDWARD (7 games, 1906)
RIPPON, HAROLD (1898)
SLOSS, BRUCE (81 games, 1910-14)
THOMAS, CLAUDE (13 games, 1914-15 and 1917)
TURNBULL, JACK (12 games, 1908)
BRADFORD, NORMAN (7 games, 1915)

WORLD WAR II
GRIEVE, JEFF
HAMILTON, GORDON
HEDGE, ALF (16 games, 1937-38)
LE BRUN, NORMAN (3 games, 1929)
PEARSALL, ALAN (2 games, 1941)
SAWLEY, GORDON (7 games, 1941)
SHELTON, JACK (7 games, 1930)
SMITH, LEN A
THOMAS, LEN (187 games, 1927-34 and 1936-38)
WADE, JACK (26 games, 1931-33)