List of footballers killed during World War II

Many former professional and top-level footballers lost their lives during World War II. These include:

Great Britain

• Norman Catlin – played for Southampton (1935–1937). He lost his life in the controversial sinking of HMS Gloucester off the coast of Crete in May 1941.^[1]
• Jo Coen - played for Luton Town (1934–1939). Died on 15 October 1941, in a training accident while serving with the Royal Air Force.^[2]
• Tom Cooper - played for Port Vale (1924–1926), Derby County (1926–1934) and Liverpool (1934–1940), as well as 15 appearances for England. Died serving the Royal Military Police in England on 25 June 1940 after his motorcycle struck a lorry.^[3]
• Haydn Dackins - played for Swansea Town (1934–1935) and Port Vale (1935–1936). He was killed in action on 2 August 1943, serving in the Royal Inniskilling Fusiliers.^[4]
• Bobby Daniel – played for Arsenal. Served in the RAF, disappeared in action on a bombing raid over Berlin on 23 December 1943.^[2]
• Alan Fowler – played for Swindon Town. Killed in action with the Dorsetshire Regiment shortly after D-day on 10 July 1944.^[2]
• Harry Goslin – played for Bolton Wanderers (1930–1939). Served with the Bolton Artillery, mortally wounded in action in Italy and died 18 December 1943.^[2]
• Sid Gueran – played for Southampton (1936–1938). He was killed in action 18 September 1944 in the Battle of Arnhem.^[5]
• Dennis Higgins, played for Fulham. He was killed in action in North Africa on 25 September 1942.^[6]
• Sam Jennings - played for several clubs, including Reading (1921–1924), Brighton & Hove Albion (1925–1928) and Port Vale (1929–1931), and was manager at Rochdale (1937–1938). Died in battle on 26 August 1944, at the age of 45.^[7]
• Leslie Lack – played for Arsenal. Served in the RAF, killed by friendly fire while returning from a mission in his Spitfire.^[2]
• Fred Mills – played for Port Vale and Leeds United. Killed by an explosive device at Blerick.^[8]
• Herbie Roberts – played for Arsenal (1926–1937). He died of erysipelas on 17 June 1944, while on active duty with the Royal Fusiliers.^[2]
• Percy Saunders – played for Sunderland (1937–1939) and Brentford (1939). A member of the Royal Army Ordnance Corps, he was killed when his ship was torpedoed in the Indian Ocean in March 1942.^[9][10]
• Charlie Sillett – played for Southampton (1931–1938). He was killed in a U-boat attack on an allied convoy while serving with the Royal Navy in 1945.^[11]

References

1. "Commonwealth War Graves casualty details". Commonwealth War Graves Commission. Retrieved 20 June 2009.
2. "Hall of Fame - Second World War". Commonwealth Graves Commission.
3. "Tom Cooper: Defender (1934-1939)". liverpoolfc.tv. Retrieved 15 May 2009.
4. "Commonwealth War Graves casualty details". Commonwealth War Graves Commission. Retrieved 1 July 2009.
5. "Commonwealth War Graves casualty details". Commonwealth War Graves Commission. Retrieved 30 June 2009.
6. Kent, Jeff (1996). Port Vale Personalities. Witan Books. p. 136. ISBN 0-9529152-0-0.
7. Kent, Jeff (1996). Port Vale Personalities. Witan Books. p. 151. ISBN 0-9529152-0-0.
8. Venray War Cemetery at CWGC
9. http://www.cwgc.org/find-war-dead/casualty/2536582/SAUNDERS,%20PERCY%20KITCHENER
10. Haynes, Graham; Coumbe, Frank (2006). Timeless Bees: Brentford F.C. Who's Who 1920-2006. Harefield: Yore Publications. p. 141. ISBN 978-0955294914.
11. "DS Corvus - crew list". www.warsailors.com. 30 July 2008. Retrieved 20 February 2009.

See also

• Association football during World War II