Hockey's Military Stories

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This research project was prompted by the enormous interest and publicity that has surrounded the centenary of the start of WW1. We knew that many, indeed thousands, of hockey players were involved and that many lost their lives. The stories do not just relate to serving men but also those men and women supporting the war at home. It soon became clear that people’s service and involvement with hockey spanned a period much greater than the four years of WW1. We therefore decided to begin this research at the start of the 20th century and to look for any stories that linked hockey and hockey people to any military or conflict situations.

This is a fairly broad remit but by the end of 2015 we had over 140 stories spanning a wide variety of activity. This not only includes very military situations and gallantry but also civilian contributions, school hockey in wartime, espionage and much more. Some of the stories probably merit feature film treatment and indeed one of them has been filmed. Many are very personal, poignant and compelling.

A selection of the stories will be drawn together in a publication before 2018, the centenary of the end of WW1. In the meantime we are presenting a selection of WW1 stories on this website as a tribute to what happened a century ago. They will appear here, on or about their centenaries. Many of our stories will have a Naval background to them as we are fortunate to have amongst our volunteers Lt Cdr Alan Walker RN (Ret’d) who is an acknowledged authority on Naval and hockey history. Alan’s articles will be interspersed with other stories that we have learned of during our compilation of HMS.

If you have any information that relates to hockey or a hockey person to either the military or a conflict then please let us know by contacting The Hockey Museum Curator using the contact form.

Hockey's Military Stories: An Introduction

This research project was prompted by the enormous interest and publicity that has surrounded the centenary of the start of WW1. We knew that many, indeed thousands, of hockey players were involved and that many lost their lives. The stories do not just relate to serving men but also those...

Hockey's connection to the HMS Royal Oak

Hockey's connection to the HMS Royal Oak

  HMS Royal Oak pictured in 1937.Public domain [link].   By Mike Smith On 14 January, a small group of hockey enthusiasts visited Hill Head, Gosport to collect the lifetime’s work of the late hockey and military historian Alan Walker. Alan’s archive is contained in approximately one hundred boxes –...

Sir Philip Neame: Victoria Cross Recipient and Olympic Gold Medallist

Sir Philip Neame: Victoria Cross Recipient and Olympic Gold Medallist

           Photographs of Sir Philip Neame. Left image courtesy of Cheltenham College Archives. Right image: public domain.   Hockey player Sir Philip Neame was born on 12 December 1888. He was awarded a Victoria Cross (VC) in the First World War (WW1) and a decade later...

India's First International Match: Indian Army Team Tour to New Zealand, 1926

India's First International Match: Indian Army Team Tour to New Zealand, 1926

  Captain H V M Cox's hockey stick from the Indian Army Hockey Team tour to New Zealand in 1926.The engraved plate reads:1926 Indian Army Hockey Team v New Zealand.390 goals for. 37 against.Stick used by Captain V M H Cox throughout the tour.   This stick is one of...

Lt Campbell: The First Hockey Player To Die In WW1

Lt Campbell: The First Hockey Player To Die In WW1

Lt Charles Arthur Campbell   It seems highly likely that Lt Charles Arthur Campbell was the first hockey player to make the ultimate sacrifice in WW1 as there were so few others killed, officers or soldiers, before the Battle at Mons. Lt Campbell was born in London but grew up...

Hockey Heroism At The Only Major Sea Battle Of WW1

Hockey Heroism At The Only Major Sea Battle Of WW1

Once the First World War had begun it became obvious that the Royal Navy, traditionally the pride of the British Nation for centuries, would have to play a vital role in what would become both a domestic and global conflict or perish in the attempt. Not for nothing is the...

Lieutenant Eric Walter Poyntz Westmacott RN

Lieutenant Eric Walter Poyntz Westmacott RN

Perhaps the first Naval hockey player to become a casualty of the Great War? Lieutenant Eric Walter Poyntz Westmacott RN was on the left wing for the Royal Navy in 1912 and in 1914 he was reported as "the best player in the Navy team". That was to be his...

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