Sporting Record and Military Achievements

The East Surrey Regiment

1898-1920

1898

From early days The East Surrey Regiment had a good sporting reputation. The Army Sports Board Records 1880-1939, kept in the Prince Consort Library, Aldershot, show that as far back as 1898 good boxing results were being obtained. That year, in the Royal Navy and Army Championships, Lt The Hon C James was the Heavy-Weight winner while in 1899 Cpl Jobson similarly won the Feather-Weight. Doubtless the South African War then interrupted the Championships but by 1912 the Regiment were back in the ring with L/Cpl Redrup winning the Welter-Weight. He followed his success up in 1913 by winning the Army Individual Championships before war again caused sport to be relegated to the background as fighting of a more terrible type took place on far flung battlefields.

1919

The cessation of the First World War made possible a gradual return to more usual peace-time activities and prominent among them, was sport. Members of The East Surrey Regiment were not slow to take up the challenges on offer. At the Bordon Garrison Sports Meeting in 1919 the 1^st Bn team was second in the Inter-Regimental Relay Race and the following successes were also obtained:- 100 yds - 1^st Pte Cox, Long Jump - 1^st Sgt Newman, High Jump - 2^nd Cpl Smith (B Coy).

1 Surreys D Coy Shooting Team, Dum-Dum 1891

2^nd Surreys, Woking 1898

A Boxing Tournament held at Hillsborough Barracks, Sheffield produced some interesting bouts with the following results:Boys under 16 years of age - Boy Leavey beat Boy Baker. Boys under 18 years of age - Boy Johnson beat Boy Coates, Bantam-Weight - Pte Corkhill beat Maj Feather-Weight - Pte Evans beat Bdsm Bruce. Light-Weight - Cpl Smith beat Pte Harverson, Welter-Weight - L/Cpl Fairhall beat Pte Short. Middle-Weight - Pte Heath beat Pte Spenceley. Special 4 round contests - Dmr Norris beat Pte Gillett Dmr Gibson beat Pte Sumner. There was also a 3 round exhibition contest between Tommy Gray (London) and Sgt Dmr Lamprell.

Cricket matches were successfully played against:- Tank Corps - won by 102 runs. Wentworth Cricket Club - won by 41 runs. Sheffield Old Comrades - tied. Southey CC - won by 100 runs. Greenhill CC - won by 7 runs. The cricketing star of the 1^st Battalion continued to shine in 1920. Matches were played against:- "The Comrades" - won by 6 runs, Hillsborough Athletic - drawn. Swinton CC - drawn, Oughtibridge - lost by 25 runs, Walkley Police - won by 104 runs. Wentworth CC won by 3 wickets and 26 runs.

At hockey the Battalion won the shield for the Aldershot Command Competition. The team were:- Lt F W Crafter, Capt J L Congdon, Sgt W Nuttman, Lt R A Boxshall, Capt A G Heales, Lt F O Voisin, Sgt Bates, Lt N Watson, Lt J L Crompton. CQMS Stevenson, RQMS Tyler.

2^nd East The East Surrey Regiment, Woking 1897-98, Regimental Football Team.
Back row L to R: A Merson Referee, R Bairsenden, L/Cpl Conner, W Harris, J A Bond,
Middle row: Kalaher, A Rogers, McAthur.
Front row: H Fyrth, Sergt Thompson, L/Cpl White, WE Iles, Cpl Boxshall.

 

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