BARWON ROWING CLUB CREW VILIFIED IN THE PRESS!
On
this day in 1916, the New Year's Day Regatta at Colac provided a welcome chance
at competition for those rowers who had not enlisted in the A.I.F. More of a picnic day than a rowing regatta,
7000 spectators witnessed yachting and motor boat racing, fire brigade
competitions, log chopping and a display of the new sport of aqua planing where
"a man stood on a board, holding by
ropes and the motor towed him along. The twisting and turning of the boat
caused the plane to execute all manner of movements which generally ended in
the man being thrown in the water."
Special
trains from Beeac, Ballarat, Cressy and even Beech Forest, as well as Melbourne,
made it the greatest day of the year for the Western District. In a programme
of just five rowing races Barwon and Corio Bay rowing clubs were represented in
four: Corio Bay winning the Maiden Four and a entering a Junior and Senior Pair
whilst Barwon boated a Maiden Eight and a Maiden Pair, winning the eight with
the crew of C. Hunt (str), E .Walsh (7),
F. Wheeler (6), F. Degenhardt (5), L. Forrest (4), W. Wadmore (3), H.
Zimmer (2) and T. Colling (bow).
But
rather than celebrating the win, the club was forced to publicly defend its
rowers, for on the Wednesday following the regatta, this letter was published
in The Geelong Advertiser:
SPORT
DURING THE WAR
My cup of disgust was filled to overflowing when I
witnessed the physical efforts of several crews of well trained oarsmen at the
Colac Regatta on New Year's Day. Unconsciously my thoughts sped away to those
other men enduring all manner of self imposed hardship and privation, courting
death day by day, that we may enjoy our ease, and that these men may show their
prowess. Oh! The irony of it.
Do these rowing men realise that our Empire is
engaged in a life and death struggle for the noble cause of liberty, and that
we will only succeed by doing our utmost? If they do realise these things, are
they indifferent? If they are indifferent, will they enjoy the benefits
obtained for them by our splendid volunteer army? Some day perhaps, they will
understand the enormity of their offence, for such it is. Unfortunately the
laurel has been carried off by Geelong crews. I cannot conceive that any honor
will be attached thereto. What will these victorious athletes do when our
magnificent troops return? Will they assist in giving them a royal welcome or
will they hang their heads in guilty shame? Most probably some of these men
cannot join the colors, or have every intention of doing so, which fact will
not excuse them for their display of callousness for the feelings of the men
they may intend to succour. In view of the fact that over 70 per cent of the
Victorian oarsmen have enlisted, it will be interesting to learn if a win of
this description will entitle the winner to the claim of having won his maiden
event, if it does it looks like taking a mean advantage. Through this one
supreme example, I desire it to be understood that I am abusing all competitive
sport, and that on account of having suffered severely by this bloody war, I
may perhaps be a little severe in my criticism. Thanking you in anticipation, I
am,
W.
Haynes. East Geelong.
The
following day, Barwon's secretary Stanley Barnfather, immediately leapt to the
men's defence:
ROWING
MEN AND THE WAR
In reply to Mr Haynes' furious outburst in your
issue of today re the Colac Regatta, may I ask space to lay a few facts before
that gentleman?
First, as regards the crew with which he is so
righteously indignant, “Bow” has tried twice to enlist, but has been rejected
as medically unfit, “2” and “5” are under age, and have been refused their
parents' consent, “3” and “stroke” parents' consent withheld, but now they are
of age, and both are enlisting at once, “4” has a brother at the front and aged
parents demanding his presence at home, “6
is a married man with a family, “7”
is the sole support of his mother and sister.
The club has eleven members from which to pick its
eight. Of the remaining three, one is under age but anxious to go, and the
other two are boys. We have not a member who does not have a legitimate excuse
for not enlisting, and our Honor Roll bears three names “killed in action”.
The majority of our members went on the first call,
and the 70 percentage of Victorian oarsmen who have gone is answer enough to
such criticism as in your correspondent's letter.
The club's eleven members consisted of the eight
plus William Ricketts, a young coxswain, Arthur Colenso, Captain of Boats and
Andrew Lindsay Storrer, committee member and the youngest of the three sons of
the club's Treasurer.
The Corio Bay Rowing Club took a different approach
to the criticism:-
Just a few lines in reply to the letter signed by
W. Haynes. As I have made exhaustive enquiries to find this gentleman I would
be glad to receive his proper address, as I do not feel inclined to waste time
replying to a man who hides himself under a fictitious name. N.R. Purnell. Hon.Sec. Corio Bay Rowing
Club.
On the same day as Barwon's letter, The Argus published
the following:
You who are playing whilst others are
dying
Red
is the sun in the war-scarred West
There's
a place in the team - and on you they're relying
To
play your part in the final Test
Turn
your back on the bat and ball -
Hark
to you country's clarion call.
Pleasure
will wait till the wars have ended
For
pleasure was meant for another day
There
is a sport that is far more splendid
There
is a game that you all can play
Rise
and rally, Australians all -
Cricketers, footballers, runners and oarsmen
Put
by your playthings and come in your scores, men
Show
'em how sportsmen can answer the call.
The
pressure to enlist must have been intense on these young men. Frank Degenhardt
enlisted the very next day, putting his age up by two years, and was sent to
France where he received gunshot wounds to his left arm and leg. He returned
home less than a year later medically unfit and then enlisted again in
September 1918. Clifford Hunt joined up a month later. William Wadmore tried to
enlist at the end of January but was refused. He was a clerk with the
Commonwealth Bank and as the bank transacted all government and military
business, their employees were not accepted into the A.I.F. without permission
from the bank's headquarters. He finally was able to do his duty the following
year. William Zimmer enlisted in September and almost made it through the war,
being killed in France by a shell burst in June 1918.
Of
the remaining four members of the crew, Edmund Walsh was granted an exemption
from service in November 1916, being an only son and the sole support of his
mother and sister; Lancelot Forrest was also granted an exemption that month,
having a brother at the front and being the sole support of his aged parents;
T. Colling was twice rejected as medically unfit, whilst F. Wheeler was married
with a young child.
Mr. Haynes need not have been so
furious for it was to be the last regatta for the two Geelong clubs until 1920.
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