The Rifleman Pub - Pub sign has picture of Frank Edwards, WW1 hero, who played football into enemy territory in battle of Loos
Rifleman Frank Edwards’ story: On September 25, 1915, on the front line near the French village of Loos, where one of the biggest artillery barrages of WWI had begun almost a fortnight earlier, the men of the London Irish Rifles moved up to the front line under cover of the noisy darkness. While staring death in the face, the group of soldiers hatched a plan to dribble six footballs toward the German frontline in a unique display of British bravado and courage. But on the eve of the Battle of Loos their commanding officer rumbled their plan and shot out five of the balls – but the soldiers managed to keep one hidden. Defying orders, the group, led by Rifleman Frank Edwards dribbled it as they advanced across No Man's Land while under heavy machine gun and mortar fire. Rifleman Edwards firmly believed the sight of British soldiers coolly passing the ball from one to another would give the enemy their biggest shock of the war. For some of the London Irish who kicked and passed the ball it was their last game, but although Edwards suffered a gunshot wound to his thigh eventually healed, the effects of gas poisoning affected him for the rest of his life. The footballing soldiers’ antics were even braver, or perhaps more foolhardy, than the official truce called on Christmas Day in 1914, when thousands of troops emerged from the trenches to have a kick-about.
Size: 2810px × 3747px
Location: Fourth Cross Road, Twickenham, Greater London, Middlesex, England, Great Britain, UK
Photo credit: © Eden Breitz / Alamy / Afripics
License: Licensed
Model Released: No
Keywords: 1, borough, bravado, britain, dribbled, edwards, enemy, england, english, football, frank, great, greater, hero, kingdom, london, middlesex, outer, played, pub, richmond, rifleman, sign, soldier, territory, thames, traditional, tw, twickenham, uk, united, war, world, ww1
