Football heroes
Lance-Corporal Angus, 8th Battalion, The Highland Light Infantry, c1915.
NAM 104234
Willie Angus (1888-1959) grew up in Carluke, Lanarkshire. On leaving school he became a miner, but signed as a professional for Celtic in 1911. He played in the Scottish Championship during the 1912-1913 and 1913-1914 seasons. On the outbreak of war in 1914 Angus joined the 8th (Lanark) Battalion, The Highland Light Infantry, and became the first Scottish Territorial soldier to win the Victoria Cross (VC).
Celtic hero
Lance-Corporal Angus won his VC on 12 June 1915 at Givenchy in France. Under heavy bomb and rifle fire he rescued Lieutenant James Martin who was lying wounded within a few yards of the enemy's position. During this action he was wounded 40 times and lost an eye. Angus never played football for Celtic again. On recovering from his wounds he returned to Britain, and on 30 August 1915 the King presented him with the VC at Buckingham Palace.
Donald Simpson Bell of Bradford Park Avenue FC, c1914. NAM 104233
Bradford’s bravest
Donald Simpson Bell (1890-1916) was born in Harrogate. On completing his education he became a teacher at Starbeck School. After playing amateur football for Crystal Palace, Bishop Auckland and Newcastle United, Bell joined Bradford Park Avenue Football Club as a professional in 1912. On the outbreak of war in 1914 he gained permission from the Directors of the club to join The Yorkshire Regiment. Bell worked his way through the ranks and was eventually commissioned into the 9th Battalion.
He won the VC at Contalmaison on the Somme on 10 July 1916 at a position called Horseshoe Trench. Bell rushed across no man's land under heavy fire and put an enemy machine gun out of action with Mills bombs.
He was killed five days later leading a bombing party that drove off a German counter-attack. The position where he was killed was later re-named 'Bell's Redoubt'.
Tull of Tottenham
Walter Tull (1888-1918) was the son of a carpenter from Barbados and a Folkestone woman. In 1908 he began playing for Clapton FC. Within a few months he had won winners' medals in the FA Amateur Cup, London County Amateur Cup and London Senior Cup. In 1909 he signed as a professional for Tottenham. In October 1911 Tull moved to Northampton Town. In the autumn of 1914 he became the first Northampton player to join the 17th (Footballers) Battalion of the Middlesex Regiment.
Memorial at 'Bell's Redoubt' where Donald Simpson Bell was killed on the Somme in July 1916. © Simon Ward
One of the first black officers
Tull was quickly promoted to Sergeant and after serving on the Somme in 1916 he was invalided home having contracted trench fever. When he recovered from his illness he went to the officer training school at Gailes in Scotland. Tull received his commission as Second Lieutenant in May 1917. He was one of the first black officers in the British Army. Tull went on to serve at the Battle of Piave in Italy, where he was mentioned in dispatches.
Recommended for the MC
His unit was then posted to France during the 1918 German Spring Offensive. Walter Tull was killed at Favreuil on 25 March 1918, having just been recommended for the Military Cross (MC).
