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On his own 40th birthday – July 4, 1917 – Harry Vivien Cumberland (known as Hugh, Harry and Cumby, but mostly Vic) was back on the front line in France, having convalesced in England on three occasions after suffering shrapnel wounds to the knee and wrist and a bout of trench fever. Like his World War I service record, his football history was already vast.
Cumberland would return home in 1919 and in the following season add 10 more games to a career that had begun at Melbourne in 1898, with the last five of these games after his 43rd birthday.>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
There is sadness to his loner's tale. In 1927, Cumberland was riding his motorbike through then-rural Ferntree Gully when he hit a wandering cow. He spent several months in hospital and died the day after his 50th birthday. A sister, Muriel Page, inherited his possessions, which included gold and silver medals. Presumably one was the Magarey; their whereabouts today are unknown.
Fletcher is remarkable simply for enduring in a game that demands more with every passing year. Cumberland was constantly in search of the next challenge, with football the constant thread of his full life. Even while serving, he turned out in games in Germany, Scotland, Belgium, England and France.
In all it is claimed he played 113 games in Tasmania, 271 in Victoria and South Australia, 27 interstate and carnival games and 63 in New Zealand for a total of 474. Holmesby reckons the figures are "a bit rubbery", but perhaps "Cumby" has "Fletch" covered there, too
On his own 40th birthday – July 4, 1917 – Harry Vivien Cumberland (known as Hugh, Harry and Cumby, but mostly Vic) was back on the front line in France, having convalesced in England on three occasions after suffering shrapnel wounds to the knee and wrist and a bout of trench fever. Like his World War I service record, his football history was already vast.
Cumberland would return home in 1919 and in the following season add 10 more games to a career that had begun at Melbourne in 1898, with the last five of these games after his 43rd birthday.>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
There is sadness to his loner's tale. In 1927, Cumberland was riding his motorbike through then-rural Ferntree Gully when he hit a wandering cow. He spent several months in hospital and died the day after his 50th birthday. A sister, Muriel Page, inherited his possessions, which included gold and silver medals. Presumably one was the Magarey; their whereabouts today are unknown.
Fletcher is remarkable simply for enduring in a game that demands more with every passing year. Cumberland was constantly in search of the next challenge, with football the constant thread of his full life. Even while serving, he turned out in games in Germany, Scotland, Belgium, England and France.
In all it is claimed he played 113 games in Tasmania, 271 in Victoria and South Australia, 27 interstate and carnival games and 63 in New Zealand for a total of 474. Holmesby reckons the figures are "a bit rubbery", but perhaps "Cumby" has "Fletch" covered there, too
Actually Saintbrat, late in July (after the Lords Test) I'll be in a little village in UK called Bovington, in Dorset. Bovington which now houses the British Tank Museum and is where the Briitish Tank Regiment is currently stationed.
I'll be there for a few days to do some research on a couple of Aussie Diggers from WW1 for some friends.
The Bovington Camp was where Aussie & NZ soldiers who were recuperating from injuries sustained in Gallipoli, Egypt and France/Belgium were sent to before they were returned (poor blokes) to the Western Front. Whilst I'm doing my research, I have a look to see if Vic Cumberland was there at any stage. Also there is another village my research will be taking me to on the Southern Moor of Cornwell called Liskeard. That is a place many diggers were billeted to after being cleared from the hospital whilst they were waiting to be sent back to the Western Front. Will see if his name comes up there, when I'm snooping around that village.
