Bob Tidyman
Encyclopedia
Bob Tidyman was an Australian rugby league
player and soldier who fell in World War I
. A national representative winger
, his short club career was played with Sydney's Eastern Suburbs
club in the years 1913-15.
in 1913 joining a star studded line-up that included Dally Messenger
, Wally Messenger
, Sandy Pearce
, Larry O'Malley
, Les Cubitt
, Dan Frawley
and Arthur "Pony" Halloway
who had already posted two premiership victories on the trot in 1911 and 1912. The 1913 Tricolours were minor-premiers after fourteen regular rounds and thus claimed the overall premiership and in the process permanent possession of the Royal Agricultural Society Shield
having now won three successive premierships
. Tidyman also played in the Eastern Suburbs
sides who won the City Cup
(a post-season tournament) in 1914 and 1915.
He made his representative debut for New South Wales
in 1914 and that same year played in two Test match
es for Australia against the touring English
side including the famous Rorke's Drift Test at the Sydney Cricket Ground
on 4 July 1914 where England, reduced to ten men, held on to defeat Australia 14-6.
on 6 December 1915, and left Sydney on board HMAT A71 Nestor on 9 April 1916 as a member of the 11th Reinforcements for the 19th Battalion, 5th Brigade
, 2nd Division.
Tidyman joined the 19th Battalion on the Western Front
on 25 September 1916. The battalion had taken part in the battles at Pozieres
in July and August and had suffered terrible casualties.
The 19th Battalion was attacking at Flers, Somme
in the last action of the Somme Offensive of 1916 before winter set in when Tidyman was listed as killed in action on 15 November 1916. A report said: "We gained our objective and took two lines of trenches. We made 50 prisoners. Tidyman was told to look after these prisoners but I think he was sniped taking them down."
His body was not recovered for burial and his name is listed on the Australian Memorial at Villers Bretonneux, along with 11,000 other Australians who fell in France and have no known grave.
Tidyman had two brothers in France - William and Christopher Tidyman who both served with the 55th and 17th Battalions. Both were wounded but survived the war.
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Rugby league
Rugby league football, usually called rugby league, is a full contact sport played by two teams of thirteen players on a rectangular grass field. One of the two codes of rugby football, it originated in England in 1895 by a split from Rugby Football Union over paying players...
player and soldier who fell in World War I
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
. A national representative winger
Winger (sport)
In certain sports, such as football, field hockey, ice hockey, handball, rugby union, lacrosse and rugby league, the term winger is the name of a position. It refers to positions on the extreme left and right sides of the pitch . In American football and Canadian football, the analogous position...
, his short club career was played with Sydney's Eastern Suburbs
Sydney Roosters
The Sydney Roosters are an Australian professional rugby league football club based in the Eastern Suburbs of Sydney. The club competes in the National Rugby League and is one of the oldest and most successful clubs in Australian rugby league history, having won twelve New South Wales Rugby League...
club in the years 1913-15.
Rugby league career
A Queenslander by birth, Tidyman debuted for EastsSydney Roosters
The Sydney Roosters are an Australian professional rugby league football club based in the Eastern Suburbs of Sydney. The club competes in the National Rugby League and is one of the oldest and most successful clubs in Australian rugby league history, having won twelve New South Wales Rugby League...
in 1913 joining a star studded line-up that included Dally Messenger
Dally Messenger
Herbert Henry "Dally" Messenger was an Australian rugby union and rugby league footballer, recognised as one of the greatest ever players in either code. Messenger, or 'The Master' as he was dubbed, represented his country in both rugby football codes, playing two rugby union tests and seven...
, Wally Messenger
Wally Messenger
Wally Messenger was an Australian international rugby league footballer of the 1910s. He was a state and national representative whose club career was with played with Eastern Suburbs in the New South Wales Rugby Football League premiership...
, Sandy Pearce
Sandy Pearce
Sidney Charles Pearce , better known as Sandy, was a pioneer Australian rugby league footballer and boxer...
, Larry O'Malley
Larry O'Malley
Larry 'Jersey' O'Malley was an Australian rugby league player for the Eastern Suburbs club. He was the fifth Australian rugby league captain and the second from the Eastern Suburbs Club....
, Les Cubitt
Les Cubitt
Les Cubitt was an Australian representative rugby league player, a Centre or Five-eighth whose club career was with Eastern Suburbs and the Glebe Dirty Reds.He is considered one of the nation's finest footballers of the 20th century.-Club career:...
, Dan Frawley
Dan Frawley
Dan Frawley was a pioneer Australian rugby league footballer, a national representative player. He played his career as a winger with the Eastern Suburbs club in Sydney and is considered one of the nation's finest footballers of the 20th century...
and Arthur "Pony" Halloway
Arthur Halloway
Arthur 'Pony' Halloway , was a pioneering Australian rugby league footballer and coach. Born in Sydney, New South Wales he played for the Glebe Dirty Reds , Balmain Tigers and Eastern Suburbs , in the New South Wales Rugby Football League premiership.He was a Half-back for the Australian national...
who had already posted two premiership victories on the trot in 1911 and 1912. The 1913 Tricolours were minor-premiers after fourteen regular rounds and thus claimed the overall premiership and in the process permanent possession of the Royal Agricultural Society Shield
Royal Agricultural Society Shield
The Royal Agricultural Society of New South Wales Challenge Shield, or RAS Shield was the New South Wales Rugby Football League's first premiership trophy. It was presented to each year's premiership winning rugby league team and was won by South Sydney, Newtown and Eastern Suburbs. The first club...
having now won three successive premierships
National Rugby League
The National Rugby League is the top league of professional rugby league football clubs in Australasia. The NRL's main competition, called the Telstra Premiership , is contested by sixteen teams, fifteen of which are based in Australia with one based in New Zealand...
. Tidyman also played in the Eastern Suburbs
Sydney Roosters
The Sydney Roosters are an Australian professional rugby league football club based in the Eastern Suburbs of Sydney. The club competes in the National Rugby League and is one of the oldest and most successful clubs in Australian rugby league history, having won twelve New South Wales Rugby League...
sides who won the City Cup
City Cup
The City Cup was a rugby league competition involving Australian premiership teams. The post season tournament was a regular feature in the years 1912 - 1925. City Cups were also played in 1937, 1942 and 1959....
(a post-season tournament) in 1914 and 1915.
He made his representative debut for New South Wales
New South Wales Rugby League team
The New South Wales rugby league team has represented the Australian state of New South Wales in rugby league football since the sport's beginnings there in 1907. Administered by the New South Wales Rugby League, the team competes in the annual State of Origin series against arch-rivals, the...
in 1914 and that same year played in two Test match
Test match (rugby league)
A Test match in rugby league football is a representative match between teams representing members of the Rugby League International Federation.The definition of a Test match differs from that of an international match...
es for Australia against the touring English
England national rugby league team
The England national rugby league team represent England in international rugby league football tournaments. The team has now seen a revival, having largely formed from the Great Britain team, who also represented Wales, Scotland and Ireland. The team is run under the auspices of the Rugby Football...
side including the famous Rorke's Drift Test at the Sydney Cricket Ground
Sydney Cricket Ground
The Sydney Cricket Ground is a sports stadium in Sydney in Australia. It is used for Australian football, Test cricket, One Day International cricket, some rugby league and rugby union matches and is the home ground for the New South Wales Blues cricket team and the Sydney Swans of the Australian...
on 4 July 1914 where England, reduced to ten men, held on to defeat Australia 14-6.
War service
Bob Tidyman was the only one of his team to enlist. He joined the AIFAIF
AIF may refer to:*AIF , refer List of role-playing games by name*Accredited Investment Fiduciary*Adult Interactive fiction, a game genre*American India Foundation*Anti-Iraqi Forces*Apoptosis inducing factor...
on 6 December 1915, and left Sydney on board HMAT A71 Nestor on 9 April 1916 as a member of the 11th Reinforcements for the 19th Battalion, 5th Brigade
5th Brigade (Australia)
5th Brigade is a brigade of the Australian Army. It is a Reserve combined arms formation based in New South Wales and forms part of the 2nd Division.-History:...
, 2nd Division.
Tidyman joined the 19th Battalion on the Western Front
Western Front (World War I)
Following the outbreak of World War I in 1914, the German Army opened the Western Front by first invading Luxembourg and Belgium, then gaining military control of important industrial regions in France. The tide of the advance was dramatically turned with the Battle of the Marne...
on 25 September 1916. The battalion had taken part in the battles at Pozieres
Pozières
Pozières is a commune in the Somme department in Picardie in northern France.-Geography:The commune is situated on the D929 road, some northeast of Amiens between Albert and Bapaume, on the Pozières ridge.-Population:-History:...
in July and August and had suffered terrible casualties.
Flers, Somme
Flers is a commune near the northern edge of the Somme department in Picardie in northern France.It lies to the south of the D929 road, between Albert and Bapaume.-History:...
in the last action of the Somme Offensive of 1916 before winter set in when Tidyman was listed as killed in action on 15 November 1916. A report said: "We gained our objective and took two lines of trenches. We made 50 prisoners. Tidyman was told to look after these prisoners but I think he was sniped taking them down."
His body was not recovered for burial and his name is listed on the Australian Memorial at Villers Bretonneux, along with 11,000 other Australians who fell in France and have no known grave.
Tidyman had two brothers in France - William and Christopher Tidyman who both served with the 55th and 17th Battalions. Both were wounded but survived the war.
Honours and awards
- British War MedalBritish War MedalThe British War Medal was a campaign medal of the British Empire, for service in World War I.The medal was approved in 1919, for issue to officers and men of British and Imperial forces who had rendered service between 5 August 1914 and 11 November 1918...
- Victory Medal