The Queensland Reds have unveiled a stunning Anzac jersey honouring the 11 Reds players who have died in wartime.
The jersey will be worn against the Auckland-based Blues on Saturday, April 27, for Super Rugby’s Anzac Weekend Round – where every Australian team will play a New Zealand team.
The jersey commemorates the 60 Queensland Reds players who have served in five wars over 125 years, with 11 never returning.
It features unique Queensland imagery and was designed by Canterbury and the Queensland Rugby Union with assistance from the Australian Army and the Australian War Memorial.
The khaki is the same colour as the World War One battledress worn by the Australian infantry.
The main image is the famous photograph of Australian diggers advancing in the Battle of Broodsiende Ridge in 1917.
Taken by Australia’s most famous wartime photographer Frank Hurley, the image is believed to be of Toowoomba’s 25th Battalion.
The maroon collar features the Rising Sun badge honouring those who served, and a poppy honouring those who did not return.
The sleeves feature black-over-blue hoops in memory of the colour patches worn by Queensland’s infantry battalions in World War One – the 9th, 25th, 41st and 49th battalions.
These units still wear those colour patches today and the descendant units of three of them – 9RQR and 25/49RQR, will form the honour guard for the match’s Anzac service along with 6RAR.
There are deep connections with those units. Four Queensland Reds served in the 9th Battalion, one in the 25th and one in the 49th.
Former Queensland Reds hooker Eric Andrews served as a platoon commander with 6RAR in Vietnam, reinforcing Delta Company the morning after the Battle of Long Tan.
The match-worn jerseys will be auctioned after the game, with proceeds going to Legacy. Queensland Reds flyhalf James O’Connor and prop Zane Nonggorr helped launch the jerseys at Gallipoli Barracks, Enoggera.
O’Connor’s grandfather Maurice served with New Zealand’s 7th Anti-Tank Regiment in the Middle East.
“Having an Anzac Weekend Round where every Australian team plays a New Zealand side is a great way to commemorate Anzac Day,” he said.
“I was very close to my grandfather. It is wonderful to be acknowledging the sacrifice of both Anzac nations.
“He fought in the Battle of Crete and the desert war in North Africa where he was wounded, hospitalised and taken prisoner.
“He was shipped in an Italian cargo boat which was torpedoed by the British Navy. My grandad survived and made it to shore.
“He was transported to a number of temporary POW camps until eventually being shipped to Italy where he worked in a number of POW labour camps.
“In 1943, he escaped with several other POWs and travelled over the Apennine Mountains.
They managed to travel through the German lines to reach British troops.
“He was transported back to Wellington. My grandad lived to the ripe old age of 93.”
Nonggorr’s grandfather John Twivey served in RAF Bomber Command during World War 2 in England, France and North Africa.
“It’s quite humbling when you hear the stories of the Reds players who went away to war and those who didn’t come back,” he said.
“There were some incredible young men.
“My grandad played rugby for the Royal Australian Airforce against the Royal Airforce in England many times.
“The shoulder injury he suffered during the war was a rugby injury.”
Former Reds players won every gallantry award short of the Victoria Cross and one of them was the only Australian to win three Distinguished Service Orders, the next award down from the VC.
At least three died trying to save their mates.
Major William Hodgkinson (QRU #181) 11th Light Horse. Died of wounds, World War 1, France.
Private William Dixon (QRU #250) 52nd Battalion. Killed in action June 9, 1917. Battle of Messines.
2nd Lieutenant Hugh Flynn DCM (QRU #310). 9th Battalion. Killed in action September 20, 1917 by shellfire at the Battle of Menin Road. Brothers club captain.
Flying Officer Edwin “Dooney” Hayes (QRU #431, Wallaby #289). 1 (Middle East) Training School RAF. Missing in action January 12, 1943, Libya.
Private Francis Arnell (QRU #436). Pte, 2/10 Fld Regt. Killed in action in the retreat from Malaya on February 8, 1942.
Craftsman Edward Chapman “Skippy” James (QLD #477) 1st Tank Battalion Workshop. Killed in action November 8, 1943 in New Guinea.
Flight Sergeant John Newman (Qld #495). 101 Squadron RAF Bomber Command. Killed in action on March 31, 1944 over Nuremberg.
Bombardier Winston Ide (QRU #510, Wallaby #317) 2/10 Field Artillery Regiment. Captured in Singapore and died saving fellow POWs when their transport ship was sunk in the Pacific on September 12, 1944, killing 1559 Australian and British prisoners.
Corporal Malcolm “Max” Stark (QRU #512). 2/26th Battalion. Killed in action February 7, 1942, during the retreat from Malaya.
Driver Alan Eason (QRU #516). 1 Corps Headquarters. Killed February 19, 1945 in the tragic friendly fire bombing of Stalag 18 POW camp, Klagenfurt, Austria. The Alan Eason Memorial Cup is awarded to the fourth-grade minor premiers in the Queensland Premier Rugby competition.
Flying Officer Tom McNeill (QRU#529) 460 Squadron, RAAF Bomber Command. Shot down over the Netherlands on March 30, 1943. He was too badly wounded to bail out, and asked to be left in the aircraft as it went down.
