Australian rules footballer
Australian rules footballer
Ralph Lancaster |
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Full name |
Ralph Charles Lancaster |
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Date of birth |
(1907-11-25)25 November 1907 |
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Place of birth |
Numurkah, Victoria |
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Date of death |
28 August 1942(1942-08-28) (aged 34) |
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Place of death |
Port Moresby, New Guinea |
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Original team(s) |
Geelong College |
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Height |
170 cm (5 ft 7 in) |
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Weight |
66 kg (146 lb) |
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Position(s) |
Rover |
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|
Years |
Club |
Games (Goals) |
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1929–1932, 1935 |
Geelong |
44 (34) |
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1 Playing statistics correct to the end of 1935. |
Sources: AFL Tables, AustralianFootball.com |
Ralph Charles Lancaster (25 November 1907 – 28 August 1942) was an Australian rules footballer who played for Geelong in the Victorian Football League (VFL).
The son of Thomas Stanley Lancaster (1878-1960), the Town Clerk of Newtown and Chilwell,[1] and Maud Amelia Lancaster (1878-1938), née Cory,[2] Ralph Charles Lancaster was born in Numurkah on 25 November 1907.
He married Jean Loveniah McCurdy (1912-1968), later Mrs Arnold Start Henderson, in 1938.
Lancaster was recruited locally, from Geelong College.
A rover, he kicked 20 goals in his debut season,[3] and the following year was 19th. man in Geelong's 1930 VFL Grand Final loss to Collingwood.[4]
During World War II, Lancaster served in New Guinea as a Gunner with the 9th Light Anti-Aircraft Battery, of the Royal Australian Artillery.
He died of wounds sustained whilst on active service in New Guinea on 28 August 1942.[5][6]
He is buried at the Port Moresby (Bomana) War Cemetery.[7]
- ^ Deaths: Lancaster, The Sydney Morning Herald, (Thursday, 6 October 1960), p.24.
- ^ Deaths: Lancaster, The Argus, (Wednesday, 4 May 1938), p.10.
- ^ Weekly Times Football Series--Geelong Team, 1929, The Weekly Times, (Saturday, 1 July 1929), p.39.
- ^ Geelong, Runners-up, The Australasian, (Saturday, 18 October 1930), p.28.
- ^ Latest Lists of Australian Casualties: Australian and the Islands: Died of Wounds Accidentally Received: "Gnr. R. C. Lancaster, Geelong."
- ^ Taylor, Percy, "They Work Hard, But Play When They Can: Sportsmen in the Greater Game of War", The Australasian, (Saturday, 26 September 1942), p.12.
- ^ Gunner Ralph Charles Lancaster (VX44992), Commonwealth War Graves Commission.
- Holmesby, Russell and Main, Jim (2007). The Encyclopedia of AFL Footballers. 7th ed. Melbourne: Bas Publishing.
- Main, J. & Allen, D., "Lancaster, Ralph", pp.286-287 in Main, J. & Allen, D., Fallen – The Ultimate Heroes: Footballers Who Never Returned From War, Crown Content, (Melbourne), 2002. ISBN 1-74095-010-0
- World War Two Nominal Roll: Gunner Raplh (sic) Charles Lancaster (VX44992), Department of Veterans' Affairs.
- Roll of Honour: Gunner Ralph Charles Lancaster (VX44992), Australian War Memorial.
- Roll of Honour Circular: Gunner Ralph Charles Lancaster (VX44992) collection of the Australian War Memorial.
- B883, VX44992: World War Two Service Record: Gunner Raplh (sic) Charles Lancaster (VX44992), National Archives of Australia.