Ross William Hudson (11 November 1920 – 11 April 1945) was an Australian rules footballer who played with St Kilda. Joining St Kilda during army service in World War II, he died from injuries sustained in an accidental grenade explosion whilst serving with the Second Australian Imperial Force in New Guinea.
| Bill Hudson | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Personal information | |||
| Full name | Ross William Hudson | ||
| Date of birth | 11 November 1920 | ||
| Place of birth | Adelaide, South Australia | ||
| Date of death | 11 April 1945 (aged 24) | ||
| Place of death | New Guinea | ||
| Original team(s) | West Adelaide | ||
| Position(s) | Forward | ||
| Playing career1 | |||
| Years | Club | Games (Goals) | |
| 1937-1942 | West Adelaide (SANFL) | 68 (134) | |
| 1942 | St Kilda (VFL) | 5 (6) | |
|
1 Playing statistics correct to the end of 1942. | |||
| Sources: AFL Tables, AustralianFootball.com | |||
Family
editThe son of Albert Arthur Hudson, and Ann Hudson, Ross William Hudson was born in Adelaide on 11 November 1920. He married Eileen Maria Coombes on 4 March 1944.[1]
Education
editHe was educated at Goodwood Central School.
Football
editWest Adelaide (SANFL)
editHe played in 68 games and scored 134 goals for the West Adelaide Football Club from 1937 to 1942, with one of those games played for the "West-Glenelg" (the combined West Adelaide and Glenelg Football Club) team, on 13 June 1942,[2] in the so-called "Patriotic League" in South Australia, before the Army transferred him to Victoria.[3]
St Kilda (VFL)
editHaving been transferred to Victoria with the AIF, he played five games for St Kilda in 1942, the first of which was the round 11 match against North Melbourne on 18 July 1942. Selected as nineteenth man, Hudson came on in the second quarter and kicked three goals.[4]
Cricket
editHe played for cricket for the Adelaide Cricket Club. From the 1936/1937 season to the 1940/1941 season, he "scored 342 runs from 26 innings (three not out) for an average of 14.86 and a top score of 65".[5]
Military service
editEmployed as a printer at Vardon and Sons Printing Works, he enlisted in the Second AIF in October 1941.
Death
editHudson served as a lance-corporal in the Pacific theatre of the Second World War, and died of injuries sustained — "accidentally killed in a grenade explosion"[6] — while fighting the Japanese, in New Guinea on 11 April 1945.[7] He was buried at the Bomana War Cemetery on 15 April 1945.[8][9][10]
See also
editFootnotes
edit- ^ Approaching Marriages: Coombes—Hudson, The (Adelaide) Advertiser, (Friday, 3 March 1944), p.8.
- ^ Tigers Win By 16 Pts, The (Adelaide) Mail, (Saturday, 13 June 1942), p.8.
- ^ Colmer, Roy, "Football Matches May Be Staged", The (Adelaide) News, (Thursday, 2 April 1942), p.6; Colmer, Roy, "Football Teams Will Have New Names", The (Adelaide) News, (Thursday, 16 April 1942), p.8; Keen Football Expected: Patriotic and Other Funds to Benefit, The (Adelaide) Advertiser, (Thursday, 13 May 1942), p.3.
- ^ Talk of the Town: Footballers, The (Adelaide) Mail, (Saturday, 25 July 1942), p.4.
- ^ Main & Allen (2002), p.269.
- ^ Main & Allen (2002), p.269.
- ^ Heroes of the Empire: Hudson, The (Adelaide) Advertiser, (Tuesday, 14 April 1953), p18.
- ^ Commonwealth War Graves Commission: Lance Corporal Ross William Hudson (SX20394).
- ^ Private Casualty Advices, The (Adelaide) Advertiser, (Saturday, 21 April 1945), p.9.
- ^ Died on Active Service: Hudson, The (Adelaide) Advertiser, (Saturday, 21 April 1945), p.14; Died on Active Service: Hudson, The (Adelaide) Advertiser, (Monday, 23 April 1945), p.10; Died on Active Service: Hudson, The (Adelaide) Advertiser, (Saturday, 28 April 1945), p.14.
Sources
edit- Holmesby, Russell & Main, Jim (2007). The Encyclopedia of AFL Footballers. 7th ed. Melbourne: Bas Publishing.
- Main, J. & Allen, D., "Hudson, Bill", pp.267-269 in Main, J. & Allen, D., Fallen – The Ultimate Heroes: Footballers Who Never Returned From War, Crown Content, (Melbourne), 2002.
- Roll of Honour: Lance Corporal Ross William Hudson (SX20394), Australian War Memorial.
- Roll of Honour Circular: Lance Corporal Ross William Hudson (SX20394), Australian War Memorial Collection.
External links
edit- Bill Hudson's playing statistics from AFL Tables
- Bill Hudson, australianfootball.com