Leicester Fosse & The First World War

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Leicester Fosse & The First World War

Tuesday 11 November, 2025 marks the 107th anniversary of the end of the First World War.

2025-11-11T09:00+00:00

by John Hutchinson

Published

11 Nov, 2025

Leicester Fosse & The First World War

Tuesday 11 November, 2025 marks the 107th anniversary of the end of the First World War.

John Hutchinson

2025-11-11T09:00+00:00

Leicester Fosse & The First World War

Tuesday 11 November, 2025 marks the 107th anniversary of the end of the First World War.

John Hutchinson

2025-11-11T09:00+00:00

Leicester Fosse & The First World War

Tuesday 11 November, 2025 marks the 107th anniversary of the end of the First World War.

John Hutchinson

2025-11-11T09:00+00:00

Leicester Fosse & The First World War

Tuesday 11 November, 2025 marks the 107th anniversary of the end of the First World War.

John Hutchinson

2025-11-11T09:00+00:00

In total, over 50 players who had at some time played for Leicester Fosse, or who were to play for Leicester City, served in the First World War.

Between them, they served in at least 24 different regiments. Five ex-Fosse players joined the Footballers’ Battalion in the 17th Middlesex Regiment.

Tragically, 13 players with Leicester Fosse connections died during the War. Ten of these lost their lives on the Western Front. Two other fatalities were in battles against the Ottoman Empire.

These were William Cox, who died of wounds sustained in 1915 Gallipoli Campaign, and William Pepper, who was killed in Mesopotamia (present-day Iraq) in 1918.

One player, Billy Williamson, died in a prisoner of war camp in Hameln in Germany.

Remarkably, such was the terrible total toll of the conflict, we know of no player with an association to Leicester Fosse or Leicester City who lost their life during the Second World War.

This Armistice Day, we look at the 13 players with an association to the Club who sadly lost their lives during the First World War, listed below.

Leicester Fosse Roll of Honour 1914-1918

Jack Sheffield

Leicester Fosse 1904-1905
Outside-right
Corporal, Leicestershire Regiment
Died, aged 35, at Neuve Chapelle on 13 March, 1915
Commemorated at the Le Touret Memorial: Panel 11 (along with 153 names from the Leicestershire Regiment)

William Cox

Leicester Fosse 1905-1906
Centre-forward
Private, Kings Own Royal Lancaster Regiment
Wounded in the Gallipoli Campaign against Turkish Empire
Died of his wounds, aged 35, in Birmingham on 6 November, 1915
Buried at Blackpool (Layton) cemetery

William Sharpley, DCM (Distinguished Conduct Medal)

Leicester Fosse 1911-1912
Full-back
Sergeant, Essex Regiment
Died, aged 24, at the Battle of the Somme on 1 July, 1916
Commemorated at the Thiepval Memorial To The Missing: Panel 10D

The Thiepval Memorial To The Missing, where William Sharpley and James Stevenson are commemorated.

James Stevenson

Leicester Fosse 1901-1902
Inside-left
Private, Highland Light Infantry
Died in action, aged 29, at the Battle of the Somme on 3 July, 1916
Commemorated at the Thiepval Memorial To The Missing: Panel 15C

The grave of Bertie Waterfield at Ecoivres Military Cemetery.

Bertie Waterfield

Leicester Fosse wartime guest player 1915-16
Full-back
Lance Corporal, London Regiment
Died in action, aged 23, at the Battle of the Somme on 27 July, 1916
Buried at Ecoivres Military Cemetery, Mont-St. Eloi: Plot III. Row C.10

George Warren

Leicester Fosse 1903-1904
Centre-forward
Private, York and Lancaster Regiment
Died in action, aged 36, on 16 May, 1917
Buried at Philosophe British Cemetery, Mazingarbe: Plot I. Row P. 20

Arthur Beadsworth

Leicester Fosse 1900-1901
Inside-left
Sergeant, Leicestershire Regiment
Died in action, aged 40, 9 October, 1917
Buried at Wimereux Communal Cemetery: Plot VI. Row C. 18

Billy Williamson

Leicester Fosse 1910-1911
Outside-right
Private, Gordon Highlanders
Died in a prisoner of war camp, Hameln, Germany, 2 August, 1918
Burial place not recorded
Commemorated on the Cologne Memorial, which pays tribute to 25 British servicepeople who died in Germany

George Draycott

Leicester Fosse wartime guest player 1916-1918
Full-back
Private, Lincolnshire Regiment
Died in action, aged 30, on 18 September, 1918
Buried at Gauche Wood Cemetery, Villers-Guislain: Grave 21

The grave of Tommy Benfield at the Varennes Military Cemetery.

Tommy Benfield

Leicester Fosse 1910-14 (also played for Leicester Fosse as a wartime guest player 1915-1918)
Forward
His goal for Leicester Fosse in September 1913 was the first-ever goal at Highbury
Sergeant, Leicestershire Regiment
Shot by a sniper on 11 September, 1918
Died, aged 29, on 19 September, 1918
Buried at Varennes Military Cemetery: Plot IV. Row A. 6

Bernard Vann, VC (Victoria Cross), Croix de Guerre (French honour), MC (Military Cross, twice)

Leicester Fosse reserve 1907-1908
Centre-forward, outside left
Lieutenant-Colonel, Sherwood Foresters (Notts and Derby Regiment)
Ordained priest
Shot by a sniper on 3 October, 1918 at Ramincourt, four days after winning the VC at Bellenglise
Buried at Bellicourt British Cemetery: Plot II. Row 0.1

Robert Messer

Leicester Fosse 1910-1911
Outside-right
Private, King’s Own Scottish Borderers
Died in action, aged 31 on 16 October, 1918 near Ypres
Commemorated at the Tyne Cot Memorial near Ypres: Panel 66-68

The Tyne Cot Memorial, where Robert Messer is commemorated.

William Pepper

Leicester Fosse 1912/13
Goalkeeper
Private, Royal West Kent Regiment
Died in action, aged 23 on 25 October, 1918
Commemorated initially on the Basra Memorial and now on the Roll of Honour at Commonwealth War Graves Commission Headquarters at Maidstone, Kent

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