Harold Walley Bamford (2 November 1886 – 26 November 1915)[3] was an English professional footballer who played as a half-back for Southampton in the Southern League from 1908 to 1911, and later for Glossop in the Football League.
Most of his time with the "Saints" was spent in the reserves whom he helped win the Hampshire Senior Cup in 1910. His first-team debut came on 9 January 1909, when he took the place of Bert Truemanatleft-half for the Southern League match at Luton Town, which was lost 1–0.[5] Bamford retained his place for two further matches, before John Robertson replaced him, although Bamford returned for two matches at the end of February. Bamford made two further appearances, in April 1910 and in April 1911.[6]
Bamford enlisted in the King's Shropshire Light Infantry during the First World War. The regiment's 1st Battalion was based at Tipperary in August 1914, as part of the 16th Brigade of the 6th Division. They mobilised for war a month later and landed at St. Nazaire, France on 10 September. Bamford was badly wounded during skirmishes at Proven in the Ypres salient in November 1915, and died of septicaemia in No. 1 Red Cross Hospital, near Etaples.[3][8]
Bamford held the rank of Second Lieutenant and was awarded the 1914-15 Star, Victory and British War Medals.[9]
The Commonwealth War Graves Commission records show he was the son of Annie Bamford, of 5, Cliff Road, Itchen, Southampton, and the late Abraham Bamford. He is buried at Étaples Military Cemetery, near Le Touquet.[10][11]
^ abcdeChalk, Gary; Holley, Duncan; Bull, David (2013). All the Saints: A Complete Players' Who's Who of Southampton FC. Southampton: Hagiology Publishing. p. 7. ISBN978-0-9926-8640-6.
^Holley, Duncan; Chalk, Gary (1992). The Alphabet of the Saints. ACL & Polar Publishing. p. 22. ISBN0-9514862-3-3.
^Chalk, Gary; Holley, Duncan (1987). Saints – A complete record. Breedon Books. p. 45. ISBN0-907969-22-4.
^Chalk, Gary; Holley, Duncan. Saints – A complete record. pp. 45, 47 and 49.
^Joyce, Michael (2004). Football League Players' Records: 1888 to 1939. SoccerData from Tony Brown. p. 16. ISBN1899468633.
^Connolly, Shaun; Heritage, Mark (26 January 2015). "Harold Walley Bamford". southamptoncenotaph.com. Retrieved 26 February 2020.
^in Plot 1, Row A, Grave 15. He is one of 10,770 Commonwealth soldiers interred in this military cemetery. His headstone reads: "Until the morning dawns and the shadows flee away."
