On 19 June 1915, Geraldton’s Thistle and Queen’s Park Rangers teams met for a game of football. The players of both teams wore black armbands. Thistle for Private John Arthur Allen and Rangers for William Vincent Allen. The two brothers served in the 11th Battalion, and both landed on Gallipoli with the first landing force. Tragically they were killed in action on the very same day, 2 May 1915.
On 19 June 1915, the Geraldton Guardian published the following tribute to the fallen soldier:
The fortieth casualty list published yesterday contained the name of Sergeant W. V. Allen and despite the fact that no prior official intimation had been received in Geraldton, the probability being that it has been sent to his parents in England, it was felt to be certain that it was Sergt Vince Allen who had fallen in the service of the Empire. The news created a painful impression, as only two days previously the news came through that his brother Private J. A. Allen, had also been killed. Vince, as he was popularly called, was employed at Messers Chapman and Jose’s, and was well-known, and highly respected. Always keen on military matters he associated himself with the local forces immediately after taking up his residence in Geraldton, and advanced to the rank of Colour-Sergt. He was one of the first to volunteer and retained the rank of Sergeant with the expeditionary force. His untimely death, at the age off about 26 years, is all the more to be deplored because if the war had not occurred, he was to have been married some months ago, to Miss Warwicker, and with her the utmost sympathy is felt.