On 8 November 1915, Albert Law was presented with a gold band by his club Blackstone Rovers to mark his imminent departure for war. Law had played for the club for several years and was a one-time club secretary.
After arriving in Europe, he joined the newly formed 9th Battalion in June 1916. A month later he suffered minor wounds sustained in Pozieres which kept him sidelined for the next two months. Otherwise, Law survived the war, fighting in France and Belgium with no major incident recorded in his records.
His letters home, as referenced in the Queensland Times, were mostly concerned with his general health and meeting other Ipswich soldiers. Two letters concerned football. One published on 8 May 1916 described a soccer match Law attended between English and Scottish soldiers which had “several professional players in the field.” Two years later, Law wrote about the inter-unit premiership won by his company’s representative team, played behind the lines to the sounds of explosions.
Law was discharged in 1919 and returned to both Blackstone and football. Later the same year he earned a premiership medal with Blackstone Rovers and was selected for the Ipswich representative team to play Brisbane. Law remained in Ipswich until the 1950s, before moving into Brisbane.
From the Queensland Times , 8 May 1916
PERSONAL
Mr. and Mrs. J. Law, Kyarra, Blacketone, are in receipt of letter by this week’s mail from their son, Private A. E. Law, who is in Egypt. He says that he is in the best of health. Private Law mentions having seen W. Breslin, of Ipswich; A. Perrett, of Bundanba, N. Hansell, A. Warren, and. A. Appleton, of Blackstone, S. J. Wells, of Ipswich, and D. Nelson, of Dinmore, all of whom are doing well. Private Law sent along a programme of a football match which he and D. Nelson had attended, the game being played between representatives of England and Scotland. The English eleven won by 2 goals to 1. The game was a splendid exposition of football, there being several professional players in the field. He stated that they were expecting to get moved on in a few days from date of writing, and sends best wishes to all Queensland friends.