“Any other biographical details likely to be of interest to the Historian of the A.I.F, or his Regiment – In Corinthians (soccer) team cup winners for 1914 Brisbane. Winner of middle weight on the Otranto on way to Brisbane.”
The Australian War Museum Committee decided in 1919 to build a permanent memorial to those fallen throughout the war, a building containing a Roll of Honour. It took 20 years to build, but the process of collating the information to populate the Roll started quickly. The information was gathered by asking family members to complete a form called “Particulars Required for the Roll of Honour of Australia in the Memorial War Museum.” By 1921, the office of the Official Historian had received over 35,000 forms.
Arthur Mansfield was one such fallen soldier. His form was completed by his English-based father Ebeneezer. From it we can get a quick snapshot of Mansfield’s life. He was born in Belgaum, India, where it seems his father was posted with the British Army. Mansfield was schooled in England then emigrated to Australia at the age of 27 around 1913. In Brisbane he worked as a carpenter and played soccer for Corinthians.
Mansfield enlisted in the 15th Battalion in October 1914 and was sent to Gallipoli. He was transferred to the 4th Pioneers in March 1916. Mansfield was killed in Ploegsteert in Belgium on 27 May 1917 aged 31. Overall, the details Ebeneezer provided matched Mansfield’s official military record. The only major difference was that Mansfield was officially reported as being killed in France. Ploegsteert, though, was very close to the Belgium/France border, and it was where his record stated he was buried.
Mansfield’s official record also revealed that health issues – influenza, eczema and varicose veins – interrupted his Gallipoli campaign. He also faced regular disciplinary actions across 1916 and into 1917, including a failure on 10 occasions to attend the Defaulter’s Parade – extra training or duties awarded to those under discipline. None of this information, though, was required from his father if indeed Ebeneezer even knew they had occurred.
Mansfield’s soccer record, as presented by his father, also checks out. He played for Corinthians in 1914, based on the scant evidence which exists. Despite over 60 soccer teams playing in Brisbane in 1914, proper match reports were scarce, even in the highest senior grade in which Corinthians played. Most of Corinthians’ league results for the season are missing. Mansfield was listed as playing in both Corinthians games which received match reports in the press. The second was the Charity Cup final in September where Corinthians gained a 2-1 victory over holders Toowong. The game was beset by crowd trouble that, according to the report in the Daily Standard of 14 September, which “might easily have resolved itself into a free fight had it not been for the effective intervention of some of the cooler headed and more manly spectators, who succeeded in quelling the hostile element.”
A month later, Mansfield enlisted, en route to his fate. And a few years later, Ebeneezer Mansfield received a form to complete and send back to Base Records for the Official Historian.