News: Aston Villa's role in First World War revealed

By Laura Brett - Club Archivist

Villa have always had a close relationship with the magnificent military - but we didn't realise until the past few weeks that the club's name played a part in the First World War.

As we look ahead to our 'Armed Forces Day' this weekend for the Norwich game, we delved in the club's archives to find out about our long-term links.

There must have been a Villa fan involved in the drawing up of the trench map for the Battle of Bazentin Ridge.

As you can see above, there are two parallel trenches called 'Aston Trench' and 'Villa Trench.'

The Battle of Bazentin Ridge took place July 14-17 in 1916 and marked the second phase of the Battle of the Somme.

While it resulted in a tactical victory for the British, the cost was extremely high with 9,000 dead, wounded or missing.

The outbreak of the First World War came just before the 1914-15 season was due to start.

The FA, along with the clubs in the Football League, decided to play that term as they believed football played an important role in boosting the morale of players and supporters at home.

From the outset, Villa voted £50 to the War Fund and a percentage of all gates for the season.

In a meeting prior to the opening match, the players expressed a wish to contribute 5% of their earnings weekly to the war effort.

They also agreed to receive "preparedness training" and were soon kitted out with special uniforms and given strict military workouts by ex-army sergeant majors.

Also, 30 BSA territorial rifles were ordered and plans were drawn up for a firing range to be build near the ground.

The club encouraged the players to enlist with Middlesex Regiment's Football Battalion by offering to continue to pay half their wages to ensure their families were provided for.

It is difficult to confirm exactly how many of the players registered with Villa in 1914 signed up.

Recruitment drives took place during matches and appeals from Lord Kitchener for volunteers appeared regularly in the Villa News & Record until football was suspended at the end of the season.

While Villa Park was effectively closed for the remainder of the conflict, the club were able to raise money through 'colts' matches. This money was then used to pay for the 'Aston Villa Ambulance Car' to be used on the front line at a cost of £1,000.

The club also cashed in their pre-war stocks and shares to set up a war loan worth £3,000.

In the Second World War, football was suspended after just three matches of the 1939-40 season and in November 1939 the War Office commandeered Villa Park.

Players were given two weeks wages and told that their contracts were suspended for the foreseeable future.

Several of the younger players joined the forces while many others went to work at the Kynochs Munitions Factory in Witton.

Alan Wakeman, Eddie Lowe and Jack Maund became Bevin Boys at Hednesford Coalmine while Eric Houghton and captain Jimmy Allen joined the Police Force.

Villa helped the war effort in an unexpected way by renting 34 turnstiles to the Austin Motor Company and a large number of tip-up seats were loaned to air raid shelters.

The Board of Trade and the Ministry of Supplies rented space in the Trinity Road Stand from 1941 while other areas were rented to the Ministry of Works and fire watchers were now camped out in dressing rooms.

Villa Park escaped unscathed through the 1940 bombing of Aston but it was eventually hit in 1941 when the Trinity Road roof was holed by shrapnel, which also shattered large quantities of glass.

A bomb from either this raid or another left one bay of the Witton Lane Stand a tangled wreck.

Fortunately, compared to other grounds like Old Trafford or St Andrews, the damage was relatively small.

From 1943, Villa gradually regained control of the ground, though parts of it were damaged.

The seating loaned to air raid shelters were also damaged and the billiard table and piano belonging to the players that were loaned to the Birmingham Corporation were never seen again.

The club were awarded £3,650 in compensation by the War Office and Birmingham Corporation for these inconveniences.