Wellington wartime football photo sparks appeal from a player's son
Here's your chance to make an 80-year-old from Devon a happy man – by coming up with more information about this mystery Wellington area football team from yesteryear, in which his dad was one of the players.
Derek Sturch from Honiton has emailed us the picture, accompanied by a plea: "Is it possible that one of your readers could identify the team shown in this photo?
"All I can tell them is that it was taken around 1940 and the player in the back row, fourth from the left, with the dark shirt collar, is Bill Sturch. It was obviously a team in or around Wellington where he lived. Any information would be welcome.
"I am related – in fact I am his son. Unfortunately the marriage to my mother ended in early divorce as did a lot of marriages during World War Two and I have no recollection of him as I was still just a toddler.
"We lived with my grandparents at 8 Ercall Gardens until 1947 when my mother remarried and we moved to Axminster, Devon, in 1947 where my stepfather originated from. They met when he was stationed at Donnington Barracks when the war was drawing to a close.
"I knew very little about Bill Sturch. I have photographs of him at Wrekin Road School. There is another I would have liked to have sent you of him addressing what I have been led to believe was the Wrekin Homing Society in or around 1940, of which he was secretary. Unfortunately I can't find it at the moment.
"As I have just celebrated my 80th birthday I find it difficult to think there would be too many survivors of that era but it would be interesting to find out who the team were and any snippets."
So... can anybody out there help? If so, drop us a line and we will pass the information on to Mr Sturch.
