Alfred Rowton Giblett (30 May 1908 – 19 June 1943) was an Australian rules footballer who played for the Hawthorn Football Club in the Victorian Football League (VFL). He was killed in action in World War II.

Alf Giblett
Personal information
Full name Alfred Rowton Giblett
Date of birth (1908-05-30)30 May 1908
Place of birth Warrnambool, Victoria
Date of death 19 June 1943(1943-06-19) (aged 35)
Place of death Territory of New Guinea
Original team(s) South Hawthorn United
Height 182 cm (6 ft 0 in)
Weight 78 kg (172 lb)
Playing career1
Years Club Games (Goals)
1935 Hawthorn 9 (0)
1 Playing statistics correct to the end of 1935.
Sources: AFL Tables, AustralianFootball.com

Family

edit

Son of Samuel Robert Giblett (1873–1940),[1] and Edith Sarah Giblett (1872–1956), née Small,[2][3] Alfred Rowton Giblett was born at Warrnambool on 30 May 1908.[4]

He married Valma Olive Cocking (1911–1994), at Surrey Hill, on 21 December 1935. They had three children; Patricia Mary Aughterson (née Giblett) (1937–2020),[5] Anthony Jackson Giblett (1939–2010), and Lynne (1942–?).

Football

edit

Having been declared the best and fairest player in the A Grade of the Eastern Suburbs Churches Association in both 1933 and 1934,[6][7][8] Giblett was granted a clearance from South Hawthorn United (formerly South Hawthorn Presbyterians) to Hawthorn on 24 April 1935.[9]

Military service

edit
 
The Australian Red Cross "wounded and Missing" Searcher's Report (on Service File).

He enlisted in the Second AIF and served overseas with the 2/24th Battalion.

Death

edit

He was reported "missing in action" whilst under light machine gun (L.M.G.) fire on 19 June 1943;[10] and, on the basis of evidence that was presented to an official investigation, it was recommended that the official records be reclassified to read "Missing believed Killed".[11][12]

Commemorated

edit

He has no known grave. He is commemorated at the Port Moresby War Cemetery.[13]

See also

edit

Footnotes

edit

References

edit
  • Holmesby, Russell & Main, Jim (2007). The Encyclopedia of AFL Footballers. 7th ed. Melbourne: Bas Publishing.
  • Main, J. & Allen, D., "Giblett, Alf", pp. 249–253 in Main, J. & Allen, D., Fallen – The Ultimate Heroes: Footballers Who Never Returned From War, Crown Content, (Melbourne), 2002. ISBN 1-74095-010-0
  • World War Two Nominal Roll: Corporal Alfred Rowton Giblett (VX135886), Department of Veterans' Affairs.
  • World War Two Service Record: Corporal Alfred Rowton Giblett (VX135886), National Archives of Australia.
  • Roll of Honour: Corporal Alfred Rowton Giblett (VX135886), Australian War Memorial.
edit