Spencer Walklate (11 January 1918 – 3 April 1945) was an Australian rugby league footballer who played in the 1940s and served as a special operations serviceman who was killed in action in World War II.

Spencer Walklate
Spencer Walklate.1943
Personal information
Full nameSpencer Henry Walklate
Born(1918-01-11)11 January 1918
Maclean, New South Wales, Australia
Died3 April 1945(1945-04-03) (aged 27)
Papua New Guinea
Playing information
Weight15 st 0 lb (95 kg)
PositionProp, Second-row
Club
Years Team Pld T G FG P
1942–44 St. George 15 2 3 0 12
Source: [1]

Playing career edit

Spencer "Sam" Walklate was born in Maclean, New South Wales and came to the St George Dragons in 1942 during World War II. A policeman at Darlinghurst, Walklate was a big strapping front row forward who made an immediate impact at the club with his fearless attack and defence. He played his last game for the St George on 8 April 1944 after suffering a knee injury.[2][3]

War service edit

Walklate had enlisted in the Australian Army at the end of the 1943 season and joined an elite special-ops group sent to New Guinea, which was under Japanese occupation at the time.

Death edit

Listed as missing in action in mid-1945, he is believed to have been tortured and executed by the Japanese during a mission on 13 April 1945.[4] His remains were not discovered until 2013, on Kairiru Island and were buried the following year at Port Moresby (Bomana) War Cemetery.[5]

His name is included on the World War II Honour Roll at RSL Memorial at Bondi Junction. Spencer Walklate's brother, Eric Mervyn Walklate, was also killed in World War II.[6]

See also edit

References edit

  1. ^ "Spencer Walklate - Career Stats & Summary - Rugby League Project". Rugbyleagueproject.org.
  2. ^ Tigers Triumphant. SMH 9/4/1944 https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/168758178?searchTerm=%22spencer%20walklate%22&searchLimits=l-decade=194%7C%7C%7Cl-year=1944
  3. ^ Whitiker/Hudson. Encyclopedia of Rugby League Players, 1995 edition
  4. ^ WW2 Nominal Roll (http://www.ww2roll.gov.au/Veteran.aspx?serviceId=A&veteranId=291907[permanent dead link])
  5. ^ Nolan, Anna (15 June 2014). "Two Australian World War II soldiers laid to rest in Papua New Guinea". ABC News. Retrieved 3 July 2019.
  6. ^ "Obituary". The Northern Star. 2 December 1954. p. 7.