More than 170 Bulldogs players have served our country in the armed forces, including such famous names as Ted Whitten, Charlie Sutton, Norman Ware, Alby Morrison, Peter Welsh, Bernie Quinlan and Barry Round.
Two Footscray VFL players, Bill Downie and John Zimmerman, made the ultimate sacrifice for their country, losing their lives on active service during World War II.
Originally from Bendigo, Bill Downie spent four seasons at Whitten Oval between 1929 and 1932, giving the Bulldogs 54 games of solid service in the ruck. He then spent a season with St Kilda before having an outstanding eight seasons at VFA Club Northcote, during which time he played in the 1937 premiership side and won a Recorder Cup as the competition's best and fairest the following year.
Downie enlisted in the 2nd AIF in September 1940, having already been part of the Army Reserve. His tour of duty took him to Kantara (in Egypt) and Palestine, before he left the Middle East in 1942 and landed in Batavia. There he was captured by the Japanese and interned at a prison known as the Bicycle Camp.
From there Downie was sent to work on the notoriously brutal Thai-Burma Railway project. Barbara Cullen, in her comprehensive history of League players who served 'Harder Than Football', writes that Downie's official war record notes Downie as having died of illness caused by tropical ulcers but there are unconfirmed reports that he met his end at the hands of a Japanese guard.
Zimmerman enlisted in July 1943 and was posted to Lae in New Guinea but his service was cut short when he was diagnosed with lymphatic leukaemia in mid 1944. Zimmerman returned to Australia and admitted to Heidelberg Military Hospital on August 31, 1944 where he tragically died three days later, aged just 26.
Nick Richardson author of 'The Game of Their Lives' notes that several players from Footscray's VFA days served in the First World War, including George Ogilvie and Sgt 'Wally' White, both of whom had reputations as good players with the Tricolours some time before enlisting. White, along with other Footscray players Tom McClusky, Joey Duane and former wingman Bert O’Connell lost their lives serving their country in World War I.
The Bulldogs' first premiership captain and coach, Charlie Sutton, had two stints with the armed services, enlisting for a first time in 1941 before being discharged after just three days for being underage. He was just 17 years old at the time.
Sutton played a handful of games with the Bulldogs in 1942, including the first semi-final loss to South Melbourne, before enlisting again n June 1944. He served as a labourer before resuming his career in 1946, going on to lead the Dogs to an inaugural VFL flag in 1954.
