Gordon Sawley

Gordon Harold "Gertie" Sawley (28 June 1913 – 14 August 1942) was an Australian rules footballer who played with South Melbourne in the Victorian Football League (VFL).

Gordon Sawley
Personal information
Full name Gordon Harold Sawley
Nickname(s) Gertie
Date of birth (1913-06-28)28 June 1913
Place of birth Norwood, South Australia
Date of death 14 August 1942(1942-08-14) (aged 29)
Place of death North Sea, off Findhorn, Scotland
Original team(s) Norwood
Height 179 cm (5 ft 10 in)
Weight 73.5 kg (162 lb)
Playing career1
Years Club Games (Goals)
1941 South Melbourne 7 (8)
1 Playing statistics correct to the end of 1941.
Sources: AFL Tables, AustralianFootball.com

Family

The son of Andrew Gilbert Sawley (1883-1964), and Florence Maud Sawley (1883-1964), née Baldock, Gordon Harold Sawley was born at Norwood, South Australia on 28 June 1913.

Siblings

His older brother, Frank Sawley, played 26 games with Norwood (1931-1934).[1]

Frank's son, Brian Sawley, played 138 games with Norwood. Brian Sawley is also remembered for being knocked unconscious by Victorian ruckman John Peck in the third quarter of the interstate match between Victoria and South Australia in Adelaide om 7 July 1963. Peck was found guilty of the offence by the South Australian Tribunal, which left the penalty to be determined by the VFL[2] — displaying controversial leniency, the VFL only suspended Peck for two weeks.[3][4][5]

His younger brother, Albert Sawley, played 110 games for Norwood and 11 games for St Kilda.

Football

Norwood

He played 53 games for Norwood (1937-1941).

South Melbourne

He joined the VFL side South Melbourne while on RAAF duties, and played in 7 games in the 1941 season.[6][7]

Death

He was killed during the Second World War in a training accident whilst serving in the Royal Air Force.[8][9][10] On 14 August 1942, Sawley, piloting an Armstrong Whitworth Whitley, took off from RAF Kinloss on a nighttime cross-country training exercise that would be followed by a bombing practice exercise. After the cross-country exercise operation finished, the Whitley headed back to RAF Kinloss and informed the base by radio that they would proceed on the bombing exercise.

The aircraft was seen over Forres, and proceeded to turn north and then east. The plane then went down from 2,000 feet (0.61 km) in altitude to 1,000 feet (0.30 km) in altitude and disappeared from sight. Soon after, Sawley's plane crashed into the North Sea off Findhorn, Scotland, killing the flying officer and the 4 other crew on board. Search parties were dispatched, but only found wreckage. None of the crew's bodies have been found.[11][12][13]

He has no known grave, and is commemorated at the Air Forces Memorial at Runnymede.[14]

See also
  • List of Victorian Football League players who died in active service

Footnotes
  1. Gordon Sawley at AustralianFootball.com.
  2. Carter, R., John Peck Admits Hitting S.A. Half-Forward: 'I was Kicked'", The Age, Monday, 8 July 1963), p.20.
  3. Carter, R., "Tribunal Will Hear Statement by Peck on Incident in S.A.", The Age, (Tuesday, 9 July 1963), p.22.
  4. John Peck Treated for Slight Injury to Spine, The Age, (Wednesday, 10 July 1963), p.20.
  5. Carter, R. "Two Weeks Suspension for Peck: Fails in Attempt to Change Plea, The Age, (Thursday, 11 July 1963), p.22.
  6. Gordon Sawley, R.A.A.F., Now Overseas: One of South's Best Players in Recent Seasons, The (Emerald Hill) Record, (Saturday, 22 November 1941), p.1.
  7. Gordon Sawley Believed Killed in Action: Flying-Officer Was Popular With Team Mates at South, The (Emerald Hill) Record, (Saturday, 22 August 1942), p.1.
  8. Honour Roll Circular.
  9. Deaths: Died on Active Service" Sawley, The (Adelaide) Advertiser, (Wednesday, 14 October 1942), p.8.
  10. Heroes of the Empire: Sawley, The (Adelaide) Advertiser, (Thursday, 14 August 1947), p.16.
  11. "Gordon Harold Sawley". rafcommands.com. Retrieved 14 February 2020.
  12. "G. Sawley". internationalbcc.co.uk. Retrieved 14 February 2020.
  13. "SAWLEY Gordon Harold". highgate-rsl.org. Retrieved 14 February 2020.
  14. Commonwealth War Graves Commission.

References
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