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home and discharged, he was restless to return, and after being twice rejected managed to be accepted for the artillery. Even then he had difficulty in getting away, and narrowly missed being returned from
Capetown, where he was in hospital for some time. A similar experience befell him in London, but he was determined, and eventually got to France. About six weeks ago news arrived that he had been seriously wounded, but as the message received last Saturday states, he was killed in action, he must have successfully made another attempt to get into the firing line. It is one of the many remarkable instances of pertinacity the war has furnished.
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A very fine footballer, he captained
Newington College in 1910-11, the Black and White winning the premiership in the latter year, when he also led the Combined Schools in their successful battle against University. He figured as five-eighth for Newtown in the three following seasons, and was captain
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Rugby Union footballers continue to, pay the price of war. Cpl. W.G. Tasker, the latest to give his life, did so after accomplishing something that few soldiers have equalled. The brilliant
International five-eighth enlisted at the outbreak of the war and was seriously wounded at Gallipoli. Invalided
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which toured North
America in 1912; although he did not play a Test. The squad was overwhelmed with hospitality and lacking strong management they reveled in the social life and undergraduate antics of the college fraternity houses in which they were billeted. In what must be the worst record of any
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Soldier-footballer W.G. Tasker has fallen in France. Here was a young representative
Australian Rugby Union five-eighth, who played against New Zealand, America and Queensland, and won honors for his school, Newington College. When the bugle-call to arms was sounded in 1914 he put aside the jersey
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His spirit is that which will permeate the men and women destined to make of
Australia the salt of the earth in days to come, when few here now will be here to see the greatness come to the land and its people – a greatness born of the turmoil of the
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Twit Tasker came back wounded badly, but in time recovered sufficiently to induce the keen-eyed military masters to pass him again for active service. In France another of the 1914 Blues of NSW who had been a hero with him at
Gallipoli,
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in 1914. In each of these years he represented the State, and in 1912 visited
America with the Australian Combination. A year later he was one of the team that toured New Zealand. Of those who
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Tasker was the first-ever
Wallaby to be sent from the field. An incident occurred on the 1912 tour of the United States when Tasker's rough play upset an American referee.
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Australian Red Cross
Society Wounded and Missing Enquiry Bureau files, 1914-18 War: 1DRL/0428: 29167 Gunner William George Tasker: 13th Field Artillery Brigade
472:"A bomb loaded up Tasker's leg and ankle up with about 17 pieces of shot. It will be sometime before he can do any of that sidestepping he used to do"
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459:, landing late on 25 April 1915. From May to August, the 13th battalion was heavily involved in establishing and defending the ANZAC front lines.
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with shell fragment damage to his legs and ankle. He was invalided back to Australia. A rugby colleague also at Gallipoli, H.A Mitchell of the
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representative 1st XV in 1911. He stayed in Sydney after completing his schooling becoming a bank clerk whilst pursuing a rugby career.
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To Gallipoli he went, and fought grimly by the side of gallant comrades of the football field, some to fall before his eyes: unbeaten
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He debuted for the Newtown Rugby Club in Sydney in 1912 and that same year at age 20 he captained the club's first-grade side.
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Australian Rugby - The Game and the Players (Jack Pollard Syd, 1994) pp 603: Tasker, William George "Twit" (1892 - 1918)
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The third son of David Henry Tasker (died 1920), and Helene Tasker (died 1912), William George Tasker was born in
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and played in all three Tests of that tour. The following year he made three further Test appearances when the
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from (1906–1911). He captained the Newington First XV in 1911 and was selected in and captained the
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In 1916 he re-enlisted with the 116th Howitzer Battery and he again embarked from Sydney on board
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Australasia's Roll of Honor: Personal Notes: Australians That Have Fallen: New South Wales,
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Cemetery in Villers-Bretonneux where lies William Tasker & 770 other Australian fallen
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Australian touring team, the squad lost all of their Canadian matches among five defeats.
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List of international rugby union players killed in action during the First World War
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In the same issue, the sporting journalist, "The Rambler", made these comments:
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when a shell landed near the gun, mortally wounding him in the groin with
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First World War Service Record: Gunner William George Tasker (1658/29167)
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First World War Embarkation Roll: Corporal William George Tasker (29167)
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Newington College Register of Past Students 1863-1998 (Syd, 1999) pp 189
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First World War Nominal Roll: Gunner William George Tasker (1658/29167)
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First World War Embarkation Roll: Private William George Tasker (1658)
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Footballers for America: The Rugby Tour: Additional Players Selected,
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On 9 August 1918, Tasker was working with his artillery gun sights at
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Golden Wallabies - The Story of Australia's Rugby World Champions
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in January 1915, a Gunner in the 12th Field Artillery Brigade,
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Roll of Honour: 41st Casualty List: Wounded: New South Wales,
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Booth, E.E. "Australian Team for America: A Critical Review",
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Roll of Honour Circular: Gunner William George Tasker (29167)
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Football: Rugby Union: For America: Australian Team Chosen,
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for the khaki, the football for the rifle and the bayonet.
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He is buried at the Villers-Bretonneux Military Cemetery.
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Roll of Honour: Gunner William George Tasker (29167),
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428th Casualty List: New South Wales: Died of Wounds,
370:(15 October 1891 – 9 August 1918) was an Australian
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Australian military personnel killed in World War I
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462:Tasker was severely wounded at Quinn's Post at
374:soldier who had been a national representative
481:on 30 September. He saw further action on the
909:, (Wednesday, 18 September 1912), p. 15.
513:Tasker's memorial plaque at Newington College
8:
894:, (Wednesday, 4 September 1912), p. 29.
598:and now Twit Tasker have given their lives.
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1227:Australia international rugby union players
529:. He died later that day at the age of 26.
378:player making six Test appearances for the
879:, (Wednesday, 21 August 1912), p. 12.
810:, (Wednesday, 14 June 1905), p. 1526.
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707:"Scrum.com player profile of Bill Tasker"
634:was rejected – a great record for a team.
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1252:New South Wales rugby union team players
1232:Rugby union players from New South Wales
1143:Gordon Bray presents The Spirit of Rugby
1136:Gordon Bray presents The Spirit of Rugby
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980:In Memoriam: On Active Service: Tasker,
1242:Military personnel from New South Wales
969:, (Tuesday, 27 August 1918), p. 6.
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864:, (Tuesday, 20 August 1912), p. 7.
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439:toured Australia in a return series.
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1212:People educated at Newington College
1153:Born to Lead - Wallaby Test Captains
505:Tasker's grave at Villers-Bretonneux
418:Australia national rugby union squad
235:Villers-Bretonneux Military Cemetery
1162:, Penguin Books, Ringwood, Victoria
626:, M. Fraser are on active service.
1180:Commonwealth War Graves Commission
1145:, Harper Collins Publishers Sydney
1138:, Harper Collins Publishers Sydney
780:, Friday, 21 May 1920), p. 6.
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470:wrote home of Tasker's injuries
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1006:Personal: His Duty Nobly Done,
1207:Australian rugby union players
1173:Twit Tasker at the AIF Project
1155:, Celebrity Books, Auckland NZ
791:Obituary: David Henry Tasker,
427:Tasker made his Test debut at
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1100:National Archive of Australia
1063:National Archive of Australia
16:Australian rugby union player
862:The (Sydney) Daily Telegraph
639:The Referee, 28 August 1918.
569:The Referee, 28 August 1918.
368:William George "Twit" Tasker
392:Condobolin, New South Wales
59:Condobolin, New South Wales
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453:13th Battalion (Australia)
429:Athletic Park (Wellington)
19:For the English poet, see
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1089:The Sydney Morning Herald
1080:The Sydney Morning Herald
982:The Sydney Morning Herald
967:The Sydney Morning Herald
847:The Sydney Morning Herald
832:The Sydney Morning Herald
778:The Sydney Morning Herald
521:on the second day of the
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1071:The (Brisbane) Telegraph
830:Original Anzacs Killed,
559:Captain C. Wallach, M.C.
1129:Australian War Memorial
1118:Australian War Memorial
1110:Australian War Memorial
1053:Australian War Memorial
1043:Australian War Memorial
761:Death of D. H. Tasker,
485:and was twice wounded.
447:Tasker enlisted in the
416:He was selected in the
68:9 August 1918 (aged 26)
1247:People from Condobolin
1237:Rugby union fly-halves
952:The Farmer and Settler
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455:. He took part in the
332:Hundred Days Offensive
291:116th Howitzer Battery
535:The sporting journal
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457:Landing at Anzac Cove
320:Landing at Anzac Cove
266:Years of service
42:William George Tasker
21:William Tasker (poet)
1158:Zavos, Spiro (2000)
1127:, collection of the
1108:, collection of the
1098:, collection of the
1061:, collection of the
1051:, collection of the
1041:, collection of the
584:played in the U.S.A.
431:on the 1913 tour of
394:on 15 October 1891.
167:International career
938:The Spirit of Rugby
928:Zavos, p. 142.
919:Howell, p. 68.
907:The Daily Telegraph
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1141:Collection (1995)
1134:Collection (1995)
645:Honours and awards
630:has enlisted, and
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663:British War Medal
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28:Rugby player
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1202:1918 deaths
1149:Howell, Max
1022:The Referee
1008:The Referee
877:The Referee
727:AIF Project
709:. Scrum.com
628:A.R. Dunbar
600:W.T. Watson
539:reported:
537:The Referee
443:War service
433:New Zealand
403:GPS Schools
376:rugby union
372:World War I
303:World War I
269:1916 – 1918
223:Nickname(s)
104:Position(s)
1191:Categories
1033:References
624:R. Adamson
620:E.J. Fahey
612:J. Clarken
468:Manly Club
437:All Blacks
386:Early life
278:Lieutenant
241:Allegiance
39:Birth name
686:Footnotes
608:A. Walker
464:Gallipoli
380:Wallabies
244:Australia
198:Australia
194:1913-1914
154:1912-1915
674:See also
637:—
632:J. Wylie
567:—
527:shrapnel
249:Service/
188:(Points)
148:(Points)
121:deceased
109:fly-half
79:, France
1151:(2005)
713:12 July
596:G. Pugh
339: (
310: (
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251:branch
231:Buried
84:School
588:Jones
586:, C.
489:Death
173:Years
133:Years
715:2010
564:war.
284:Unit
274:Rank
226:Twit
183:Apps
178:Team
143:Apps
138:Team
449:AIF
342:DOW
313:WIA
205:(0)
1193::
694:^
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162:()
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1065:.
1055:.
1045:.
717:.
345:)
202:6
23:.
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