Ruckman Bill Nolan (5ft 11 and 89kg), played 30 games for Richmond from 1914-1915. 

One year later he would lay dead in Boulogne, France, aged 27.

A grip man for the Tramways, he enlisted in the AIF in July 1915, and was promoted to Sergeant where he served in the 58^th Battalion during the Battle of Fromelles – the single largest loss of Australian lives at War.

Digitised records from the Australian Red Cross Society now reveal vivid eyewitness accounts of Mr Nolan’s death on the World War I battlefield.

Company Sergeant Major Harry Stubbs of the 58^th Battalion witnessed the Tiger ruckman being shot, and wrote nine months later on April 9th 1917:

“I may state that I know him personally. We enlisted together and remained together until 19^th July when he received his wounds. I was C.S.M of the Coy (Company) at the time we attacked the enemy trenches. He went over in the first wave with myself, unfortunately he did not get far when he received two bullet wounds, one in the shoulder, the other high up in the thigh. He was conveyed to Hospital finally reaching Boulogne where he succumbed to his wounds. He was buried in Boulogne Military Cemetery; his grave No. is 3591

As for description, height 6ft, well-built hair dark, eyes blue. I might add that there is no doubt of his identity, as we went to school and have been together ever since.”

In a subsequent letter on April 24^th 1917, Stubbs added that Mr Nolan:

“died in the 13^th General Hospital Boulogne. Very sorry I did not give you these particulars in my last letter. Trusting this information will enable you to supply necessary particulars.”

_{Above: Harry Stubbs' handwritten eyewitness account of Bill Nolan being killed in France}

L/Cpl John Salt of the 58^th Artillery Grenadiers wrote on Feb 12, 1917 that:

“I was told by a stranger (whose name I do not know), that he had been in hospital with Sergt Nolan (58 B) at Boulogne. He told me that Sergt Nolan had been hit in the shoulder and in the thigh and that he had passed away quietly one morning, quite unexpectedly. They did not realise that was so ill. He was very cheerful up to the last. I know that he was the coolest man under fire, and was very cheerful after he was wounded, when he was going away.”

These Red Cross files were maintained by employees of the British Red Cross who from October 1915 set up its own Wounded and Missing Bureau, gathering information through sister organisations by way of official lists, interviewing soldiers and liaising with hospitals.

Using the information they gathered from eyewitness Stubbs, the Enquiry Bureau wrote to the Matron of the Boulogne Hospital in May 1917.

It included this hope:
“For the sake of the relatives, we should be most grateful for any details you could send us concerning the wounds, death and burial of 3201a Sgt W Nolan, 59^th Battalion, A.I.F, though we regret having to trouble you at this late date.”

No response from the hospital appears in the Red Cross files.

_{Above: The letter to the hospital, asking for any details relating to Bill Nolan}

One month after Nolan’s death, the Richmond Football Club wore black armbands on August 19, 1916 in their Semi Final match against Carlton.

It was the first time Richmond had ever played in a League final.

_{Above: The Richmond Guardian announce the news of Nolan's death to its readers. Aug 12, 1916}