This is one of a series of posts to mark the international Rugby players who served in, and survived, The Great War. If anyone has further information on the men concerned, I’d be most grateful if it could be added to the thread. Gareth Day, Harold Lindsay Vernon played for England Internationals: 4 : 1920 W- (1t 1c) ; 1922 W- (1t) F= (1c 1p) ; 1926 S- Harold Day was born on 12 August 1898, in Darjeeling Played as a Wing for: Bedford Modern School, Leicester, The Army, Royal Artillery, Midlands, Hampshire, Leicester, Mother Country Profession: The Army until 1925, then schoolmaster at Felstead School. War service: Royal Artillery Remarks: He played four times for the Mother Country in the 1919 King’s Cup tournament. Harold Day won his first cap in unusual circumstances when he replaced W M Lowry after Lowry had been included in the team photograph shortly before kick-off. The selectors explained that Day was better suited to wet conditions. He refereed Scotland v Wales 1934. Played cricket for The Army, Hampshire and Bedfordshire. During the 1939-1945 War he served with the Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders. Wrote on Rugby for several newspapers. He died on 15 June 1972, Hadley Wood
Heres his obituary ..... DAY, HAROLD LINDSAY VERNON, who died suddenly on June 15 1972 aged 73, played for Bedfordshire after leaving Bedford School. In 1922 he began an association with Hampshire which lasted till 1931, scoring 3,166 runs, average 25.73. A batsman possessing a variety of strokes and the ability to suit his methods to the needs of the occasion, he scored 56 and 91 against Kent in his first county game and in all he put together four centuries. He used to tell many amusing stories concerning Lionel Tennyson, under whose captaincy he played, particularly in regard to that remarkable match in which he participated at Edgbaston in 1922 when Hampshire, having been dismissed for 15 and compelled to follow on 203 behind, defeated Warwickshire by 155 runs. Tennyson accepted tremendous odds against his side winning following their complete collapse and won a lot of money. As a burly, strong-running wing threequarter, very good at goal-kicking, he played Rugby football for Leicestershire, the Army and in four International matches for England between 1920 and 1922. His kicking skill in borrowed boots saved England from defeat in the match with France at Twickenham in 1922.--after which he was dropped from the side! He was also a noted Rugby International referee before he became a cricket and Rugby journalist of repute. He wrote an article Happy Hampshire for the 1962 Wisden after Hampshire won the County Cricket Championship. Wisden Almanack He also wrote a book ........ Play better rugby by Harold Lindsay Vernon Day
