Sam Frickleton VC

The Rangers Supporters Erskine Appeal was formed in 2007 by Rangers Fans in an effort to raise £1000 for the Erskine Home for Ex Service personnel. Such was the enthusiasm for the venture that it is still going strong 7 years later, with Rangers Fans working hard on a completely voluntary basis to raise over £560,000 for the Erskine Home. One of the Fundraising ventures is an Annual Golf Day, named in memory of the Scots Kiwi war hero. Golfers play in teams of 4 to compete for the Sam Frickleton VC Golf Trophy. But who is he?

Samuel Frickleton was born on 2nd April 1891 at Old Lodge, Slamannan, Stirlingshire, Scotland. His father, also Samuel, was a coal miner, who came from Airdrie, Lanarkshire. He married Elizabeth Logan in 1877 at Holytown, Lanarkshire. Samuel Frickleton won his Victoria Cross during the attack at Messines on 7 June 1917. Later that same year he was presented with his VC on Ibrox Park by King George V. The citation notes that "although slightly wounded, Lance Corporal Frickleton dashed forward at the head of his section, rushed through a barrage and personally destroyed with bombs an enemy machine gun and crew, which were causing heavy casualties. He then attacked the second gun, killing the whole of the crew of twelve. By the destruction of these two guns he undoubtedly saved his own and other units from very severe casualties and his magnificent courage and gallantry ensured the capture of the objective.”

Bro. Frickleton was a member of Lodge Kawatiri, Scinde No 5 of Napier and Lodge Taia No 229 of Kilbirnie, NZ. He died following a long illness near Wellington, on 6th August 1971. He was buried in Taita Servicemen’s Cemetery, Naenae. In addition to his VC, he was also awarded the 1914-15 Star, British War Medal 1914-20, Victory Medal 1914-19, George VI Coronation Medal 1937, Elizabeth II Coronation Medal 1953 and the New Zealand Long and Efficient Service Medal. His widow presented the medals to the Queen Elizabeth II Army Memorial Museum in November 1977, where they are held.

The RSEA presented a quaich to Mr Steve Tew, CEO of NZ Rugby All Blacks on 28th July 2014 to mark the occasion of the Kiwis visit to Ibrox Stadium and to commemorate that Bro. Frickleton received his VC on this pich 97 years before engraved with: “PRESENTED BY THE RANGERS SUPPORTERS ERSKINE APPEAL TO THE NEW ZEALAND ALL BLACKS TO MARK THE OCCASION OF THEIR APPEARANCE AT IBROX STADIUM, 2014”

Bro. Spiers, commonly known as Jimmy, was born in Glasgow he worked as a clerk while playing youth football for Annandale. He started his adult football career with local junior team Maryhill. Where he played for less than a season before he moved to Rangers in 1905. He spent three years with the club, but won only the Glasgow Merchants’ Charity Cup, before he joined a third Glasgow side Clyde. After one season he left Clyde and Scotland, and joined Bradford City for their second season in the First Division. His greatest success came in his second season with Bradford, when he was the club’s captain and goal scorer in their FA Cup Final victory of 1911, in a team featuring eight Scottish born players. He was initiated into Lodge Saint Vincent Sandyford No 533 in Glasgow, on 11 March 1908; just four days after he had made his only Scottish appearance. When his football career took him away from Glasgow, Speirs maintained links with the lodge. He became a Master Mason then a life member on 12 February 1913. In April 1917, Speirs took part in the Second Battle of Arras with the Cameron Highlanders, for which he was awarded the Military Medal for bravery in 1917, before he was promoted to Sergeant in June. The following month, he returned home to Scotland on leave, but he soon returned to France and was killed during the battle of Passchendaele on or about 20 August 1917, aged 31. He is buried at Dochy Farm New British Cemetery near Ypres in Belgium. My thanks to Bro. John Easdale (626) who runs a very interesting Facebook page “Glasgow Rangers Friends” which has a full article about Bro. Spiers.

National Artillery Lodge No.2578 (EC)

The Past Masters jewel from the National Artillery Lodge No.2578 was presented to Bro. Reginald Bentley who is listed as a Secretary by profession amongst all the founding officers of the lodge when it was consecrated in 1896. It was formed under Ubique Lodge No.1789 (EC) which is the original Royal Artillery lodge.

Today, it is no longer a military lodge, but the jewel does not hide it’s origins. The lodge has moved around various locations in London now meeting in Great Queen Street for the third time. However, it did meet in the Croydon Masonic Centre where Selsdon Park Lodge meet.