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World War 2 - did any Rangers players fight?


J_RFC87

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Rangers won 9 in a row, 1940-1946(war league) and 1939 and 1947(SLC). During that time, celtic, Motherwell, Hearts, Hibs, Morton, Falkirk, Partick, St. Mirren, Airdrie etc all took part.

Rangers are the 1st team to win 9 in a row and are the 1st team to do it twice!!

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Rangers won 9 in a row, 1940-1946(war league) and 1939 and 1947(SLC). During that time, celtic, Motherwell, Hearts, Hibs, Morton, Falkirk, Partick, St. Mirren, Airdrie etc all took part.

Rangers are the 1st team to win 9 in a row and are the 1st team to do it twice!!

The biggest scandal of a scandalous club is that septic racked up 4 of their titles during WW1 when everyone else was too busy fighting the war (Hearts in particular lost most of their team). It's worth remembering this when they use the insult h** on us :angry: .

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The biggest scandal of a scandalous club is that septic racked up 4 of their titles during WW1 when everyone else was too busy fighting the war (Hearts in particular lost most of their team). It's worth remembering this when they use the insult h** on us :angry:

In fact I suspect most of them would be supporting people who fought against the UK.

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Here's something I came across which is mainly taken from 'THE SPIRIT OF IBROX' by Robert McElroy:

"Rangers' outstanding success during World War Two has led to many misinformed and outrageous accusations that Bill Struth deliberately placed his players in reserved occupations in order that they might avoid active service - accusations which have no basis in fact whatsoever and which in any case are an insult to the vital contribution made towards the war effort by such work. People envious of the Ibrox club's success during this and all other eras have promoted such falsehoods. A study of the Rangers players on active service during World War Two is enough to dissolve such a myth:

BRITISH ARMY

Willie Thornton (Trooper - Scottish Horse Regiment)

Donald McLatchie (Gunner - Royal Artillery)

Thomas Souter (Captain - Royal Scots Fusiliers)

Sammy Cox (Gordon Highlanders)

David Gray (served in Middle East)

Archie Macauley (Army Physical Training Corps)

Willie Paton

David Marshall

David Kinnear

'Torry' Gillick

Dr. Adam Little

Eddie Rutherford

Jimmy Galloway

Alex McKillop

Tom McKillop

Joe Johnston

Willie Knox

R. Cowan

P. Grant

A. Beattie

GDF Mackay

(NB - for some reason (perhaps security?) newspaper reports in the Second World War normally didn't report the name of the regiment players were serving in when they noted their departure to the front)

ROYAL AIR FORCE

Chris McNee - Flight Lieutenant

Ian McPherson

Eddie Rutherford

Jimmy Simpson

Alex Stevenson

ROYAL NAVY

Jimmy Parlane

Billy Williamson

Bobby Brown - Petty Officer - Fleet Air Arm

"Again it is to be regretted that full service details are not available on every occasion."

DECORATIONS

"Ian McPherson was awarded the 'Distinguished Flying Cross', Willie Thornton the 'Military Medal' for valour in the field in Sicily on 18 November 1943. McPherson incidentally flew on the first RAF bombing raid on Germany."

RESISTANCE

"Former Rangers player Carl Hansen was arrested and imprisoned in his native Copenhagen in 1943. A member of the Danish Resistance during the German Occupation, Hansen was later sentenced to four months' imprisonment."

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The biggest scandal of a scandalous club is that septic racked up 4 of their titles during WW1 when everyone else was too busy fighting the war (Hearts in particular lost most of their team). It's worth remembering this when they use the insult h** on us :angry:

In fact I suspect most of them would be supporting people who fought against the UK.

Fascism came out of Rome, nuff said.

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