A forgotten photograph of a Putney football team, taken in 1912, has uncovered the First World War stories of the men in it — and more than a century later, the club’s present-day players have stood in the very same spot to recreate it.
The sepia-toned picture of the original Putney Town Football Club team was rediscovered in 2022 by local resident A. Turner. It had been passed to him in 2004 by Ken Bernard, whose grandfather was among the players.
What followed was an extensive historical investigation, carried out with the help of Thomas Reid of Specsavers Putney, historical researchers and military enthusiasts. By studying the buildings in the background, the researchers worked out that the photograph was taken beside Putney Common, opposite the Spencer Arms. The three terraced houses visible behind the players are still recognisable today, which allowed the current team to return to the exact location.
Newspaper reports helped piece together the original club’s history, showing that it was active in local football from the early 20th century until 1928. But it is the stories of the men in the photograph that have given the discovery its most poignant significance.
One of the most remarkable is that of Jason Bolton, whose identity is strongly supported by matching historical and military records. Born in Putney around 1889, Bolton worked as a self-employed chimney sweep and was married with two young daughters by the time he enlisted at Chelsea Town Hall on 7 January 1915.
Serving with the Middlesex Regiment, he arrived in France just six weeks later. By the summer of 1915 he had suffered devastating gunshot wounds. Hospital records show that his left foot had been amputated, with further surgery required when the wound failed to heal. He was eventually discharged from military service in May 1916, having been deemed no longer physically fit to serve.
Despite his injuries, Bolton’s bravery was recognised with a Mention in Despatches and the Military Medal.
Another discovery concerns William Franklin, listed in the original photograph as the club’s honorary secretary. Researchers have identified a possible match in the military records of William James Franklin, who served with several London Regiment units and was taken prisoner of war on 5 April 1918, while serving with the 23rd Battalion. Further evidence is still needed to establish the identification conclusively, but it is a compelling lead.
The research has also uncovered a possible connection to James Alfred Kendrick, a football administrator associated with Putney Town and secretary of the South Eastern League. Military records identify a James Alfred Kendrick who enlisted as a clerk with the Royal Flying Corps in August 1917, although there are discrepancies in the historical records that still need resolving.
Of the 15 individuals named in the original photograph, several remain unidentified, while others have only tentative connections to surviving military and civilian records.
To mark Remembrance on 8 November, the present-day Putney Town players gathered at the original location on Putney Common to recreate the 1912 team photograph. Before their home fixture that day, the players also observed a two-minute silence in tribute to those who served and sacrificed so much during the First World War.
Putney Town F.C. is keen to continue uncovering the stories behind the photograph and would welcome help from local residents, family historians, military researchers and anyone who might recognise a name or face. More about the research, including the original photograph, can be found at www.putneytown.com/1912-heritage.
The recreation was one of many remembrance events held across London over the weekend.
