Lance Corporal Wilfred Toman
358176, 2nd/10th Battalion, The King’s (Liverpool) Regiment
Wilfred Toman was a Bishop Auckland born centre-forward who started his career north of the border with Aberdeen and Dundee before returning south to play for Burnley in 1896. In sixty appearances for the Turf Moor side he averaged a goal every other game, and by 1899 he had moved to Everton for a record fee of £100, where he scored nine goals in twenty-seven games before switching to Southampton for the 1900-01 season. There he played alongside former Evertonians Edgar Chadwick, Alf Milward and George Molyneux, winning the Southern League title. On his return to Goodison the following season, he scored in his first game, but in the following match he sustained a career ending injury. He did attempt a lower league comeback, but by 1909 he had retired from the game.
He found work as a purser with White Star Line to Australia, but in 1916 at the age of forty-two, he was conscripted into the King’s (Liverpool) Regiment. Quickly promoted to lance corporal, he was in France by 22 February 1917.
While in the front line near Bois Grenier, near Armentières, he was badly wounded by enemy shelling and died shortly afterwards on 2 May 1917. He was laid to rest in Erquinghem-Lys Communal Extension Cemetery.
Southampton v Everton – 2 November 2024
Wilf Toman featured again in the Southampton Match Day programme highlighting his time with both clubs, with a kind acknowledgement once more for the research carried out by Peter Jones;
I notice the late Rev Harry Ross, Rector of St Luke the Evangelist and I think Everton FC Chaplain, in the 2017 photo at the grave of LCpl Will Toman at Erquinghem. Toman was serving with the 2/10th Bn of The King’s (Liverpool Regiment) [the second battalion of the Liverpool Scottish as was Harry Ross’s father at the same time. If I recall correctly (as Hon Secretary of the Liverpool Scottish regimental Museum Trust) Harry and his son Philip were originally instrumental in highlighting the connection of this grave and soldier to Everton FC around the time at which the Club was visiting Lille.
Yes, you are quite right Ian, and both are acknowledged in Peter Jones’ excellent account ‘The Nursery’ featured on the webpage. You are also credited for your invaluable help at the end.
Incidentally, I have been in receipt of invaluable help from your good self too, as we met may years ago in the Liverpool Scottish Regimental Museum. I was researching my great uncle, Private William James Royden, who also served in the 2/10th Battalion.
Consequently, I was able to include some of that research in the following article, which includes a fine studio portrait of him in uniform. Since then, I have collected together many more photographs and information about him and his family which needs to added to his biography – (from page 26);
http://www.roydenhistory.co.uk/roydenfhp/roydenbranches/familyatwar/familyatwar.pdf
Kind regards
Mike Royden (Vice-chair, EFCHS)