Gordon

Playing under the added weight of his family name - Victor Bass Forsyth Gordon – Vic Gordon turned out in three VFL matches for St Kilda in 1911, and 15 more for Melbourne in 1914. A handy ruckman/forward who began his senior career with Hawthorn in the VFA, he turned up at Princes Park in 1915 amid the uncertainty and anxiety of the first months of World War 1.

He played his only game for the Blues against South Melbourne at Princes Park in July, supporting the indefatigable Charlie Hammond and Viv Valentine in the first ruck. Carlton enjoyed a ten point victory. Three weeks later, Vic joined the hundreds of VFL and VFA footballers who signed up to fight for the Empire. In December, 1915 he sailed for France with a draft of reinforcements for the hard-pressed 8th Division, and over the next six months saw almost constant front-line fighting.

In July 1916, Vic’s luck ran out when a German bullet smashed into his right leg. He was quickly repatriated to hospital in England, but recovery was slow and he was never again passed fit for active service. Seconded to the Australian Pay Corps, he spent the rest of the war in administrative roles, before returning to Australia with the rank of Sergeant in September, 1919.

Born in Oakleigh, Vic died aged at the grand age of 90 on August 11, 1981.

Footnote

Vic's army records has him listed as Victor Gordon (no middle names) service number 4221, however, in 1954 when he applied for a copy of his discharge papers he said his name was Victor Bass Gordon.
In March 1941 Vic was applying for a new Returned Serviceman's Badge he gave his place of birth as Murrumbeena (which is near Oakleigh).