Charlie Sillett
Encyclopedia
Charles Thomas "Charlie" Sillett (29 October 1906 – 27 February 1945) was an English professional footballer who played as a full back for Southampton
in the 1930s. He was the father of John Sillett
and Peter Sillett
, both of whom became professional footballers.
Charlie Sillett was killed in a U-boat
attack on an allied convoy
while serving with the Royal Navy
in 1945.
in the London Borough of Greenwich
, the son of Sidney and Mary Sillett. He joined the Army in 1926 and was enlisted in the 60th King's Royal Rifle Corps
, based at Tidworth
on Salisbury Plain
, where he rose to the rank of Sergeant
, becoming a physical training instructor. His skills on the football field won him a variety of Army representative honours.
In 1931, his Army career came to an end, and after a short period playing with Barking Town
in the Athenian League
he joined Second Division Southampton
in October 1931.
, Arthur Haddleton
and Johnny McIlwaine
all unavailable. Sillett scored twice on his debut, in a 3–1 victory at Burnley
on 2 January 1932, and retained his place in the first team, playing up front until Ted Drake
was promoted from the reserves in March. Sillett was recalled, this time at left-back, replacing Reg Thomas for the final three matches of the season.
During the following season, manager George Kay
settled on a defensive line-up of Bill Adams
and Michael Keeping
at fullbacks, with Stan Woodhouse
, Frank Campbell, Arthur Bradford
or Bill Luckett as the three half back
s — as a result, Sillett managed only six games all season. In 1933–34, he was again kept out of his favoured role as full back, this time by Bert Roberts
, but had a run of four games taking over from Tommy Brewis at inside right, during which he scored twice in a 5–0 victory over Bradford
at The Dell on 16 December.
In August 1934, after three seasons with the Saints, Sillett became an established member of the first team and in 1934–35 he only missed three games, playing at either left- or right-back. He soon became "very popular with fans and colleagues alike" and his versatility meant that he was equally at home on either side of the pitch. In the following season, he was ever-present often playing further forward in midfield and occasionally standing in as centre forward when Vic Watson
was unavailable. During this season, he was a member of the team that suffered an 8–0 defeat against Tottenham Hotspur
at White Hart Lane
on 28 March 1936 (still the highest margin of defeat); two days later, he played at The Dell against Port Vale
in front of only 1,875 spectators (losing 1–0). This was the lowest-ever crowd for a first-team match at The Dell.
He only missed one league match in 1936–37 as the Saints struggled to avoid relegation, finishing in 19th place, four points above the relegation zone. In January, the Saints played Football League champions Sunderland
in a Third Round FA Cup
match in front of a record crowd of 30,380. Sunderland won 3–2 and went on to take the cup in the Final
the following May.
In his final season at The Dell, Sillett was appointed team captain, "leading the side with distinction", but began to suffer regularly from injuries causing him to miss a third of the season, at the end of which he decided to retire. During his seven years with Southampton, Sillett made a total of 183 appearances in League and Cup matches for the first team, scoring 10 goals. Throughout his entire Southampton career, the club was struggling both financially and on the pitch, regularly finishing in the lower half of the table.
with Guildford City
, before becoming a publican at "The Lamb" at Nomansland in the New Forest
.
During World War II
, he enlisted in the Royal Navy
, serving as a gunner. On 27 February 1945, he was a member of a DEMS
gun crew on the Norwegian freighter SS Corvus
, which was part of convoy BTC 81, when the convoy was attacked by two German U-boat
s about seven miles from Lizard Point, Cornwall
. Corvus was hit by a torpedo
launched by U-1018
and sank within a few minutes, resulting in the death of five of the freighter's Norwegian crew, a 16-year old British cabin boy, Thomas Boniface, and two of the three British gunners, Sillett and Dennis Baker. Both U-boats were sunk two hours later with depth charge
s from HMS Loch Fada
.
He is commemorated on the Chatham Naval Memorial
.
(born in Southampton
on 1 February 1933) and John
(born in Southampton on 20 July 1936). The two sons were trainees at Southampton after the war, both subsequently joining Chelsea
.
Peter played 64 games for Southampton, before moving to Chelsea in 1953, where he had a long career playing 260 league matches and going on to make three appearances for England
in 1955. He was also a (non-playing) member of England's squad for the 1958 FIFA World Cup
.
John never appeared in Southampton's first team, but joined his brother at Chelsea in 1954, making 93 appearances in the league. He subsequently played for Coventry City
and Plymouth Argyle
, before becoming a manager at Hereford United
and then at Coventry City, where he won the 1987 FA Cup Final
.
Southampton F.C.
Southampton Football Club is an English football team, nicknamed The Saints, based in the city of Southampton, Hampshire. The club gained promotion to the Championship from League One in the 2010–2011 season after being relegated in 2009. Their home ground is the St Mary's Stadium, where the club...
in the 1930s. He was the father of John Sillett
John Sillett
John Charles Sillett is a former football player and manager.His father Charlie Sillett was a footballer with Southampton between 1931 and 1938. He is the younger brother of Peter Sillett, also a footballer.Sillett played for Chelsea, Coventry City and Plymouth Argyle...
and Peter Sillett
Peter Sillett
Peter Richard Tudor Sillett was an England footballer. He played for Chelsea and Southampton as a right-back, and made three appearances for England....
, both of whom became professional footballers.
Charlie Sillett was killed in a U-boat
U-boat
U-boat is the anglicized version of the German word U-Boot , itself an abbreviation of Unterseeboot , and refers to military submarines operated by Germany, particularly in World War I and World War II...
attack on an allied convoy
Convoy
A convoy is a group of vehicles, typically motor vehicles or ships, traveling together for mutual support and protection. Often, a convoy is organized with armed defensive support, though it may also be used in a non-military sense, for example when driving through remote areas.-Age of Sail:Naval...
while serving with the Royal Navy
Royal Navy
The Royal Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the British Armed Forces. Founded in the 16th century, it is the oldest service branch and is known as the Senior Service...
in 1945.
Army
Sillett was born in PlumsteadPlumstead
Plumstead is a district of south London, England, located in the London Borough of Greenwich. Plumstead is a multi cultural area with large Asian and Afro-Caribbean communities, in similarity to local areas such as Woolwich and Thamesmead...
in the London Borough of Greenwich
London Borough of Greenwich
The London Borough of Greenwich is an Inner London borough in south-east London, England. Taking its name from the historic town of Greenwich, the present borough was formed in 1965 by the amalgamation of the former area of the Metropolitan Borough of Greenwich with part of the Metropolitan...
, the son of Sidney and Mary Sillett. He joined the Army in 1926 and was enlisted in the 60th King's Royal Rifle Corps
King's Royal Rifle Corps
The King's Royal Rifle Corps was a British Army infantry regiment, originally raised in colonial North America as the Royal Americans, and recruited from American colonists. Later ranked as the 60th Regiment of Foot, the regiment served for more than 200 years throughout the British Empire...
, based at Tidworth
Tidworth
Tidworth is a town in south-east Wiltshire, England with a growing civilian population. Situated at the eastern edge of Salisbury Plain, it is approximately 10 miles west of Andover, 12 miles south of Marlborough, 24 miles south of Swindon, 15 miles north by north-east of Salisbury and 6 miles east...
on Salisbury Plain
Salisbury Plain
Salisbury Plain is a chalk plateau in central southern England covering . It is part of the Southern England Chalk Formation and largely lies within the county of Wiltshire, with a little in Hampshire. The plain is famous for its rich archaeology, including Stonehenge, one of England's best known...
, where he rose to the rank of Sergeant
Sergeant
Sergeant is a rank used in some form by most militaries, police forces, and other uniformed organizations around the world. Its origins are the Latin serviens, "one who serves", through the French term Sergent....
, becoming a physical training instructor. His skills on the football field won him a variety of Army representative honours.
In 1931, his Army career came to an end, and after a short period playing with Barking Town
Barking F.C.
Barking Football Club is am English football club based in Barking, Greater London. The club are currently members of the Essex Senior League and play at Mayesbrook Park in Dagenham.-History:...
in the Athenian League
Athenian League
The Athenian League was an English amateur football league for clubs in and around London. The league was formed in 1912 with ten clubs, but had to close down in 1914 due to the onset of World War I. When it reformed in 1920, only three of the previous teams rejoined...
he joined Second Division Southampton
Southampton F.C.
Southampton Football Club is an English football team, nicknamed The Saints, based in the city of Southampton, Hampshire. The club gained promotion to the Championship from League One in the 2010–2011 season after being relegated in 2009. Their home ground is the St Mary's Stadium, where the club...
in October 1931.
Southampton
He played two matches with Southampton's reserves, before being drafted into the first team as an emergency centre forward, where the "Saints" were suffering with an injury crisis with Bill FraserBill Fraser (footballer)
William Cuthbert Fraser was an English professional footballer who played at inside forward for Northampton Town and Southampton in the 1920s and 1930s.-Early career:...
, Arthur Haddleton
Arthur Haddleton
Arthur Haddleton was an English footballer who played as a centre forward for various clubs in the 1930s. Despite showing promise in the early part of his career, he eventually achieved very little, although he did score in eight consecutive matches in 1931.-Early days:Haddleton was born in...
and Johnny McIlwaine
Johnny McIlwaine
John "Johnny" McIlwaine was a Scottish footballer who played as a centre half for Portsmouth, where he captained the team in the 1929 FA Cup Final, before moving to south coast rivals Southampton...
all unavailable. Sillett scored twice on his debut, in a 3–1 victory at Burnley
Burnley F.C.
Burnley Football Club are a professional English Football League club based in Burnley, Lancashire. Nicknamed the Clarets, due to the dominant colour of their home shirts, they were founder members of the Football League in 1888...
on 2 January 1932, and retained his place in the first team, playing up front until Ted Drake
Ted Drake
Edward Joseph "Ted" Drake was an English football player and manager. As a player, he first played for Southampton but made his name playing for Arsenal in the 1930s, winning two league titles and an FA Cup, as well as five caps for England. He was also a cricketer, but only ever played sparingly...
was promoted from the reserves in March. Sillett was recalled, this time at left-back, replacing Reg Thomas for the final three matches of the season.
During the following season, manager George Kay
George Kay
George Kay was an English football player and manager of Luton Town, Southampton and Liverpool.The highlight of his playing career was when he captained West Ham United in the first FA Cup final to be played at Wembley, the so-called White Horse Final.He was manager of Liverpool for 15 years and...
settled on a defensive line-up of Bill Adams
Bill Adams (English footballer)
William Adams was an English footballer who played for Southampton, West Ham United and Southend United....
and Michael Keeping
Michael Keeping
Alexander Edwin Michael "Mike" Keeping was an English footballer and manager. He coached Real Madrid C.F. from January 1948 to October 1950.-Southampton:...
at fullbacks, with Stan Woodhouse
Stan Woodhouse
Stanley "Stan" Woodhouse was an English footballer who played initially as an inside forward and later as a half back with Bury and Southampton in the 1920s and 1930s.-Playing career:...
, Frank Campbell, Arthur Bradford
Arthur Bradford (footballer)
James Arthur Bradford was an English footballer who played his entire professional career as a half back with Southampton...
or Bill Luckett as the three half back
Defender (football)
Within the sport of association football, a defender is an outfield player whose primary role is to prevent the opposition from attacking....
s — as a result, Sillett managed only six games all season. In 1933–34, he was again kept out of his favoured role as full back, this time by Bert Roberts
Bert Roberts
Albert "Bert" Roberts was an English professional footballer who played as a full-back for Southampton in the 1930s.-Early life:...
, but had a run of four games taking over from Tommy Brewis at inside right, during which he scored twice in a 5–0 victory over Bradford
Bradford Park Avenue A.F.C.
Bradford Association Football Club, previously also known as Bradford and since its reformation in the 1970s now referred to as Bradford Park Avenue, is a football club based in Bradford, West Yorkshire, England...
at The Dell on 16 December.
In August 1934, after three seasons with the Saints, Sillett became an established member of the first team and in 1934–35 he only missed three games, playing at either left- or right-back. He soon became "very popular with fans and colleagues alike" and his versatility meant that he was equally at home on either side of the pitch. In the following season, he was ever-present often playing further forward in midfield and occasionally standing in as centre forward when Vic Watson
Vic Watson
Victor Martin Watson was an English footballer who played most of his club football for West Ham United....
was unavailable. During this season, he was a member of the team that suffered an 8–0 defeat against Tottenham Hotspur
Tottenham Hotspur F.C.
Tottenham Hotspur Football Club , commonly referred to as Spurs, is an English Premier League football club based in Tottenham, north London. The club's home stadium is White Hart Lane....
at White Hart Lane
White Hart Lane
White Hart Lane is an all-seater football stadium in Tottenham, London, England. Built in 1899, it is the home of Tottenham Hotspur and, after numerous renovations, the stadium has a capacity of 36,230....
on 28 March 1936 (still the highest margin of defeat); two days later, he played at The Dell against Port Vale
Port Vale F.C.
Port Vale Football Club is an English football club currently playing in Football League Two. They are based in Burslem, Staffordshire — one of six towns that make up the city of Stoke-on-Trent. The club's traditional rivals in the city are Stoke City, and games between the two clubs are known as...
in front of only 1,875 spectators (losing 1–0). This was the lowest-ever crowd for a first-team match at The Dell.
He only missed one league match in 1936–37 as the Saints struggled to avoid relegation, finishing in 19th place, four points above the relegation zone. In January, the Saints played Football League champions Sunderland
Sunderland A.F.C.
Sunderland Association Football Club is an English association football club based in Sunderland, Tyne and Wear who currently play in the Premier League...
in a Third Round FA Cup
FA Cup
The Football Association Challenge Cup, commonly known as the FA Cup, is a knockout cup competition in English football and is the oldest association football competition in the world. The "FA Cup" is run by and named after The Football Association and usually refers to the English men's...
match in front of a record crowd of 30,380. Sunderland won 3–2 and went on to take the cup in the Final
1937 FA Cup Final
The 1937 FA Cup Final was contested by Sunderland and Preston North End at Wembley. Sunderland won 3–1, with goals by Bobby Gurney, Raich Carter and Eddie Burbanks. Frank O'Donnell's strike on 44 minutes had put Preston ahead.-Match details:...
the following May.
In his final season at The Dell, Sillett was appointed team captain, "leading the side with distinction", but began to suffer regularly from injuries causing him to miss a third of the season, at the end of which he decided to retire. During his seven years with Southampton, Sillett made a total of 183 appearances in League and Cup matches for the first team, scoring 10 goals. Throughout his entire Southampton career, the club was struggling both financially and on the pitch, regularly finishing in the lower half of the table.
Later career and death
He had a brief career in non-league footballNon-league football
Non-League football is football in England played at a level below that of the Premier League and The Football League. The term non-League was commonly used well before 1992 when the top football clubs in England all belonged to The Football League; all clubs who were not a part of The Football...
with Guildford City
Guildford City F.C.
Guildford City Football Club is a football club based in Guildford, Surrey, England. The club was originally established in 1921, folded in 1974 and were reformed in 1996...
, before becoming a publican at "The Lamb" at Nomansland in the New Forest
New Forest
The New Forest is an area of southern England which includes the largest remaining tracts of unenclosed pasture land, heathland and forest in the heavily-populated south east of England. It covers south-west Hampshire and extends into south-east Wiltshire....
.
During World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
, he enlisted in the Royal Navy
Royal Navy
The Royal Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the British Armed Forces. Founded in the 16th century, it is the oldest service branch and is known as the Senior Service...
, serving as a gunner. On 27 February 1945, he was a member of a DEMS
Dems
DEMS may refer to:*Democratic Party *Deepika English Medium School*Defensively Equipped Merchant Ships...
gun crew on the Norwegian freighter SS Corvus
SS Corvus
SS Corvus was a 1,317 GRT Norwegian steamship built in Copenhagen in 1920/21 by Kjøbenhavns Flydedok & Skibsværft A/S for the Norwegian passenger ship company Det Bergenske Dampskibsselskab of Bergen, which was attacked and sunk by two German U-boats in the Western Approaches of the English Channel...
, which was part of convoy BTC 81, when the convoy was attacked by two German U-boat
U-boat
U-boat is the anglicized version of the German word U-Boot , itself an abbreviation of Unterseeboot , and refers to military submarines operated by Germany, particularly in World War I and World War II...
s about seven miles from Lizard Point, Cornwall
Lizard Point, Cornwall
Lizard Point in Cornwall is at the southern tip of the Lizard Peninsula. It is situated half-a-mile south of Lizard village in the civil parish of Landewednack and approximately 11 miles southeast of Helston....
. Corvus was hit by a torpedo
Torpedo
The modern torpedo is a self-propelled missile weapon with an explosive warhead, launched above or below the water surface, propelled underwater towards a target, and designed to detonate either on contact with it or in proximity to it.The term torpedo was originally employed for...
launched by U-1018
German submarine U-1018
German submarine U-1018 was a German Type VIIC/41 U-boat, built during World War II for service in the Battle of the Atlantic. The U-boat was fitted with the Schnorchel underwater-breathing apparatus which enabled her to stay under-water for extended periods thus avoiding detection by enemy...
and sank within a few minutes, resulting in the death of five of the freighter's Norwegian crew, a 16-year old British cabin boy, Thomas Boniface, and two of the three British gunners, Sillett and Dennis Baker. Both U-boats were sunk two hours later with depth charge
Depth charge
A depth charge is an anti-submarine warfare weapon intended to destroy or cripple a target submarine by the shock of exploding near it. Most use explosives and a fuze set to go off at a preselected depth in the ocean. Depth charges can be dropped by either surface ships, patrol aircraft, or from...
s from HMS Loch Fada
HMS Loch Fada (K390)
HMS Loch Fada was the lead ship of the s of the British Royal Navy, built by John Brown & Company of Clydebank, Scotland, and named after Loch Fada in Scotland....
.
He is commemorated on the Chatham Naval Memorial
Chatham Naval Memorial
Chatham Naval Memorial is a large obelisk situated in the town of Chatham, Kent, which is in the Medway Towns.Chatham was a principal manning port of the Royal Navy during the First World War and thus was dedicated as the site of one of three memorials to sailors of the Royal Navy killed during the...
.
Family
Sillett was married to Anne and their children included PeterPeter Sillett
Peter Richard Tudor Sillett was an England footballer. He played for Chelsea and Southampton as a right-back, and made three appearances for England....
(born in Southampton
Southampton
Southampton is the largest city in the county of Hampshire on the south coast of England, and is situated south-west of London and north-west of Portsmouth. Southampton is a major port and the closest city to the New Forest...
on 1 February 1933) and John
John Sillett
John Charles Sillett is a former football player and manager.His father Charlie Sillett was a footballer with Southampton between 1931 and 1938. He is the younger brother of Peter Sillett, also a footballer.Sillett played for Chelsea, Coventry City and Plymouth Argyle...
(born in Southampton on 20 July 1936). The two sons were trainees at Southampton after the war, both subsequently joining Chelsea
Chelsea F.C.
Chelsea Football Club are an English football club based in West London. Founded in 1905, they play in the Premier League and have spent most of their history in the top tier of English football. Chelsea have been English champions four times, FA Cup winners six times and League Cup winners four...
.
Peter played 64 games for Southampton, before moving to Chelsea in 1953, where he had a long career playing 260 league matches and going on to make three appearances for England
England national football team
The England national football team represents England in association football and is controlled by the Football Association, the governing body for football in England. England is the joint oldest national football team in the world, alongside Scotland, whom they played in the world's first...
in 1955. He was also a (non-playing) member of England's squad for the 1958 FIFA World Cup
1958 FIFA World Cup
The 1958 FIFA World Cup, the sixth staging of the World Cup, was hosted by Sweden from 8 June to 29 June. The tournament was won by Brazil, who beat Sweden 5–2 in the final for their first title. To date, this marks the only occasion that a World Cup staged in Europe was not won by a European...
.
John never appeared in Southampton's first team, but joined his brother at Chelsea in 1954, making 93 appearances in the league. He subsequently played for Coventry City
Coventry City F.C.
Coventry City Football Club, otherwise known as the Sky Blues owing to the traditional colour of their strip, are a professional English Football league club based in Coventry...
and Plymouth Argyle
Plymouth Argyle F.C.
Plymouth Argyle Football Club is an English professional football club, based in Plymouth, Devon, that plays in Football League Two.Since becoming professional in 1903, the club has won five Football League titles, five Southern League titles and one Western League title. The 2009–10 season was the...
, before becoming a manager at Hereford United
Hereford United F.C.
Hereford United Football Club is an English professional football club based in the city of Hereford. Founded in 1924, they are competing in Football League Two in the 2011–12 season. Hereford have played at Edgar Street for their entire history and are nicknamed 'The Whites' or 'The Lilywhites',...
and then at Coventry City, where he won the 1987 FA Cup Final
1987 FA Cup Final
The 1987 FA Cup Final took place on 16 May 1987 at Wembley Stadium. It was contested between Coventry City and Tottenham Hotspur. Spurs were appearing in their third final in seven seasons, having won the trophy in 1981 and 1982 and were strong favourites, while unfancied Coventry were appearing...
.