Edward Didymus

Edward Didymus
Personal information
Full name	Edward John Didymus[1]
Date of birth	13 April 1886[2]
Place of birth	Portsmouth, England[2]
Date of death	12 April 1918 (aged 31)[3]
Place of death	near Neuville-Vitasse, France[3]
Position(s)	Inside right
Senior career*
Years	Team
1904–1907	Portsmouth
1907–1908	Northampton Town
1908–1909	Huddersfield Town
1909–1910	Blackpool
1910	Burslem Port Vale
Total
	*Club domestic league appearances and goals

Edward John Didymus (13 April 1886 – 12 April 1918), sometimes known as Fred Didymus,[4] was an English professional footballer who played as an inside right in the Football League for Blackpool.[1] He also played for Portsmouth, Huddersfield Town, Northampton Town, and Port Vale.[1]

Career

Didymus played for his home-town club Portsmouth (Western League),[5] Southern League club Northampton Town and Huddersfield Town,[6] before joining Blackpool in 1909.[7] He played two Second Division matches for the "Seasiders" in the 1909–10 season.[7] In November 1910, he joined North Staffordshire & District League club Port Vale and made his debut in a 2–2 draw at Congleton Town on 26 November 1910.[2] He scored four goals in a 9–0 Hanley Cup win over Goldenhill Catholics on 02 December before departing the club at the end of the year.[2]

Didymus was married with five children and after his retirement from football in 1912, he worked as a tram driver for Portsmouth Corporation Transport.[5] Prior to this, he was recorded as working as a greengrocer's apprentice in 1901 and as a general labourer in 1911.[8] In 1915, during the second year of the First World War, he enlisted in the Army Service Corps.[5] After being transferred to the Manchester Regiment, Didymus arrived on the Western Front in March 1918 and was then transferred to the Middlesex Regiment.[5] On 12 April 1918, while serving near Neuville-Vitasse as a private, Didymus was shot and killed by a German sniper while attempting to rescue his lieutenant, who had been wounded shortly before.[4][9] He was buried in Tilloy British Cemetery, Tilloy-lès-Mofflaines.[3]

Appearances and goals by club, season and competition
Club	Season	League			FA Cup		Total
Club	Season	Division	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals
Blackpool	1909–10[10]	Second Division	2	0	0	0	2	0
Burslem Port Vale	1910–11[10]	North Staffordshire & District League	2	0	0	0	2	0
Career total			4	0	0	0	4	0

Joyce, Michael (2012). Football League Players' Records 1888 to 1939. Nottingham: Tony Brown. p. 81. ISBN 978-1905891610.
Kent, Jeff (1996). Port Vale Personalities. Witan Books. p. 84. ISBN 0-9529152-0-0. ASIN 0952915200.
"Casualty Details". Commonwealth War Graves Commission. Retrieved 4 March 2019.
Threlfall-Sykes, David. "New Name On Town's 'Roll Of Honour'". www.htafc.com. Retrieved 4 March 2019.
"Blues Backing Royal British Legion's #ThankYou100 Campaign". www.portsmouthfc.co.uk. Retrieved 5 March 2019.
"Didymus Edward Portsmouth 1905". Vintage Footballers. Retrieved 5 March 2019.
Calley, Roy (1992). Blackpool: A Complete Record 1887–1992. Breedon Books Sport. p. 194. ISBN 978-1-873626-07-8.
"Edward Didymus". A Tale of One City. Retrieved 20 April 2021.
Cooksey, Jon; Murland, Jerry (2020). The Battles of Arras: South: Bullecourt, Monchy-le-Preux, Wancourt and the Valley of the Scarpe. Yorkshire: Pen and Sword. ISBN 978-1-52674-239-1.
Edward Didymus at the English National Football Archive (subscription required)

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