Folk, Acoustic, acoustic guitar Ashley Cowan
The Battle For Walter Tull (Full Band)

JOIN THE FACEBOOK PETITION to get Walter awarded his Military Cross
facebook.com/groups/33844959524

Despite military regulations forbidding "any negro or person of colour" being an officer, Tull received his commission in May, 1917.

“He made a mockery of the firmly held view of the Army Council that white rank-and-file soldiers would not take orders from a black man. A soldier that inspired such love in contradiction of ‘commonsense’ notions and official rules and regulations should be a prime candidate for national recognition. Currently we are doing workshops about Tull in schools, funded by the Heritage Lottery Fund, and the incredulous response to not knowing him is always met with a desire by young pupils to energetically explore his life.”

theguardian.com/football/2016/...MP=share_btn_fb

On 25th March, 1918, 2nd Lieutenant Tull was ordered to lead his men on an attack on the German trenches at Favreuil. Soon after entering No Mans Land, Tull was hit by a German bullet. Tull was such a popular officer that several of his men made valiant efforts under heavy fire from German machine-guns to bring him back to the British trenches. These efforts were in vain as Tull had died soon after being hit.

He was the first British-born black army officer and the first black officer to lead white British troops into battle.

He played 111 times for Northampton Town FC and was signed by Rangers FC before he left to fight in the first world war.

Lyrics
Walter Tull died in 1918, shot by a German gun
Private Billingham tried to get to his body, but it couldn’t be done
And as Walter fell, his story died too,
Britain’s first black hero and no one would know the truth

Born in Folkestone in 1888, Walter’s parents died when he was young
Sent to an orphanage in Bethnal Green, a new life in East London
And Walter started playing football and he signed for Tottenham Hotspurs
But the racist abuse down at the Bristol ground
meant they dropped him to the reserves

Walter didn’t care he moved to Northampton Town FC,
Played 111 games before the war intervened
Signed up with his team and they went to the front line
An officer saw something in him that would change the course of time

And if you look in the book of the time
It says only white men can lead the line
But in 1917 Walter stepped out for King and Queen
The first black man to lead the whites,
He fought in six battles before the end of his life
He should have won the MC (Military) cross but the army somehow forgot

Oh Walter you’re a hero, a hero to this land
The first black outfield footballer, the first black officer man
Oh Walter you’re a hero, a hero to my country
Fighting for truth and justice now, something you would never see

Walter Tull, know his name

MASSIVE THANKS to Billy Playle for his editing, bass, drums, cello, mix mastering AND patience, Louise Ring Vangsgaard for her amazing fiddle, Asger Hoyer for his hospitality and recording patience (and one of the acoustic guitars is him!!!) and Fred Jam for all his help and enthusiasm!

Please also check out this excellent website on the history of black footballers in the UK
vasili.co.uk