William Henry Orchard (9 August 1888 – 22 July 1965) was an Australian rules football player for the Geelong Football Club between 1906 and 1915. He served in the First AIF. He was awarded a Military Cross.
Family The son of Edwin Orchard (1863–1927)Deaths: Orchard, The Geelong Advertiser, (Saturday, 10 December 1927), p2. and Ruth Orchard (1866–1938), née Mallett,Deaths: Orchard, The Age, (Monday, 14 November 1938), p.1. he was born on 9 August 1888. He married Henrietta Jessie Galbraith (1895–1966) on 21 July 1915;Social Gossip, The (Ballarat) Evening Echo, (Saturday, 24 July 1915), p.3. they had three children, William, Douglas, and June.
Football Geelong (VFL) He was Geelong's captained for two seasons: 1914 and 1915. He was also playing coach in 1914.Geelong Football Club Honour Roll
Third Divisional team (AIF) He played for the (winning) Third Australian Divisional team in the famous "Pioneer Exhibition Game" of Australian Rules football, held in London, in October 1916.Richardson (2016), p.165. A news film was taken at the match.The original newsreel: The 2019 remastered and colourised version of the original newsreel:
Field Umpire He was a field umpire in the Victorian Football League (VFL) during the 1920s.
Cricket Orchard was an outstanding cricketer taking 264 wickets at 12.6 between 1903 and 1936 in the Geelong Cricket Association.
Military career In 1918 at Ypres he was awarded the Military Cross for "the efficient manner in which he (Captain Orchard) carried out his task of reorganisation and his cheerfulness under depressing circumstances that earned for him the Military Cross."The Story and Official History of the 38th Battalion A.I.F.; Eric Fairey : The Bendigo Advertiser Pty Ltd and the Cambridge Press; Bendigo, Vic. 1920
See also 1916 Pioneer Exhibition Game
Footnotes
References Studio portrait: Captain William Henry Orchard, M.C., collection of the Australian War Memorial. Pioneer Exhibition Game Australian Football: in aid of British and French Red Cross Societies: 3rd Australian Division v. Australian Training Units at Queen's Club, West Kensington, on Saturday, October 28th, 1916, at 3pm, Wightman & Co., (London), 1919. First World War Embarkation Roll: Lieutenant William Henry Orchard, collection of the Australian War Memorial. First World War Nominal Roll: Captain William Henry Orchard (MC), collection of the Australian War Memorial. Honours and Awards (Military Cross): Captain William Henry Orchard, collection of the Australian War Memorial. First World War Service Record: Captain William Henry Orchard (MC), National Archives of Australia. Richardson, N. (2016), The Game of Their Lives, Pan Macmillan Australia: Sydney.
External links
Boyles Football Photos: Billy Orchard. Player Biography: Billy Orchard, AustralianFootball.com.