Alfred King
Albert Park Rowing Club, now Albert Park South Melbourne Rowing Club (VIC)
Jacobs served in WWI and survived.
Alfred King was the son of Bill King, captain of the Albert Park club. As the son of an amateur US boxing champion, he took a keen interest in sports, and lived locally at 9 Mills St, Albert Park.
Alf, a 21 year old cork classer, enlisted on 10th September, 1914 as a private in the 14th Battalion. In March 1916, he qualified as a machine gun instructor and by June 1917 had written to his father about preparing for an amateur boxing championship while training at the School of Musketry in Tidworth, London.
In October that year, he was promoted to lieutenant and transferred to France. Injured with a fractured leg and then gas in May 1918, he was invalided to England.
Alf arrived in Australia on 8th June, 1919 via China, and returned to the club.
He had no recorded race wins prior to WWI.
Grace Blake
July 2021
Sources:
- http://www.apsmrc.com/Resources/Documents/Honour%20Rolls/Alf%20King.pdf
- The Victorian Oarsman by John Lang, Massina & Co, 1919