The club are aware of four Banbury Spencer players who lost their lives on active service during the Second World War. These are Eddie Salmons, Archie Bywater, Oliver Twynham and Alban Danson. This article is dedicated to their memory, any other Banbury Spencer players that lost their lives that we are unaware of and indeed to all those men and women from generations past and present who have made the ultimate sacrifice in the name of freedom and democracy.

Eddie Salmons was a chartered accountant who moved to Banbury from the Manchester area in 1931, joining the accountancy staff at Spencer Corsets. He played at centre-half in Banbury Spencer’s first ever game after the formation of the club in August 1931, a friendly against St Johns. Eddie did not turnout for Spencer when they began to play competitively in 1933 but fulfilled the role of Secretary of the Club until June 1939 when he was elected Chairman. He served in the RAF during the War as a Sergeant-Instructor, his death occurring as the result of a flying accident in May 1941, he was 33 years of age. His name can be seen on the War Memorial tablet in St Mary’s Church in Banbury.

Oliver Twynham joined Banbury Spencer from local village side King’s Sutton, starting out in the Spencer reserve side, making his debut at that level as a 16-year-old against Bodicote United on Saturday 24th November 1934. His first team debut came on Saturday 5th January 1935 away to Heyford RAF in the Oxfordshire Senior League, deputising for his elder brother, Jesse, on the left wing. After spending the next two seasons back with King’s Sutton he returned to Spencer in October 1937. He made a total of 16 first team appearances in his two spells with the club. In the War, Oliver served as a private in the Oxford and Bucks Light Infantry but was killed in action at St Omer, France in 1940 at the age of 21. His name can be seen on the War Memorial at King’s Sutton, sited on the village green outside the Church.

Alban Danson joined Spencer prior to the start of season 1937/38. He had played for Liverpool Amateurs from 1935 to 1937 before moving to the Banbury area to take up employment at the Spencer Works. He went on to make a total of 41 first team appearances for Spencer over the course of two seasons, primarily playing at centre half. He left the club in April 1939 and returned to the North-West to join the Liverpool City police force. Alban served in the RAF as a Pilot-Officer during the War but was killed on active service on air operations over Dortmund in November 1944, he was 30 years of age. His name can be seen on the War Memorial in the village of Upton, near Birkenhead, Cheshire.

Archie Bywater, a local lad born in Banbury, was another player to have appeared in Spencer’s first game, the friendly against St Johns in August 1931. He also played for Spencer in their first season of competitive football in the Banbury Division of the Oxfordshire Junior League in 1933/34. Archie joined the RAF in January 1939, nine months prior to the outbreak of war. He joined 7 Squadron at RAF Oakington, Cambridgeshire, and in 1942 was one of the men selected to form the Pathfinder Unit, an elite bomber crew. He served as an aircraft wireless operator but was killed when his plane was shot down over Minaucourt, in the region of Marne in North East France whilst on a bombing raid to Stuttgart in March 1943, at the age of 25 and lies in Minaucourt Communal Cemetery. Archie had been due to be presented with his DFC (Distinguished Flying Cross Medal) by King George VI at Buckingham Palace later in March 1943. His name appears on the memorial tablet in St Mary’s Church in Banbury.
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Archie Bywater

Archie Bywater’s grave at Minaucourt Communal Cemetery in North East France

St Mary’s Church Tablet, Banbury

The names of Archie Bywater and Eddie Salmons appearing on the War Memorial tablet in St Mary’s Church, Banbury, the tablet commemorates the members of the parish who lost their lives in World War 2