Grey River Argus Story, Highlighting The Seriousness Of The Pandemic, In 1918

With the first World War having ended on November 11th, 1918, all New Zealanders would have breathed a huge sigh of relief that the bloody conflict causing the tremendous loss of life of 18,000 New Zealanders, was finally at an end, tragically though, the heartbreak wasn't over.

Just prior to the end of the conflict, a deadly influenza pandemic that had been sweeping the planet, arrived on New Zealand shores. The pandemic caused great misery globally, with an estimated 50 million people dying world wide, and 500 million, or one third of worlds population infected. 

In a six week period from late October to mid December 1918, around 9,000 New Zealanders, including many recently returned serviceman, died from influenza and pneumonia, is what was known as the 'Spanish Flu' pandemic, and the West Coast was not spared from its horrors. 

By mid November, over 1,000 cases had been recorded in Greymouth alone, with official warnings to people with symptoms to be 'rigourously isolated from the rest of the household'. Some patients that had recovered were also ignoring official advice not to mix with others, with some ignorant of the danger they were potentially causing. 

One such Greymouth victim of the pandemic was United Rugby Club and West Coast Rugby Union member, William August Dittman, of Alexander Street, who died of pneumonia at the Grey River Hospital on Saturday morning on November 16th, 1918, aged 32 years of age. 

On the same day, the Grey River hospital also listed another death, while three more were listed as dying, two very dangerously ill, thirteen seriously ill, while another eighteen were either improved or still improving. They also listed six nurses who were improving, and two who were not so well. 

William Dittman, a Queensland native, had been a foreman of the labourers at the Dispatch Foundry, where he had worked for 14 years, and sadly he left behind his wife Fanny, and two children, the eldest 11 years of age, and the youngest just 12 months old. 

The Grey Star death notice announced him as being "a splendid type of athlete and took an interest in sport of all kind", and that he was "the main support for the United Football Club", and "was exceedingly popular with all the knew him". 

Dittman played both senior rugby and cricket for the United club, and in March 1915, was elected chairman of the United Rugby Club.

The War was cruel to the United club, with 17 of its members killed in the conflict, and despite the senior teams numbers being depleted through so many serving abroad, the side was still able to muster the numbers to field a team, with Dittman helping out the side, lacing up his boots for the senior team as late as the 1918 season. 

The Grey River Argus in September 1st, 1917 stated, "Dittman was seen out again for the Blues, and showed the he is still able to keep up with the pace set by the younger blood. He is a sport, hence his appearance". 

Following his death, the West Coast Rugby Union in 1921 decided to honour Dittman, by naming the Dittman Shield in his name, to be played for by West Coast Sub-Union teams, Inangahua (Reefton), Greymouth, Westland and South Westland. 

The Dittman Shield was first played for by Westland and Inangahua on June 18th, 1921, with Westland victorious 9-6, at Victoria Park in Greymouth.

The Teams were as follows: 

Inangahua: 

Backs - Osbourne, Twomey, Hannah, Guthrie, Meharry, Powley, Coghlan

Forwards - Dawson, Banks, O'Regan, Larry, Melbom, Wylie, Hundmarsh, Roberts

Westland:

Backs - Seebeck, Wogan, Ross, Wells, Irvine, Moynihan, Hannan

Forwards - Rutherford, Devaney, Cutbush, Hagar, Scott, Willoughby, Wright, Walker

The Shield games became games very popular, and hold a special part in West Coast rugby's history, with some wonderful battles taking place on the field over the decades. The matches gave players an opportunity to obtain higher honours, and for those unable to make the West Coast side, it proved a career highlight for many. 

The Dittman Shield was a regular feature on the West Coast rugby calendar, and in 1995 the South Westland side defeated Greymouth, but sadly from that year, the competition went into hiatus until it was briefly resurrected again in 2012, with teams north of the Taramakau bridge, Blaketown, Grey Valley and Marist, playing teams South of the bridge, Wests, Kiwi and South Westland.

Sadly, the resurrection was only short lived, only lasting a few short seasons before the fixtures disappeared from the rugby calendar once more.

2021, will marked 100 years since the shields inception, that honoured the life of a much loved local rugby man.