Last year to mark #ArmisticeDay we highlighted the stories of Forest players who had served during both world wars. This year we pay tribute to two Forest supporters who went to fight but still maintained their support from overseas at times of crisis for #NFFC (Short thread...)

In 1915 Forest were in a perilous financial position with debts of £4,700. The future of the club was uncertain.

Having heard of his club’s plight Captain Arthur Wodehouse, serving in India with the 110th Mahrattas, sent £1 1s to help ‘’keep the old club going.’’

Sadly just months later Captain Wodehouse was killed aged just 34. The generosity of Wodehouse and others helped Forest continue but he would never get the chance to return to the City Ground.

A plaque in memory of Captain Wodehouse is located in the St Lawrence church, Gotham.

At the beginning of the Second World War Forest faced a similar threat to their future with debts of £18,000. Manager Billy Walker wrote: ‘’...although things looked very black, the Committee decided they owed it to the boys who were going to war to carry on.’’

In September 1944 Forest received a letter ‘which is unique in the annals of the sport’. It was from Forest fan Private Louis Davis who had enclosed three £1 notes and a 5 franc note to help support the club.

Davis had been part of the Normandy invasion in June that year.

The five franc note was stuck to a separate sheet of paper which read ‘Souvenir of the Western Front. Good luck to the Nottingham Forest F.C. May your opponents be driven to ‘unconditional surrender’. From a Forester in France, August 29th 1944.’

The gesture was greatly received and Chairman H.R Cobbin along with his fellow committee members agreed to make Private Davis a vice-president of Nottingham Forest. Cobbin wrote to Davis in France to inform him of the news and to thank him for his tremendous support.

#LestWeForget

Newspaper contents all from Nottingham Evening Post.

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