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James Henry Digby
Watson was born in Southsea on August 31st 1890, the son of an
Engineering Officer in the Royal Navy. Leaving home for school in 1899 the young
Watson was initially educated at King’s School,
Canterbury
, where he soon found a natural sporting affinity, soon playing in the schools
first fifteen at rugby. This was a feat that he would repeat when he transferred
to the
Edinburgh
Academy
in 1906, usually playing in his preferred position of centre. It was also here
that he picked up his nickname of ‘Bunjy’ after asking for a rubber by the
normal slang used at King’s but unheard of at the
Edinburgh
Academy
. Completing his studies at the Academy in 1908 Watson decided to embark on a
career in medicine and remaining in
Edinburgh
he enrolled in the medical school at its university. During the five year
course his prowess in a number of sporting fields increased. Whilst still at the
Edinburgh Academy he had won the high jump every year, and later he would go on
to represent Scotland against Ireland in the long jump in 1912 whilst a medical
student. He was also to become the
Edinburgh
University
middleweight boxing champion.
For all this
rugby remained the main feature of his sporting life and whilst still at
university he joined the Edinburgh Academicals club participating in one of
their most successful pre war periods. As his skill and reputation grew on the
pitch others were soon to come calling and Watson was invited to join the
Barbarians on their Christmas tour to
Wales
in 1911. During this short tour Watson played two matches, losing to
Cardiff
on Boxing Day by nineteen points to nil and
Newport
by fifteen points to six the day after. Despite these defeats Watson doubtless
enjoyed the experience of the tour. He played again for the Barbarians the
following year on December 30th 1912 against
Leicester
, although this match also ended in a fifteen points to eleven loss. Back at
University in
Edinburgh
the 1912-13 season was to prove a busy one on the pitch for Watson as he
enthusiastically captained the Edinburgh Academicals club. He was also picked as
the three-quarter reserve for
Scotland
, although he was never capped by them. Later this oversight was commented upon
in the Times, “Watson… might have
played for
Scotland
a few years ago if the selection committee had recognized his great ability.”
Scotland
’s loss was eventually to become
England
’s gain.
In 1913 Watson
again joined the Barbarians as they travelled to
Wales
for their Easter tour. Playing two further matches for the club they were again
defeated in both, losing by ten points to nil to
Cardiff
on March 22nd and by eight points to nil to
Swansea
two days later. As fate would have it the Barbarians were never to prove a
lucky team for Watson as he faced defeat in all five of the appearances that he
made for the club.
Completing his
medical studies in
Edinburgh
and graduating as a Bachelor of both Medicine and Surgery (M.B.Ch.B) in 1913
Watson now moved to
London
to advance his medical career. Leaving behind the Edinburgh Academicals as he
travelled south, Watson was now to play for both
London
Hospital
and Blackheath, either at centre or wing three-quarter. Watson also soon found
greater recognition from the
England
selectors than he had enjoyed during his time in
Scotland
as he was selected for a debut cap against
Wales
on January 17th 1914. Played at Twickenham in front of a crowd in
excess of thirty thousand it was a close, if strange, game. The usual turn of
events in these meetings were reversed as it became a battle between the Welsh
pack and the English back line. In his match report the Times rugby
correspondent reported “… JHD Watson
could do very little by [his] straight forward methods, so keen was the
tackling.” As the fierce battle continued the English backs used every
opportunity to turn defense into attack as they faced a Welsh side that was much
improved on recent meetings. Eventually this dogged persistence paid off as
England
edged to a ten points to nine victory.
After missing
England
next match against Ireland Watson regained his place in the
England
shirt with a trip to his old home of
Scotland
for a match at Inverleith on March 21st. After a gloomy and wet week
the weather cleared on the morning of the match in what was ultimately to be
another close encounter.
Scotland
were in a dogged mood, their pack especially refusing to surrender to a better
English side. With twenty minutes to play England were enjoying a ten point
lead, Watson having set up Cyril Lowe for three tries, but were almost undone,
being so keen to attack that they almost forgot to defend allowing the Scottish
to claw their way back into the game. In a nail biting finish
England
again desperately held on to win by sixteen points to fifteen.
Earning his third
cap Watson was also included for
England
’s final match of the International campaign as they crossed the channel the
strong favorites to take on the French at Stade de Colombes on April 13th.
It was to prove an easy victory, although the thirteen points to thirty nine
score line belied the fact that
England
generally failed to impress in the match.
England
, as was often the case, started the match slowly. This was in stark contrast to
the French who, fired up for the encounter, started at a frenetic pace and
scoring within the first five minutes. It was not until the second half that the
England
side began to show their class and gradually drew away. Watson himself seems to
have been as guilty of this as the rest of his teammates of this first half
lethargy, “of the threequarter backs JHD
Watson and Lowe were the best… Watson made some mistakes at first, but was on
top of his form in the second half.” Although not perhaps, the victory
that had been hoped for, a victory it was and
England
retained the international championship with a second successive grand slam.
Watson fully played his part in this achievement, scoring his only international
try in the French match, which was also to be his last in an
England
shirt.
With the outbreak
of war in Europe Watson joined the Royal Navy as a temporary Surgeon following
his Father, James Herbert Watson who was by now an Engineering Captain, and was
posted to HMS Hawke. Launched in 1891 as an armored cruiser the Hawke was one of
the oldest ships still in commission in the Navy at the time, and was
essentially obsolescent. The Hawke had found some measure of notoriety in 1911
after colliding with the Olympic, sister ship of the Titanic, in the
Solent
. Now under the command of Captain Hugh Williams she was being used largely as a
training ship and included in her crew were a large number of cadets and
reservists. On October 15th 1914 the Hawke was on patrol with her
sister ship, HMS Theseus in the North Sea some sixty miles from
Aberdeen
. At this time anti submarine warfare was very much in it’s infancy and the
two ageing cruisers were operating without a destroyer screen and also proved
slower than the German U9 that was shadowing them. Commanded by Lieutenant Otto
Weddigen the previous month the U9 had famously sunk the cruisers Aboukir, Hogue
and Cressy. Too inviting a target to pass up the U9 launched a torpedo against
the Theseus that missed. The Hawke, who had turned to intercept a Norwegian
collier, was hit amidships by the torpedo near her magazine, which was ignited
by the detonation. HMS Hawke sank in only eight minutes with the loss of five
hundred and twenty five men. The twenty four year old temporary surgeon James
‘Bunjy’ Watson was amongst them.
Sources
"The
Complete Who's Who of England Rugby Union Internationals", R Maule,
Breedon 1992
"The
Edinburgh Academical Football Club Centenary History", 1958
The
Times Online Digital Archive
Wikepedia
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The
Rugby History Society