Welterweight Champion
Sergeant Joseph Attwood born in Hayley Green, Halesowen, England. A furnace man by trade. Previous service with 44th Regiment (Lincoln & Welland Canal Force). Sister Mrs John Taylor, 42 Randolph Street, Welland, Ontario. Father, Mr Attwood of 67 Blackberry Lane, Spring Hill, Halesowen, Birmingham, England.
Folklore has it Joe fled to Wales to work in the mines and then to Canada after being accused of throwing a fight in his home town and being chased down the street.
Joe began his career in Canada at Welland, Ontario on 23 September 1911 in a draw with Lockport Jimmy Duffy. Another draw followed by a loss to Jimmy on 28 October, also at Welland. First win against Tommy Yeates at the International A.C. in Buffalo on 30 November 1911. Joe’s last fight prior to enlisting, a loss to Billy Wagner at Alhambra, Syracuse on 20 January 1913. By this time, Joe had accumulated a record of 6 wins, 4 defeats, and 6 draws (6 of first nine fights ending in a draw).
Enlistment of Sergeant Joseph Attwood
Private Joe Attwood, a welterweight boxer, stood 5′ 9″ tall, 145 pounds, with blue eyes, dark complexion and dark brown hair. He joined the 86th Machine Gun Battalion, 21 September 1915, and later arrived in England per SS ADRIATIC on 29 May 1916.
Private Attwood AWOL, 25 hours and 40 minutes, 11 July 1916, docked four days pay and awarded 2 days F.P. No. 2, Shorncliffe.
Private Joe Attwood to be Acting/Lance-Corporal as of 2 October 1916.
Lance Corporal Joe Atwood granted permission to marry at Public expense, 4 October 1916. Married to Edith Attwood, 45 Islington Street, Malesowen, North Birmingham on 15 October 1916.
Lance Corporal Joe Atwood to be Acting/Sergeant as of 29 November 1917.
Kid Plested
At Liverpool Stadium, Pudsey Street, Liverpool on 18 July 1918, Joe began his wartime boxing career losing to Kid Plested on points. Joe would win his next 12 fights, including a TKO of Corporal Hickey at Palais d’Ete, Brussels on 15 March 1919.
Sergeant Joe Attwood reverts to Private to proceed overseas with 4th Battalion, CMGC, 1 November 1918.
4th Battalion, Canadian Machine Gun Corps
Joe barely qualified for service at the front, docking in Le Havre on 2 November 1918, and later arrived at his unit on 21 November 1918, Dour, Belgium (just east of Valenciennes). Private Joe Attwood, never in battle, returns to England, rather than spending the next few months in KHAKI SCHOOL in various Belgium towns like Frameries, Namur, Ransart, and Gembloux.
Demobilization of Sergeant Joseph Attwood
Sergeant Attwood returned to Seaford Camp in England on 12 December 1918. SoS 4th Bn, CMGC, to 1st Reserve Battalion, 6 March 1919. The next week, Joe invited to compete in a boxing tournament at the Palais D’Eté in Brussels and proceeds overseas.
Palais D’Eté, Brussels, 15 March 1919
King Albert of Belgium, Gen Rawlinson 4th Army Commander and Gen. Currie with Georges Carpentier, watching 4th Canadian Division boxing tournament at Palais D’Eté, Brussels, 15 March 1919.
Joe, an easy winner over CSM I Hickey of the Fourth Army Gymnastics Staff in a match that lasted four rounds, of six. The King of the Belgians presented the prozes.
King of the Belgians
On 25 March 1919, the 12th Canadian Infantry Brigade and Machine Gun Battalions reviewed by the King of the Belgians.
Joe returned to England where officially promoted to Acting/Sergeant, Seaford, 24 May 1919. His post-war career not yet over, he returned for another competition in Paris, at the newly constructed Pershing Stadium from 22 June to 6 July 1919.
Inter-Allied Games
Joe a gold-medal winner at the Inter-Allied Games in the welterweight class.
Final Return to England
Sergeant Joe Attwood to H Wing, Witley Camp, 17 July 1919.
Sergeant Joe Attwood examined at Witley Camp, 26 July 1919, and discharged in England from His Majesty’s Service the following day. Joe went home to his wife Edith in Malesowen. Joe fought Matt Wells on 26 June 1920 in London, England.
Return to Canada
Joe eventually made his way back to Canada, with two fights in 1920 (a win and a draw), before concluding his career at the Armouries in Windsor with a loss to Jim Doyle on 22 February 1922. In 41 career bouts, Joe accumulated a record of 23 wins, 11 losses and 7 draws.
Joe, who died in 1975, reputed to have been able to hold his own in any fight. In 2011, the Black Country boxer’s gloves came under the auctioneer’s hammer in Staffordshire, late September of 2011. A large collection of personal memorabilia belonging to Joe discovered at a valuation day in Walsall by Richard Winterton. This includes his notorious boxing gloves and medals such as his first Welter Weight medal from Paris 1919, a 1918 gold Winners medal, his Great War and Victory medals and a City of Welland gold medal. The haul also comprises his 1922 license card to fight in New York, numerous photographs, programmes and ephemera.