Seaman Joe Wakeling (Chatham)
'Accompanying this record is a picture of Seaman Joe Wakeling, Naval middleweight champion, just as he arrived for a top-line bout at East Ham Baths in the 1930s. A few minutes before this he had torn me off a lurid strip questioning my ancestry!
This particular night I had made up a bill: "ROYAL NAVY versus THE REST". Not all, but many of the naval boys for the supporting bouts had been supplied by Joe, but I finally ended up short of one naval six-rounder. Ah, well! I told myself, I will just bill an imaginary sailor and hope to slip somebody in at the last.
However, I had not wised up Joe to this. And who do you think I billed as the imaginary matelot? Seaman Drake! Not very original, I admit.
Come show night, and Joe arrived with the other naval fighters and two coach-loads of supporters. Coming up to me in the hall with a worried expression, he said: "I've looked all over the dockyard and sent my mates over every vessel, but we couldn't find that bloody Seaman Drake anywhere."
"Well," I told him, "he's been dead about 300 years, so I don't suppose you would have much luck." I said this with what I thought at the time was scintillating humour.
It didn't strike Joe in the same light, and my knowledge of bad language became much expanded. We made it up afterwards, as we were great friends, but Joe never let me forget it - always checking up on display bills I sent to him - "Just in case that bloody Bill Pullum has slipped Seaman Nelson into our team!"
Called back to the Navy from the London Fire Brigade at the outset of war, within a few weeks Joe went down with HMS Dunoon. His whole life and end typified the indomitable spirit of the Royal Navy.' - Billy Pullum of Camberwell (promoter and boxer), from 'The Southern Ex-Boxer'.
Seaman Joe Wakeling's recorded fights
1928 Mar 7 Seaman Donald Duncan l pts 3 Chatham (Final, Port welterweight championship) 1929 May 1 Guardsman Pugh w pts 3 Chatham Dec 16 Jack Delaney w pts 10 Greenwich 1930 Jan 22 L/Cpl McCrea w pts 4 Chatham (Service bout) Jan 30 A/C Garrett w pts 6 Margate Feb 10 Ernie Mason w pts 10 Greenwich Mar 10 Steve Merritt w rsf 7 NSC Mar 11 Percy Jarrett w ko 3 Gillingham Mar 20 Seaman Peter Jackson l pts 3 Chatham (Final, RN & RM welterweight championship) Mar 27 A/C Nee w pts 6 Margate (Service bout) Mar 31 Alf Newbiggin w pts 12 Rochester Apr 8 Jack Innes w pts 10 Greenwich Apr 22 Tosh Humphries Drew 12 Rochester Apr 25 Seaman Harvey Drew 6 Margate Oct 29 Stoker Tom Morrell w pts 6 Chatham Nov 4 Alf Newbiggin l pts 15 Shepherd's Bush Dec 1 Alf Newbiggin w pts 12 Rochester 1931 Jan 25 George Booker w pts 12 London Sp. Club Feb 8 Jim Thomas w ret 8 London Sp. Club Feb 25 Bill Berry w pts 12 London Sp. Club Mar 5 Tom Humphries w ret 8 Ilford Mar 26 Smudger Smith w ret 11 Ilford Apr 9 Smudger Smith w ret 10 Ilford Apr 13 Smudger Smith w ret 7 East Ham Apr 20 Jack Mansfield w pts 12 Holborn Apr 30 Billy Adair w pts 12 Ilford May 4 Les Ward w pts 12 East Ham May 20 Ted Mason w pts 12 Folkestone May 21 Les Ward w pts 12 Ilford Jun 4 George Rose l pts 15 Ilford Jun 10 George Brown drew 12 Folkestone 1933 Oct 16 Jack Aldir w ret 8 Rochester Oct 30 Red Pullen w pts 12 Greenwich Nov 6 Tom Curran drew 12 Rochester Nov 16 Jack Ellis w pts 15 East Ham Dec 7 Jim Brooks w ko 6 East Ham Dec 28 Ted Shaw w ret 10 East Ham 1934 Jan 4 Ted Mason w pts 15 East Ham Jan 11 Tom Curran W disq 15 East Ham Apr 19 Eddie Manning w pts 15 Ilford Apr 22 Jack Haynes w ko 4 Mile End May 3 Jack Forster w pts 15 Ilford May 6 Billy Bird w pts 10 Blackfriars Nov 18 Red Pullen w pts 8 Blackfriars Nov 22 Red Pullen w pts 12 East Ham Nov 26 Jack Delaney w pts 12 Rochester Dec 3 Jack Grant w pts 8 Crystal Palace Dec 9 Nat Franks w pts 10 Blackfriars Dec 23 Dai Beynon w rsf 6 Blackfriars Dec 27 Eddie Maguire drew 15 East Ham Dec 31 Les Ward w pts 12 Holborn 1935 Jan 7 Harry Gains drew 12 Plumstead Jan 10 Eddie Maguire w rsf 8 East Ham Apr 14 Del Fontaine W pts 10 Blackfriars Apr 29 Albert O'Brien w pts 12 Holborn May 12 Roy Graham l pts 10 Blackfriars Sep 4 Ginger Dawkins w pts 10 Blackfriars Sep 16 Jack Delaney drew 12 Holborn Seaman Joe Wakeling joined the Fire Brigade, a service which did not approve of him boxing professionally. He was obliged to retire from the ring. Contests: 58 Won: 46 Lost: 5 Drawn: 7 Record compiled by Vic Hardwicke
Divisions fought in
Middleweight
Welterweight
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