KITTLE, Les

Les "Bloobs" Kittle was a rover and forward who started with Shepparton before playing 15 games with Carlton in 1919.

On his return from World War I, he wasted no time in taking up Carlton's invitation to join them and played his first game on the 14th June, barely a month from his disembarkation. It was an 11-point win over Collingwood. He played the next four games, all losses, then walked away from the club. His last game was a 15-point loss to Essendon.

He then went home to Shepparton but returned to Melbourne in 1924 to join Essendon. He played in an intra-club game in April but didn't make his debut until the 19th July, in a 12-point win over Geelong. According to a newspaper report on the match, he "made a fine impression" but he played no more senior games, although he was an emergency for the next game. He could not force his way back in the strong senior team, which went on to win the premiership, but he played consistently in the Second Eighteens. He was also in the team which played in Perth in August 1924.

Kittle had an interesting military history. He enlisted in the AIF on 13th July 1915 and served in the 8th Infantry Battalion in France from April 1916 to October 1918. He had the misfortune to be wounded in action in the last weeks of the War. He spent two months recuperating in the UK before returning to his unit in France in October 1918. He finally returned to Melbourne in May 1919. He was awarded the Military Medal in October 1917 and also received the Croix de Guerre.

When World War II broke out, he decide to serve again. By then he was more than 45 years old, the age limit for active service, and, not wanting a desk job, he added ten years to his birth date and enlisted. However, the deception was discovered eight weeks later and he was honourably discharged.

Kittle died on 28th March, 1965.