Wilfred Nevill Wilfred ( Billie ) Nevill ( 14 July 1894 – 1 July 1916 ) went to school at Dover College , where he distinguished himself as a scholar and a games player . He was Head Boy , played in the 1st XV for Rugby , the 1st XI for Hockey , the 1st Running team and was Captain of the Cricket XI . He went up to Jesus College , Cambridge in 1914 , where he played hockey , but his academic career was cut short by the Great War . Nevill joined the East Yorkshire Regiment but transferred to the East Surrey Regiment and was the originator of the East Surrey ’ s famous “ Football Charge ” on the first day of the Battle of the Somme , 1 July 1916 . On the first day of the Battle of the Somme , the 8th Battalion Royal East Surrey Regiment left their trenches at Carnoy to attack German positions 300 yards away . The commander of “ B ” Company , Captain W . P . ‘ Billie ’ Nevill , had purchased four footballs – one for each of his platoons - to kick across ' No Man ' s Land ' . He and his fellow officers were concerned about how their men would behave when finally called on to go over the top . To provide his soldiers with a reassuringly familiar symbol , Nevill bought the footballs while on leave in London and took them back with him to France . In the face of murderous fire , and sustaining heavy casualties , they charged across the intervening ground with the footballs bouncing encouragingly before them . The combination of Nevill ' s initiative and their gallantry proved successful and they gained their objective . Nevill did not survive . He was killed just in front of the German barbed wire . Two of his footballs were later found nearby . One of the balls is currently displayed at the Princess of Wales ' s Royal Regiment Museum at Dover Castle and another at the Queen ' s Royal Surrey Regimental Museum near Guildford . " Touchstone " of " The Daily Mail " penned the following verse in tribute : In April 2011 , George Majin , a 13 - year - old working on a school history project , visited Nevill ' s grave at Carnoy . Returning from the cemetery , he visited Le Tommy ' s cafe at Pozières . Behind the bar he noticed an old leather football on top of a fridge . Cafe owner Dominique Zanardi explained that several years ago he ’ d found a rubbish tip in a farmer ’ s field . In this hole in the ground were 10 British backpacks and some ammunition pouches from the First World War which he salvaged . On one of the backpacks was written “ 18 Manchesters ” . This refers to the 18th Battalion of the Manchester Regiment , which was positioned immediately to the right of Nevill ’ s unit on July 1 , 1916 and whose job was to follow up after the initial attack . And in this backpack Dominique found an old football . On the football was written “ Gamages ” , the name of a London shop which sold sports equipment . The ball appears to be identical to the two known surviving balls from the “ Football Attack ” . References . Dover College Register 2 . Chart Sutton schoolboy George Majin finds rare World War I football used to ' attack ' German trenches http : / / www . edp24 . co . uk / news / chart _ sutton _ schoolboy _ george _ majin _ finds _ rare _ wwi _ football _ used _ to _ attack _ german _ trenches _ 1 _ 934830 3 . East Surrey Regiments ' ' football ' charge July 1 , 1916 http : / / www . exploringsurreyspast . org . uk / themes / subjects / military / east _ surrey _ regiments _ football _ charge _ july _ 1st _ 1916