Our weekly look back at days gone by, with Abby Bolter
IN this week’s Your Memories Dennis Thomas of Maesteg RFC remembers David Watts, a collier and Old Parish player, who was the only member of the last 15 to represent Wales at international level before World War One who went on to perish in the conflict.
“World War One had started in 1914 at the Battle and Siege of Liege (August 4 to 16) but it was at the Battle of The Somme (July 1 to November 18, 1916) where this story begins.
“A pre attack artillery bombardment had lasted several days, although what effect the shelling had on the enemy lines is open to debate, for on that first day there were 58,000 British casualties of whom 19,000 were killed.
“If we go slightly forward in time there appeared in the Glamorgan Gazette of August 4, 1916, an article quoting details given in his own words by a Pte G Isaac, Maesteg, of The Shropshire Light Infantry, from Hope Ward, Military Hospital, London.
“He said, ‘It was on the night of the 13th July that we formed up for the attack; everyone knew there was hot work to be done, but no one seemed to trouble. It was as if the men were going to a football match or the pictures. Amid the roar of the guns one could hear Sgt ‘Dai’ telling his platoon, ‘Now mind and heel the ball boys; we’ve got a good three -quarter line out’. But this proved to be Dai’s last match, poor chap - the last ‘International’ in which he was to help the old country to ‘score’. His many friends will be consoled in knowing that he died, as a Britisher ought, doing his duty’.”
“David Watts was a collier and lived in Garn Road in Maesteg. He played rugby for his beloved Old Parish and was a member of the team that won the Glamorgan Cup And Gold Medal in 1912. Also in that team and also to be killed in the conflict was their vice captain Rhys Bowen the great, great, etc uncle of Wales full back Matthew Morgan.
“David Watts played four times for Wales with the game against Ireland in Belfast in 1914 being the most memorable, as he was a pack member of The Terrible Eight in a team captained by The Reverend Alban Davies of Swansea.
“Thirteen Welsh internationals were to be killed in the war including JL Williams, a captain of Wales and a British Lion, who died at Mametz Wood as did so many Welsh soldiers.”