Names added to Penarth’s roll of honour after war research
THE 100th anniversary of the ending of WW1 was celebrated by many rugby clubs around Wales last weekend, but supporters at Penarth received something of a shock when they read their home match programme for the game against Penygraig.
Club historian Chris Thau had itemised the brave 17 former players who had given their lives in the 191418 conflict in his magnificent history of the club, ‘The Spirit of Penarth, One Hundred and Thirty One Years of Seaside Rugby’ in 2012, but further research unearthed two more casualties.
“Until recently it was thought that Penarth had lost 17 of its players, one of the biggest death tolls for a Welsh club, but thanks to the diligent work of our former club secretary, David Hughes, we uncovered two more,” explained Thau.
“David is chairman of Western Front Association in Wales and discovered that Charles Clement Heywood, a Lieutenant with the Royal Field Artillery, and Private William East from the 1st Battalion Welsh Guards had also perished in WW1.
“We decided to honour them with the 17 others by recording their names in our match programme for the Division 3A East Central game with Penygraig, who are among our oldest rivals.
“They joined our players in a minute’s silence before the game.”
After the war, the club celebrated the return of many of its old players, including five recipients of the Military Cross – Major Leonard Thomas, Captain Dr George Lindsay, Captain Clifford Francis Burke, Captain Malcolm Vyvyan and Major John Stranaghan, who was also awarded the Croix de Guerre.
The names of Heywood and East will now be added to the club’s ‘Roll of Honour’ that is housed in the Memorial Stand, formally consecrated in 1925, at their Athletic Field home.
The list also contains the name of former club chairman and Wales trialist, Rev. E T Davies, who was chaplain to the 5th Battalion Welch Regiment, and two Frenchmen from Bayonne who played at Penarth.
Brothers Jules Forgues, a shipping clerk who played for Penarth before the war, and Charles were among 10 players from the Bayonne club who lost their lives in the conflict and are remembered on the Roll of Honour in two countries..
“Private William East was 28 and a police officer in Llanbraddach before enlisting.
“He is now recognised as the first Penarth player to die in action on 6 October, 1915, and is remembered at the Loos Memorial” said Thau.
“Lt Charles Heywood captained the club in the 1902-03 season after qualifying as a solicitor at Keble College, Oxford. He had been captain of the College 1st XV in 1901/02 and practised in Abergavenny after graduating.
“He was killed in action at Kemmel Hill, Belgium, on 25 April, 1918, and is remembered at the Tyne Cot memorial.”
Heywood lived at Holme Tower, in Penarth, while he was growing up and his father, also Charles, was an iron ore merchant. He played as a centre and actually captained Penarth against Penygraig in March, 1903.
Just over 115 years on there was a much needed 31-21 victory for the Seasiders as they moved into eighth place in Division 3A East Central and overtook their visitors.