Remembering hero who founded The Wids
TO commemorate the Armistice Centenary, Widnes RUFC observed a minute’s silence before their game at Aldwinians and followed this with a less public ceremony to honour the club’s founder Captain Alfred Salt MC.
A battle helmet and copy of Captain Salt’s citation were added to the club’s Heritage Collection by grounds chairman and past president of the club, Graham McLean.
Widnes-born Alf Salt, serving in the 113th Infantry Brigade (Welsh Division), won the Military Cross in the final push of World War One.
His citation reads: “During the attack on the enemy’s positions near Mortho Wood, on the morning of October 8th 1918, finding that the infantry were held up by machine gun fire, this officer, under very heavy artillery and machine gun fire, took his mortars into the open in front of the infantry in order to get within range and engaged the enemy nest with complete success.
“The enemy was seen to run and was engaged by rifle fire.
“He has on former occasions done excellent work in the face of greatest dangers. On September 19th 1918, when a bombing attack was made by us on African Trench in the Couzeau-Court Sector, he fought his guns with the greatest skill and determination.
“Observing from the parapet, he directed his fire with great accuracy, inflicting heavy casualties upon the enemy and enabling our infantry to take their objective.
“His personal courage and devotion to duty have proved an inspiration to his men.”
Six years later, as a schoolteacher, he founded Old Widnesians RUFC (Old Wids) for the former pupils of Widnes Secondary School (later Wade Deacon Grammar).
In 1959 the club went open, relocated to Heath Road and became Widnes RUFC but is still commonly known as ‘The Wids’. ●