Welsh youngsters join in symbolic rugby event
THERE were the muddied Welsh youngsters in number 11 shirts and hundreds of local French people paying their respects to two British heroes they never knew.
Welsh, English, German and French schoolchildren, including Llandovery College and Ysstalyfera school, took part in a rugby tournament in Compiegne – where the armistic was signed yesterday morning 100 years ago.
All across France yesterday people paid homage to those who lost their lives in the First World War.
While world leaders like Donald Trump, Vladimir Putin, Emmanuel Macron and Angela Merkel gathered in Paris for the weekend’s formal ceremonies it was the hundreds of smaller commemorations across the country which meant the most.
Near Amiens a memorial was unveiled to the first British airmen killed in the conflict.
Organisers could not find any living relatives so people living nearby turned out in force to pay their respects to the two men.
Evelyn Perry, 23, and Herbert Parfitt, 21, died on August 16, 1914 when their plane stalled and crashed.
Now locals have paid for a memorial in the village of Salouel near Amiens.
In a moving ceremony schoolchildren read For the Fallen by Lawrence Binyon in English and French at the unveiling.
Founder of the World Rugby Memorial Project John Dennison said it was a privilege to see all the young players from Germany, England, Wales and France showing such respect on such an important weekend. “They were an absolute credit to their schools,” he added.
“I think those rugby players killed in the First World War would have been very impressed with both their behaviour and rugby skills.
“One hundred years on and these lads represented the rugby community with real honour.”
Irish rugby legend Fergus Slattery said: “My grandfather was so badly injured in the First World War he was sent home. It was lovely to pay respects to both him and all the rugby players who died.”
Welsh rugby legend John Taylor said: “It’s a real honour to be here.
“And it was particularly pleasing to see all the youngsters paying their respects as well.”
Nathan Thomas, head of rugby at Llandovery College, where George North and Alun Wyn Jones studied, said: “There were 82 people from the college who died in the First World War. It was an honour for all of us, to be here to remember them.”
Schools involved were St George’s, Munich, a combined schools side from Compiegne, Mount St Mary’s College, Sheffield, Peter Symonds College, Hampshire and Llandovery College and Ystalyfera.