As the 100th anniversary of the bloodiest battle ever fought in British history is commemorated, the WRU wishes to recognise the ultimate sacrifice made by all Welsh rugby players who served their country between 1914-18.
The five international players who died on the Somme were:
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| PLAYER | DATE OF DEATH | AGE | ACTION |
| Dick Thomas | 7 July, 1916 | 35 | Mametz Wood |
| Johnnie Williams | 12 July, 1916 | 34 | Mametz Wood |
| David Watts | 14 July, 1916 | 30 | Bazentin |
| Charlie Pritchard | 14 August, 1916 | 33 | Chocques |
| Horace Thomas | 3 September, 1916 | 26 | Guillemont |
Edward John Richard Thomas
Born: Ferndale, 14 October, 1883
KIA: Mametz Wood 7 July, 1916
Regt: Company Sgt Major, 16th Battalion Welsh Regiment
Teams: Ferndale, Penygraig, Cardiff, Mountain Ash, Llwynypia, Bridgend, Glamorgan Police, Glamorgan
Wales: 1906-1909 P 4 W 3 D 0 L 1 – Grand Slams 1908, 1909
John Lewis Williams
Born: Whitchurch, Cardiff, 3 January, 1882
Died of wounds: Corbie, 12 July, 1916
Regt: Captain, 16th Battalion Welsh Regiment
Teams: Whitchurch, Newport, Cardiff, London Welsh, Glamorgan, 1908 British & Irish Lions
Wales: 1906-1911 P 17 W 15 D 0 L 2 (17 tries) – Grand Slams 1908, 1909, 1911
David Watts
Born: Cwmdu, Maesteg, 14 March, 1886
KIA: 14 July, 1916 at Bazentin Ridge, France
Regt: Corporal, 7th Battalion King’s (Shropshire Light Infantry)
Teams: Maesteg
Wales: 1914 P 4 W 3 D 0 L 1
Charles Meyrick Pritchard
Born: Newport, Monmouthshire, 30 September 1882
Died of wounds: 14 August, casualty clearing station, Western Front
Regt: Captain, 12th Battalion South Wales Borderers
Teams: Newport, Monmouthshire
Wales: 1904-1910 P 14 W 9 D 0 L 5 (1 try) – Grand Slam 1908
Horace Wyndham Thomas
Born: Pentyrch, 28 July 1890
KIA: Ancre, 3 September 1916
Regt: 2nd Lieutenant, Rifle Brigade (Prince Consort’s Own)
Teams: Bridgend County School, Monmouth School, King’s College, Cambridge, Cambridge University, Blackheath, London Welsh, Swansea, Calcutta, Barbarians
Wales: 1912-1913 P 2 W 0 D 0 L 2
The full details of the horrors of the Battle of the Somme are difficult to comprehend. The conditions in which the troops had to operate were horrendous, the loss of life greater than in any other conflict.
Before the battle started, the allied forces spent seven days raining down 1.5m artillery shells on the German lines to try to cut through the barbed wire and destroy their trench defences. On the first day alone of fighting, 1 July, there were 57,470 British casualties, 19,240 of who died.
To put those losses into perspective, the British casualties on the first day of the battle were greater than the total combined in the Crimean, Boer, and Korean wars. No fewer than 60% of the British officers involved on the first day were killed in action and by the end of the 141 days of fighting the official number of British dead, missing or wounded was 419,654. In that time the British forces had advanced six miles.
The Welsh Rugby Union suspended all rugby at the outbreak of World War I and the clubs quickly followed suit.
The 13 Welsh internationals who paid the ultimate sacrifice in the four year conflict were:
Billy Geen (3 caps) died 31 July, 1915, aged 24
Bryn Lewis (2 caps) died 2 April, 1917, aged 26
Fred Perrett (5 caps) died 1 December, 1918, aged 27
Lou Phillips (4 caps) died 14 March, 1916, aged 38
Charlie Pritchard (14 caps) died 14 August 1916, aged 34
Charles Taylor (9 caps) died 24 January 1915, aged 51
Dick Thomas (4 caps) died 7 July 1916, aged 35
Horace Thomas (2 caps) died on 3 September 1916, aged 26
Phil Waller (6 caps) died 14 December, 1917, aged 28
David Watts (4 caps) died 14 July, 1916, aged 30
Dai Westacott (1 cap) died 27 August, 1917, aged 35
Johnnie Williams (17 caps) died 12 July, 1916, aged 34
Richard Williams (1 cap) died 28 September, 1915, aged 59
They shall never be forgotten!
