Over the course of eight bloody days of fighting and shelling the 38th (Welsh) Division suffered 4,000 casualties.
On the first day of fighting, 7 July, 1916, one of the most charismatic of Welsh rugby internationals was killed.
Company Sergeant-Major Dick Thomas, of the 6th Battalion Welsh Regiment, Cardiff City Battalion, was killed leading an attack alongside his commanding officer, Captain Herdman. The battalions were drawn from all over Wales and represented north, south, rural and industrial areas, as well as men from the London Welsh.
British Army officer and military historian, Lt Gen Jonathon Riley, speaking at the ceremony, put the loss of life in perspective by observing: “We lost as many of our people in 15 minutes here as we lost in 15 years in Afghanistan.”
Shot through the head leading the charge against the Germans, Thomas’ body was never found. He is one of over 72,000 men who gave their lives in WW1 who are remembered at the Thiepval memorial in France.
The former Welsh Rugby Union representative, and international referee, Tommy Schofield wrote the following tribute to Thomas that was included in E.H.D Sewell’s book, “The Rugby Football Internationals Roll of Honour”.
“Of the large army of heroic Welsh Rugby players who have laid down their lives on the altar of sacrifice in this world-wide war of righteousness, liberty and justice, I can assign no greater prominence to an individual on the ‘Scroll of Fame’ that to CSM Richard Thomas, of the Cardiff City Battalion of the Welch Regiment. ‘Dick’ Thomas, as he will always be remembered by followers of the Rugger code in Wales, was, without doubt, one of our gallant little country’s best and most versatile Rugby players. His rightful position, both by physique and natural aptitude, was in the pack; but his all-round abilities were such that he came to be regarded the ‘emergency man’, to be drawn out of the front division to defend any rear position from half-back to full-back when serious attack was threatened.
“I shall never forget that memorable night, in the summer of 1916, when one of his colleagues in the Glamorgan Police Force came to my house with the distressing message, ‘Come down to town immediately; poor Dick Thomas has been killed.’ It was such a great shock to me. I thought of the invaluable services he had rendered to the Mountain Ash Club, the Glamorganshire Rugby League, Glamorgan County, Glamorganshire Police, the Principality of Wales, and last, but not least, as Captain of the Bridgend Rugby Club.
“He was a keen, but genial sportsman – the life and soul of any team, Gentle by no means, he, nevertheless, never failed to play the game properly. He would take and give hard knocks. A hard-working scrimmage, he was no less prominent in the open. He was a fearless tackler, and had the happy knack of adapting himself to any circumstance of emergency.
“Perhaps his great value as a player is best summed up by the remark of a member of the Monmouthshire Rugby League, who once said: ‘The Monmouthshire Rugby League tram would sooner face any man than Dick Thomas, the fiery chariot’.
“By his own sterling qualities Dick Thomas was the means of winning many a game off his own bat, so to speak. Of the many games I saw him play, one which stands out most prominently in my mind was that between New Zealand and Glamorgan County at Swansea, when Glamorgan were very unlucky in losing by a dropped goal to a try. Dick Thomas’ performance on that day was head and shoulders above that of any forward on the field.
“I think I am betraying no secret when I say that he was a warm favourite with all members of the Welsh Rugby Union Selection Committee, and it was only an attack of appendicitis which prevented his inclusion in the Welsh International team on many more occasions than he did appear.
“He was a man beloved by both players and spectators, and his loss to the Rugger Code in Wales is as irreparable as it is greatly deplored. He died as he had always lived, a great hero.”
A native of the Rhondda Valley, Thomas played for his home town team Mountain Ash, winning his four Welsh caps from that club between 1906-09. He was club captain in the 1905-05 season and helped them to win the Glamorgan League title in 1908-09. He also played for Penygraig, Bridgend and Cardiff, made 20 appearances for Glamorgan County and also appeared for the Glamorgan Police team.
According to Gordon Westcott, author of ‘A Century of the Rugby Beat’, the official history of the first 100 years of rugby in the South Wales Police Force area, Thomas was a splendid officer.
“He was much admired by colleagues and public alike and was commended on several occasions for actions over and above the normal call of duty during the many periods of sever industrial unrest which plagued the South Wales coalfield in those Edwardian days.
“He was heavyweight boxing champion of the Glamorgan Police on three occasions and in 1909 won the Glamorgan and Monmouthshire Assault-at-Arms competition. He enlisted in the Welch Regiment during the early part of the 1914-18 war.”
Educated at the Ferndale Board School, he was unable to get away from his Police duties before 16 January, 1915 to enlist. He went into training with his regiment in Colwyn Bay until August that year before moving to Winchester. He eventually went to France in December, 1915.
He made four appearances for Wales, his debut coming in the defeat to South Africa in Swansea on 1 December, 1906. He played against all three southern hemisphere touring teams for Glamorgan County – New Zealand in 1905, South Africa in 1906 and Australia in 1908 – and played in eh wins over France and Ireland in the first Grand Slam campaign of 1908. His fourth and final cap came in the win over Scotland in 1909, part of Wales’ second Grand Slam season.
Edward John Richard Thomas
DOB: 14 October 1883, Ferndale, Rhondda
KIA: 7 July, 1916, Mametz Wood (aged 32 years 267 days)
