confused rugby union rugby league 1940s 50s confused australian rugby league rugby league colonel williams june september british_army officer welsh rugby union player represented wales newport played wales international rugby union match officer british_army retired regular service continued serve voluntary capacity aged outbreak world war rejoined army killed action early life family born june second child reverend williams wife daughter dublin sister educated oxford prepared university private tuition surrey went cambridge october siblings reverend arthur captain hugh died infant joined royal_navy receiving commission served retirement having reached rank captain took command training ship hms cornwall appointed command died february aged married april youngest daughter aboard died vessel wrecked married january daughter barbara married captain welsh guards november husband killed action western serving france time rugby going represented cambridge rugby win blue played matches newport joined army october gloucester december cardiff december selected represent wales match england february challenge england came newport official wanted bring wales level home nations settle playing english irish provincial teams england recently beaten ireland tries goals previous season winners calcutta cup beating scotland tries goals goal date offered february coincided match cup holders limiting selection options england won goals appearance wales international appearance military career deciding follow military career accepted recorded representing rugby team completed officer training commissioned sub lieutenant february posted 38th regiment foot promoted lieutenant january army rank regimental original commission sub lieutenant month later february transferred february promoted captain unit renamed city london regiment january appointed adjutant regiment militia unit regiment regular officer normally given post militia units organise training generally maintain standards posting lasted usual years retired regular army august commissioned major 1st south wales november appointed july granted honorary rank lieutenant colonel resigned volunteer commission retaining rank permission continue wearing uniform world war rejoined british_army shortly outbreak world war posted original regiment joining 12th service battalion royal major september promoted temporary lieutenant colonel october transferred command later posted 12th according official sources killed september leading battalion battle commemorated memorial missing years age eldest wales international players killed war soldier command colonel wrote account commanding officer death puts date death september col williams temporary command 12th royal september led battalion attack german trenches flanks exposed september gave order retreat moment shot head house nearby soldier gave account said sorry better officer time trench looked man better following evening battalion relieved declared officially wounded missing action unofficially reported killed
Richard Garnons Williams