David Watts (14 March, 1886 – 14 July, 1916) was a Welsh international rugby union forward who played club rugby for Maesteg. He won four caps for Wales, all in 1914 and may have been awarded more, but his career was cut short by the outbreak of World War I. In Memory of Corporal DAVID WATTS 13793, 7th Bn., King's Shropshire Light Infantry who died on 14 July 1916 Remembered with honour THIEPVAL MEMORIAL THE honour of being Maesteg’s first Welsh rugby international fell to David Watts. He was born in the town on March 14, 1886 and became a collier – but excelled at rugby. Watts was a member of the Maesteg side that won the Glamorgan Challenge Cup in 1912. Two years later he graduated into the Welsh pack and came under the watchful eye of Wales’ extraordinary pack leader, the Rev Alban Davies. Davies moulded the forwards into such a forceful unit that they became known as the Terrible Eight. Watts’s international debut came on January 17, 1914. He was one of five new caps for Wales’ third match at Twickenham, but Wales returned empty-handed after a 10-9 defeat. The Welsh recovered to beat Scotland 24-9 in Cardiff before routing France 31-0. Wales’ final international of that season was against Ireland in Belfast, which was renowned for the battle between the two packs. Watts was at the heart of everything Wales did as the men in red won 11-3. There was one more international game for David Watts. The match against the Barbarians on April 17, 1915 was a game with a motive. It was organised to boost recruitment for the Welsh Guards early in World War I. The match served its purpose as 177 men enlisted and a collection of £200 was raised for local military charities. Despite working in a reserved occupation, Watts chose to enlist. He became a corporal in the 7th Battalion of the King’s Shropshire Light Infantry and fought in France. He was killed in action fighting in the Ancre Valley during the Battle of the Somme aged just 30. David Watts has no known grave. Yet his name can be found on the Triepval Memorial, the Memorial Stone honouring Welsh rugby’s international dead at the Millennium Stadium, and at the Maesteg club he represented with pride.
Watts, David played for Wales Internationals: 4: 1914 E- S+ F+ I+ David Watts was born on 14 March 1886 Played as a Lock for: Maesteg Profession: Miner Remarks: Member of the Welsh pack known as the ‘Terrible Eight’. On 17 April 1915 he played for a Welsh XV v The Barbarians at Cardiff Arms Park in what was termed a ‘Military International’ between Wales and England, designed to boost recruiting for the newly-formed Welsh Guards and to raise money. Wales fielded a near International team with only one uncapped player (Dan Callan of the Royal Munster Fusiliers). The Barbarian side has 12 Englishmen, 2 Irishmen and 1 Welshman (South African International Joseph Partridge). The match, won by the Barbarians 26-10, raised £200. War service: 13793, Corporal, 7th Battalion, King’s Shropshire Light Infantry, 8th Brigade, 3rd Division. The 3rd Division took part in the dawn attack on Bazentin Ridge on 14 July 1916; in front of the 8th Brigade “the wire was uncut, and held up the attack until the 2nd Royal Scots broke through and bombed along the front line.” The Division then took Bazentin-le-Grand. Cpl Watts was killed in action on 14 July 1916, and is commemorated on the Thiepval Memorial, Somme, France [Pier and Face 12 A and 12D.
I guess there are people in this world who never make mistakes ........ but I'm not one of them ! If you look a little closely - you may find a couple of snippets of information that aren't on the other thread !
