This is one of a series of posts to mark the international Rugby players who died during The Great War. If anyone has further information on the men concerned, I’d be most grateful if it could be added to the thread. Gareth Poulton (later Poulton-Palmer), Ronald William played for England Internationals: 17 : 1909 F+ I+ S- ; 1910 W= ; 1911 S+ ; 1912 W+ I+ (1t) S- ; 1913 SA- (1t) W+ (1d) F+ (1t) I+ S+ ; 1914 W+ S+ (1t) F+ (4t) Ronald Poulton was born on 12 September 1889, son of Professor Edward Bagnall Poulton and Mrs Emily Palmer Poulton of Wykeham House, Oxford. Played as a Wing/centre for: Dragon School Oxford, Rugby School, Oxford University (Blue 1909-1911), Harlequins, Liverpool, East Midlands Profession: Businessman Remarks: Hockey blue 1909-1911. Played for London (3-24) v the 1908-1909 Wallabies. He scored 5 tries for Oxford v Cambridge in 1909 and 24 points in 3 University matches. Implicit in his inheritance of a fortune from the Right Honourable G W Palmer (d 1913) was a change of name, which he adopted after his international career was over. War service: Lieutenant, 1/4th Battalion, Royal Berkshire Regiment, South Midlands Brigade, 48th (South Midlands) Division. Lt Col William Dacre, Royal Army Medical Corps, wrote in his diary in April 1915: ‘We played the 4th Division at footer and beat them. It was a famous match and a great number of old internationals were playing. The Gloucester County line were in the 5th Gloucesters and did great work. Tyrrell, the Irish international, was playing against us and Poulton captained our side.’ He was killed by a sniper at Ploegsteert Wood in Belgium at 12.20 am on 5 May 1915, and is buried in Hyde Park Corner (Royal Berks) Cemetery, Ploegsteert, Comines-Warneton, Hainaut, Belgium [Grave B. 11.]. His last words were reputed to be “I shall never play at Twickenham again.” However, another account states that he died without speaking. A brother officer, Captain Crutwell, when writing to his family, said ‘When I went around his old Company, as they stood to at dawn, almost every man was crying”. The Life of Ronald Poulton, by E B Poulton, was published in 1919. The original wooden cross erected over his grave in Belgium is preserved on the wall at St Cross Church Cemetery, Oxford.
Remembrance Ronald Poulton Palmer http://www.bbc.co.uk/berkshire/content/articles/2008/11/10/ronald_poulton_palmer_feature.shtml
Gareth, Not sure how his bio will come out with the resizing but it is quite detailed if you need it. This all from Dragon School. There's quite a bit more on him during his time at Balliol if you need it also. Andy
You can read the book written about him by his father on line by following this link. It really is a fascinating tribute and gives a rare insight into all aspects of his life: http://www.archive.org/stream/lifeofronaldpoul00pouluoft#page/232/mode/2up
