Major Brinley Lewis (4 January 1891 – 2 April 1917), known as Bryn Lewis, was a

Welsh Welsh may refer to: Related to Wales * Welsh, referring or related to Wales * Welsh language, a Brittonic Celtic language spoken in Wales * Welsh people People * Welsh (surname) * Sometimes used as a synonym for the ancient Britons (Celtic peop ...

international

rugby union Rugby union, commonly known simply as rugby, is a close-contact team sport that originated at Rugby School in the first half of the 19th century. One of the two codes of rugby football, it is based on running with the ball in hand. In it ...

wing who played club rugby for Newport and

Cambridge University The University of Cambridge is a Public university, public collegiate university, collegiate research university in Cambridge, England. Founded in 1209 and granted a royal charter by Henry III of England, Henry III in 1231, Cambridge is the world' ...

. He is one of twelve Welsh internationals to have died in active duty during World War I.

Rugby career

Lewis was born in

Pontardawe Pontardawe () is a town and a community in the Swansea Valley (Welsh: ''Cwmtawe'') in Wales. With a population of 6,832, it comprises the electoral wards of Pontardawe and Trebanos. A town council is elected. Pontardawe forms part of the county ...

Wales Wales ( cy, Cymru ) is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It is bordered by England to the east, the Irish Sea to the north and west, the Celtic Sea to the south west and the Bristol Channel to the south. It had a population in ...

but was educated at Swansea Grammar School and represented the Wales Schoolboy team. He later attended Cambridge University and while at university gained three 'Blues' when he was selected for three consecutive Varsity games from 1909 to 1911. Lewis gained his first cap for Wales against Ireland as part of the 1912 Five Nations Championship. The Welsh team was inexperienced and lost the game 12–5, not helped when Lewis's teammate Tom Williams broke his arm and continued playing in the second half of the game. Lewis was back the next year in the 1913 Championship, for his second and last cap, again against Ireland. Lewis scored two tries in the game which saw Wales win narrowly. A scorer of one of the Irish tries in that game, Albert Stewart, would like Lewis, die in action in World War I.

International matches played

WalesSmith (1980), p. 468. * 1912, 1913

Military career

During the First World War, Lewis was a Major in 'B Battery' of the 122nd Brigade of the

38th (Welsh) Infantry Division The 38th (Welsh) Division (initially the 43rd Division, later the 38th (Welsh) Infantry Division and then the 38th Infantry (Reserve) Division) of the British Army was active during both the First and Second World Wars. In 1914, the division ...

, and was mentioned in Despatches. He was killed in action at

Ypres Ypres ( , ; nl, Ieper ; vls, Yper; german: Ypern ) is a Belgian city and municipality in the province of West Flanders. Though the Dutch name is the official one, the city's French name is most commonly used in English. The municipality c ...

on 2 April 1917, after the enemy shelled the rear of B Battery, hitting the mess where Lewis was situated, killing him instantly. He is buried at Ferme-Oliver Cemetery.Matthew Ferris
Rugby Heroes who went to War
bbc.co.uk, November 2008; accessed 9 September 2015.

Bibliography

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References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Lewis, Bryn 1891 births 1917 deaths Barbarian F.C. players British military personnel killed in World War I Cambridge University R.U.F.C. players London Welsh RFC players People educated at Bishop Gore School Rugby union players from Pontardawe Rugby union wings Swansea RFC players Wales international rugby union players Welsh rugby union players