Kenilworth RFC

HONOURING THE FALLEN

The senior men’s squad and many members will be present at the 2021 Kenilworth Town Remembrance Day activities in support of all those who lost their lives in World War and subsequent conflicts, and military exercises. From the club’s own records and with the help of Susan Tall who has spent many years researching Kenilworth War Memorial in both WW1 and WW2 the following ex Kenilworth players were sadly killed or injured:

• Lieutenant Terence Flynn, (Royal Warwickshire Regiment) 23, from Station Road, was one of three brothers who were all to die in the war. He was killed at Dunkirk in May 1940.
• Sergeant Ronald Hope Meredith (RAF), 32, went to Bablake School and was captain of Kenilworth RFC in the seasons before the war. He died on active service in March 1942.
• Sergeant-pilot Raymond W K Clarke (RAF Volunteer Reserve), 23, went to Bablake School and also represented Warwickshire, Nuneaton & Leicester. He was killed in early December 1938 before the war started when his plane nosedived half a mile from Ansty Aerodrome.
• Lieutenant Arthur Geoffrey Davies, (Royal Artillery) 28, lived in Balsall Common but played for Kenilworth and died on active service on 9th December 1942. He is buried at Cromer.
• Also on the Kenilworth war memorial is Oscar Frank Wheatley. Although he never played for Kenilworth Oscar was the father of Chris & Mick Wheatley, both Kenilworth players. He played for Coventry and Warwickshire RFC. Oscar was a Lieutenant- Commander on HMS Khedivi, an aircraft carrier. He was a pilot in the Royal Naval Volunteer Reserve and was killed on 20th June 1945.
• Another heroic member who survived the war was awarded a Military Cross for conspicuous bravery was Second Lieutenant A. D. W. Ross of the Royal Northumberland Fusiliers.

Slightly closer to home for one of our current members, Paul Fountaine, is Paul’s late brother, Lieutenant Mike Fountaine, Royal Marines, who was lost during an SBS diving accident in 1989, aged 26. Mike was the second eldest of four brothers, (three of which played at Kenilworth). A number may remember Mike, who played colts at Kenilworth with Lawrence Sibley, Charlie Westrope & Dave Edwards before going off to University and the Royal Marines.

Mike’s bother, Paul an active committee member and Pirate will lay a wreath on behalf of the Rugby Club on Sunday morning.

Lest we forget