KILLED IN ACTION

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume 86, Issue 117, 21 May 1942, Page 4

KILLED IN ACTION

MOUNTING TOLL OF NOTED RUGBY PLAYERS The anniversary of the first match played in New Zealand by the 193< British Rugby team recalls that man> international footballers have made the supreme sacrifice in the present war The first to lose his life was Prince Obolensky, whose two tries against th‘ 193.7 All Blacks will be talked about for years. A team mate of Prince Obe'enskv at Oxford University was H. R G. Percy, a membei of the teachinu staff of the Wanganui Collegiate School, who is now in camp. B. H. Black and H. Rew. member' of tli? 1930 British team, were killed in action in 1940. Black was in the Rnval Air Force and Henry Rew was killed in Libya, as was A. W. Wesnex of New Zealand. D. G. Cobden, of New Zealand, was shot down in the battle for Britain and E. J. Parsons was another killed in the Air Force. He played for England against S'OtlarH ip’ the last of the pre-war ;nternafioral matches. Paul Cooke. England’s scrum-half in three out of four matches in the 1938-39 season, was kiPed in the retreat from Dunkirk. It \x as/>*eported by cable some tim** ago that. Snuadron-Leader F. W. Beamish was lost when leading a Nev.Zealand fighter squadron in an engagement over the Channel. He was one of four brothers well-known in the Rugby gamp