Richard Brinley Stokes

At the beginning of the First World War Brinley, who was a wonderfully fit man, tried to join up. He was declared unfit due to flat feet. He appealed but was still not accepted. He played many sports and is on many of the team photos on this website (pre WW1). In early 1917 he tried again. This time he was successful as they needed every man they could get. He joined The First Battalion the Monmouthshire Regiment which was decimated in one of the early battles for Ypres.

He was transferred to the Cheshire Regiment and died at the main battle of the Ypres Salient also known as Passchendeal. He was killed in the area around Glencourse Wood. His parents were told that he was killed by a sniper. They usually said this to spare the parents pain, but they never found his body or dog tags so it was obvious that he died in an explosion.

Being such an active sportsman in Newport, his name appears on one of the memorial plaques on the Newport Athletic Club gates.