Leslie Manfield
Encyclopedia
Leslie "Les" Manfield DFC
(10 November 1915
– 2 November 2006
) was a Welsh
rugby union
international. He was the second oldest Welsh international of all time, and at the time of his death, aged 91, the oldest living man to have played as a forward for Wales.
. After studying physics and chemistry at University College Cardiff
, he won his first senior international cap in 1939 against Scotland. He had been chosen as a trialist for England that year, following the award of a Yorkshire cap. When the Welsh selectors chose him for a Welsh trial, he chose Wales, being the country of his birth
Manfield played several internationals after World War II
, one of only four men to have played for Wales both before and after the war. He retired from the international game at the age of 34, having won seven caps for his country, and taught at Mountain Ash Grammar School until forced to retire through ill-health. He died at Aberdare
Hospital of complications after a fall.
1947 England
1948 France
1948 1939, 1948 Scotland
1939, 1948
, and was sent to RAF training centres in Uxbridge
and Cosford, training alongside soccer international George Male
. After completing his training he was posted to St Athan near Cardiff before training as an air observer
in Scotland. In 1942, now a flying officer, Manfield was posted to active service in Cairo
and spent three years in the Middle East flying Wellingtons
with 102 Squadron
, rising to the rank of squadron leader
. Manfield was hit by flak twice whilst flying over Tobruk. While navigating an SOE
operation to Crete his plane crash landed in the sea after the engines failed. Manfield and three other crewmen survived at sea for two days before being picked up by a motor torpedo boat.
On 4 April 1943, Manfield was awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross for his work in a Special Operations Unit. He left 282 Wing Cairo in 1945 and returned to Britain as a course commander at the Empire Air Navigation School in Shawbury.
Distinguished Flying Cross (United Kingdom)
The Distinguished Flying Cross is a military decoration awarded to personnel of the United Kingdom's Royal Air Force and other services, and formerly to officers of other Commonwealth countries, for "an act or acts of valour, courage or devotion to duty whilst flying in active operations against...
(10 November 1915
1915 in Wales
This article is about the particular significance of the year 1915 to Wales and its people.-Incumbents:*Prince of Wales - Edward, Prince of Wales, son of King George V of the United Kingdom*Princess of Wales - vacant...
– 2 November 2006
2006 in Wales
This article is about the particular significance of the year 2006 to Wales and its people.-Incumbents:*Prince of Wales - Charles, Prince of Wales*Princess of Wales - Camilla, The Duchess of Cornwall *First Minister - Rhodri Morgan...
) was a Welsh
Wales
Wales is a country that is part of the United Kingdom and the island of Great Britain, bordered by England to its east and the Atlantic Ocean and Irish Sea to its west. It has a population of three million, and a total area of 20,779 km²...
rugby union
Rugby union
Rugby union, often simply referred to as rugby, is a full contact team sport which originated in England in the early 19th century. One of the two codes of rugby football, it is based on running with the ball in hand...
international. He was the second oldest Welsh international of all time, and at the time of his death, aged 91, the oldest living man to have played as a forward for Wales.
Rugby career
Manfield was born in Mountain Ash, the son of a railway worker, and went to school there. He played for the Welsh under-15 side on March 1, 1930, and played for Cardiff RFCCardiff RFC
Cardiff Rugby Football Club is a rugby union football club based in Cardiff, the capital city of Wales. The club was founded in 1876 and played their first few matches at Sophia Gardens, but soon relocated to Cardiff Arms Park where they have been based ever since...
. After studying physics and chemistry at University College Cardiff
Cardiff University
Cardiff University is a leading research university located in the Cathays Park area of Cardiff, Wales, United Kingdom. It received its Royal charter in 1883 and is a member of the Russell Group of Universities. The university is consistently recognised as providing high quality research-based...
, he won his first senior international cap in 1939 against Scotland. He had been chosen as a trialist for England that year, following the award of a Yorkshire cap. When the Welsh selectors chose him for a Welsh trial, he chose Wales, being the country of his birth
Manfield played several internationals after World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
, one of only four men to have played for Wales both before and after the war. He retired from the international game at the age of 34, having won seven caps for his country, and taught at Mountain Ash Grammar School until forced to retire through ill-health. He died at Aberdare
Aberdare
Aberdare is an industrial town in Rhondda Cynon Taf, Wales, situated at the confluence of the Rivers Dare and Cynon. The population at the census was 31,705...
Hospital of complications after a fall.
International matches played
AustraliaAustralia national rugby union team
The Australian national rugby union team is the representative side of Australia in rugby union. The national team is nicknamed the Wallabies and competes annually with New Zealand and South Africa in the Tri-Nations Series, in which they also contest the Bledisloe Cup with New Zealand and the...
1947 England
England national rugby union team
The England national rugby union team represents England in rugby union. They compete in the annual Six Nations Championship with France, Ireland, Scotland, Italy, and Wales. They have won this championship on 26 occasions, 12 times winning the Grand Slam, making them the most successful team in...
1948 France
France national rugby union team
The France national rugby union team represents France in rugby union. They compete annually against England, Ireland, Italy, Scotland and Wales in the Six Nations Championship. They have won the championship outright sixteen times, shared it a further eight times, and have completed nine grand slams...
1948 1939, 1948 Scotland
Scotland national rugby union team
The Scotland national rugby union team represent Scotland in international rugby union. Rugby union in Scotland is administered by the Scottish Rugby Union. The Scotland rugby union team is currently ranked eighth in the IRB World Rankings as of 19 September 2011...
1939, 1948
Military career
With the outbreak of the Second World War all organsied rugby was suspended. In 1940 Manfield volunteered for the Royal Air ForceRoyal Air Force
The Royal Air Force is the aerial warfare service branch of the British Armed Forces. Formed on 1 April 1918, it is the oldest independent air force in the world...
, and was sent to RAF training centres in Uxbridge
RAF Uxbridge
RAF Uxbridge was a Royal Air Force station in Uxbridge within the London Borough of Hillingdon. Its grounds covered originally belonging to the Hillingdon House estate, which was purchased by the British Government in 1915, three years before the founding of the RAF...
and Cosford, training alongside soccer international George Male
George Male
Charles George Male was an English footballer.Born in West Ham, London, Male trialled with West Ham United before playing with non-league Clapton. He joined Arsenal as an amateur in November 1929, turning professional in May 1930 and made his debut in a 7-1 victory over Blackpool on December 27,...
. After completing his training he was posted to St Athan near Cardiff before training as an air observer
Air observer
An air observer is a British term for a military aircrew member whose duties are predominantly reconnaissance. The term originates in the First World War in the Royal Flying Corps, and was maintained by its successor, the Royal Air Force...
in Scotland. In 1942, now a flying officer, Manfield was posted to active service in Cairo
Cairo
Cairo , is the capital of Egypt and the largest city in the Arab world and Africa, and the 16th largest metropolitan area in the world. Nicknamed "The City of a Thousand Minarets" for its preponderance of Islamic architecture, Cairo has long been a centre of the region's political and cultural life...
and spent three years in the Middle East flying Wellingtons
Vickers Wellington
The Vickers Wellington was a British twin-engine, long range medium bomber designed in the mid-1930s at Brooklands in Weybridge, Surrey, by Vickers-Armstrongs' Chief Designer, R. K. Pierson. It was widely used as a night bomber in the early years of the Second World War, before being displaced as a...
with 102 Squadron
No. 104 Squadron RAF
No. 104 Squadron RAF was formed at Wyton on 4 September 1917 and was equipped with the DH 9. It then moved to Andover, prior to being posted to France in May 1918. The squadron later began re-equipping with the DH 10, however the armistice arrived before this was completed and the squadron returned...
, rising to the rank of squadron leader
Squadron Leader
Squadron Leader is a commissioned rank in the Royal Air Force and the air forces of many countries which have historical British influence. It is also sometimes used as the English translation of an equivalent rank in countries which have a non-English air force-specific rank structure. In these...
. Manfield was hit by flak twice whilst flying over Tobruk. While navigating an SOE
Special Operations Executive
The Special Operations Executive was a World War II organisation of the United Kingdom. It was officially formed by Prime Minister Winston Churchill and Minister of Economic Warfare Hugh Dalton on 22 July 1940, to conduct guerrilla warfare against the Axis powers and to instruct and aid local...
operation to Crete his plane crash landed in the sea after the engines failed. Manfield and three other crewmen survived at sea for two days before being picked up by a motor torpedo boat.
On 4 April 1943, Manfield was awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross for his work in a Special Operations Unit. He left 282 Wing Cairo in 1945 and returned to Britain as a course commander at the Empire Air Navigation School in Shawbury.