Leslie Manfield DFC (10 November 1915 – 2 November 2006) was a Welsh

rugby union Rugby union football, commonly known simply as rugby union in English-speaking countries and rugby 15/XV in non-English-speaking world, Anglophone Europe, or often just rugby, is a Contact sport#Terminology, close-contact team sport that orig ...

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 Mountain ash may refer to: * ''Eucalyptus regnans'', the tallest of all flowering plants, native to Australia * Mountain-ashes or rowans, varieties of trees and shrubs in the genus ''Sorbus'' See also

* Mountain Ash, Rhondda Cynon Taf, a town ...

, the son of a railway worker, and went to school there. He played for the Welsh under-15 side on 1 March 1930 and played for Cardiff RFC. 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 World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...

, 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,''Fields of Praise, The Official History of the Welsh Rugby Union 1881-1981'', David Smith, Gareth Williams (1980) pg469 and taught at Mountain Ash Grammar School until forced to retire through ill-health. He died at

Aberdare Aberdare ( ; ) is a town in the Cynon Valley area of Rhondda Cynon Taf, Wales, at the confluence of the Rivers Dare (Dâr) and River Cynon, Cynon. Aberdare has a population of 39,550 (mid-2017 estimate). Aberdare is south-west of Merthyr Tydf ...

Hospital of complications after a fall.

International matches played

Australia Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country comprising mainland Australia, the mainland of the Australia (continent), Australian continent, the island of Tasmania and list of islands of Australia, numerous smaller isl ...

1947 *

England England is a Countries of the United Kingdom, country that is part of the United Kingdom. It is located on the island of Great Britain, of which it covers about 62%, and List of islands of England, more than 100 smaller adjacent islands. It ...

1948 *

France France, officially the French Republic, is a country located primarily in Western Europe. Overseas France, Its overseas regions and territories include French Guiana in South America, Saint Pierre and Miquelon in the Atlantic Ocean#North Atlan ...

1948 * 1939, 1948 *

Scotland Scotland is a Countries of the United Kingdom, country that is part of the United Kingdom. It contains nearly one-third of the United Kingdom's land area, consisting of the northern part of the island of Great Britain and more than 790 adjac ...

1939, 1948

Military career

With the outbreak of the Second World War all organised rugby was suspended. In 1940 Manfield volunteered for the

Royal Air Force The Royal Air Force (RAF) is the Air force, air and space force of the United Kingdom, British Overseas Territories and Crown Dependencies. It was formed towards the end of the World War I, First World War on 1 April 1918, on the merger of t ...

, and was sent to RAF training centres in

Uxbridge Uxbridge () is a suburban town in west London, England, and the administrative headquarters of the London Borough of Hillingdon, northwest of Charing Cross. Uxbridge formed part of the parish of Hillingdon in the county of Middlesex. As part ...

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 Cairo ( ; , ) is the Capital city, capital and largest city of Egypt and the Cairo Governorate, being home to more than 10 million people. It is also part of the List of urban agglomerations in Africa, largest urban agglomeration in Africa, L ...

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.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Manfield, Leslie 1915 births 2006 deaths Alumni of Cardiff University Alumni of Leeds Beckett University Barbarian F.C. players Bridgend RFC players British Special Operations Executive personnel British World War II bomber pilots British World War II pilots Cardiff RFC players London Welsh RFC players Mountain Ash RFC players Neath RFC players Otley R.U.F.C. players Penarth RFC players Recipients of the Distinguished Flying Cross (United Kingdom) Royal Air Force personnel of World War II Rugby union number eights Rugby union players from Mountain Ash, Wales Shot-down aviators Wales international rugby union players Welsh airmen Welsh schoolteachers Welsh rugby union players