Arthur Rees
| Full name | Arthur Morgan Rees | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Date of birth | 20 November 1912 | ||
| Place of birth | Llangadog, Wales | ||
| Date of death | 13 May 1998 (aged 85) | ||
| Place of death | Oxshott, England | ||
| Height | 1.87 m (6 ft 2 in) | ||
| Weight | 85.5 kg (13 st 6 lb) | ||
| School | Llandovery College | ||
| University | St Catharine's College, Cambridge | ||
| Occupation(s) | Police chief | ||
| Rugby union career | |||
| Playing career | |||
| Position | Flanker | ||
| Amateur clubs | |||
| Years | Club / team | ||
| Cambridge University Royal Air Force Metropolitan Police London Welsh RFC Stoke Wrexham RFC Barbarian F.C. Sussex Middlesex | |||
| National team(s) | |||
| Years | Club / team | Caps | (points) |
| 1934–1938 | Wales | 13 | (0) |
Arthur Morgan Rees CBE, QPM, DL (20 November 1912 – 13 May 1998)[1] was a Welsh international rugby union flanker, the Chief Constable of both Denbighshire and Stafford and Stoke-on-Trent, a sports' administrator and World War II fighter pilot.
Personal history
Rees was born in the village of Llangadog in 1912. He was raised as a Welsh speaker, not learning English until the age of seven.[2] He was educated at Llandovery College before matriculating to St Catharine's College, Cambridge.[2] He joined the Metropolitan Police after leaving Cambridge in 1935, joining the Royal Air Force after the outbreak of the Second World War. Serving as a pilot, he rose to the rank of Squadron Leader, ending as acting Wing Commander.[2]
In 1943 he married Dorothy Webb, with whom he would have a daughter.[2] With the end of the war he returned to the Metropolitan force, rising through the ranks until becoming the Chief Constable of Denbighshire in 1957.[2] He remained with the Welsh force until 1964 when he became the Chief Constable of Staffordshire.
Awards
Rees received several awards for his many years as a high ranking police officer and his work on sporting bodies. In 1960 he was appointed the Order of the British Empire which was followed by a Commander of the Order of the British Empire in 1974.[3] He was awarded the Queen's Police Medal in 1970[4] and was made a Deputy Lieutenant to Staffordshire in 1967. In May 1977 he was granted the Freedom of the City of London and in November of the same year was made a Knight of the Order of St John.[5]
Bibliography
- Billot, John (1972). All Blacks in Wales. Ferndale: Ron Jones Publications.
- Godwin, Terry (1984). The International Rugby Championship 1883-1983. London: Willows Books. ISBN 0-00-218060-X.
- Smith, David; Williams, Gareth (1980). Fields of Praise: The Official History of The Welsh Rugby Union. Cardiff: University of Wales Press. ISBN 0-7083-0766-3.
- Thomas, Wayne (1979). A Century of Welsh Rugby Players. Ansells Ltd.
References
- ↑ "Arthur Rees". ESPN Scrum.coms. Retrieved 1 June 2011.
- 1 2 3 4 5 Cole, Robert (21 May 1998). "Obituary: Arthur Rees". The Independent. Retrieved 1 June 2011.
- ↑ "CBE" (PDF). london-gazette.co.uk. 15 June 1974. Retrieved 1 June 2011.
- ↑ "Queen's Police Medal" (PDF). london-gazette.co.uk. 1 January 1970. Retrieved 1 June 2011.
- ↑ "The Most Venerable Order of the Hospital of St. John of Jerusalem" (PDF). london-gazette.co.uk. 4 November 1977. Retrieved 1 June 2011.