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Frank Whitcombe
Frank William Whitcombe (29 May 1913 – 17 January 1958), also known by the nickname of "The Big Man", was a Welsh rugby union, and professional rugby league footballer who played in the 1930s and 1940s. He played rugby union (RU) for Cardiff RFC, London Welsh RFC, Aldershot Services and Army Rugby Union, as a prop, and representative level rugby league (RL) for Great Britain, Rugby League XIII, and Wales, and at club level for Broughton Rangers and Bradford Northern, as a prop.
Whitcombe was one of ten children growing up at 52 Wedmore Road in Grangetown. His father Frederick William Whitcombe worked as a blacksmith's striker at the Dry docks. His sport was as a prize fighter, bare-knuckle boxing, at Cardiff Docks known locally as Tiger Bay.
Times would be hard for Gertrude Whitcombe, Frank's mother, but she was a resourceful woman, for income the family firstly had her brother and Samuel & Emily Leonard as lodgers. Mrs Whitcombe would send one of the children to the brewery for a jug of yeast, and would brew her own beer, the children would sell this to the neighbours, and she would also make sloe gin to sell in the autumn
Along with brother George Whitcombe, Frank attended Ninian Park council school in Cardiff. On leaving school at 14 he worked for McNeil's The Coal and later as a van boy with the Great Western Railway.
Then after a period of unemployment on 17 January 1931 Whitcombe enlisted as a Sapper (number 1869154) in 38th Field Company, Royal Engineers as a motor driver.
This was an outstanding sporting unit, in his first year of service, 38th Field Company won the Athletic Challenge Cup, the Boxing cup and the Rugby cup. This was the start of Whitcombe's rugby union playing career with the Army. He had a sparkling career playing 27 times for the Army team and won two caps. On 23 February 1935, Whitcombe played on the winning Army team against Territorial Army at Taunton R.F.C. by 18 – 5. A game used as a trial match for the upcoming inter services. He then won his first cap on the winning Army Rugby Union team against the Royal Navy 11–8, on 2 March, in a famous victory with the Army team having only 13 players, due to injury for most of the match. His fellow prop was the England captain Douglas Kendrew who was one of the players who had to leave the field injured after only 15 minutes.
Then on the losing side 3–6 to the Royal Air Force on 23 March at Twickenham in a game dominated by the RAF standoff Gus Walker, making the Inter-Services title of 1935 a Triple Tie. While serving in the Army, Whitcombe reached the rank of lance corporal, very few non-commissioned officers made the Army side at this time.
Prior to turning professional, Whitcombe played at Twickenham in the final of the Middlesex Sevens on Saturday 27 April 1935 for London Welsh losing 3–10 to Harlequins. The following week Whitcombe returned to Cardiff to play in the Welsh final trial
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Frank Whitcombe
Frank William Whitcombe (29 May 1913 – 17 January 1958), also known by the nickname of "The Big Man", was a Welsh rugby union, and professional rugby league footballer who played in the 1930s and 1940s. He played rugby union (RU) for Cardiff RFC, London Welsh RFC, Aldershot Services and Army Rugby Union, as a prop, and representative level rugby league (RL) for Great Britain, Rugby League XIII, and Wales, and at club level for Broughton Rangers and Bradford Northern, as a prop.
Whitcombe was one of ten children growing up at 52 Wedmore Road in Grangetown. His father Frederick William Whitcombe worked as a blacksmith's striker at the Dry docks. His sport was as a prize fighter, bare-knuckle boxing, at Cardiff Docks known locally as Tiger Bay.
Times would be hard for Gertrude Whitcombe, Frank's mother, but she was a resourceful woman, for income the family firstly had her brother and Samuel & Emily Leonard as lodgers. Mrs Whitcombe would send one of the children to the brewery for a jug of yeast, and would brew her own beer, the children would sell this to the neighbours, and she would also make sloe gin to sell in the autumn
Along with brother George Whitcombe, Frank attended Ninian Park council school in Cardiff. On leaving school at 14 he worked for McNeil's The Coal and later as a van boy with the Great Western Railway.
Then after a period of unemployment on 17 January 1931 Whitcombe enlisted as a Sapper (number 1869154) in 38th Field Company, Royal Engineers as a motor driver.
This was an outstanding sporting unit, in his first year of service, 38th Field Company won the Athletic Challenge Cup, the Boxing cup and the Rugby cup. This was the start of Whitcombe's rugby union playing career with the Army. He had a sparkling career playing 27 times for the Army team and won two caps. On 23 February 1935, Whitcombe played on the winning Army team against Territorial Army at Taunton R.F.C. by 18 – 5. A game used as a trial match for the upcoming inter services. He then won his first cap on the winning Army Rugby Union team against the Royal Navy 11–8, on 2 March, in a famous victory with the Army team having only 13 players, due to injury for most of the match. His fellow prop was the England captain Douglas Kendrew who was one of the players who had to leave the field injured after only 15 minutes.
Then on the losing side 3–6 to the Royal Air Force on 23 March at Twickenham in a game dominated by the RAF standoff Gus Walker, making the Inter-Services title of 1935 a Triple Tie. While serving in the Army, Whitcombe reached the rank of lance corporal, very few non-commissioned officers made the Army side at this time.
Prior to turning professional, Whitcombe played at Twickenham in the final of the Middlesex Sevens on Saturday 27 April 1935 for London Welsh losing 3–10 to Harlequins. The following week Whitcombe returned to Cardiff to play in the Welsh final trial