RUGBY records show that a WH Townsend gained an international cap for South Africa on tour to New Zealand in 1921 – but there was much more to Mr Townsend than the South African selectors appear to have ever realised as he was born and raised in Newport and went on to fight in both World Wars, writes Howard Evans.

William Henry Townsend's service card states he was born on March 12, 1896, but this was not true as he often appeared to change his age during the 47 years of his life.

He was born in Newport in the second quarter of 1895 (not 1896) to William and Rosetta (nee James) Townsend. His father was born in 1863, but died in Newport in 1898 at the age of 35, while Rosetta, who had married him in mid-1894, was left with her only child (William Henry), who was just three years old.

Mother and son lived at 32 Raglan Street, Newport with Rosetta, a dressmaker, taking in lodgers.

For reasons unknown, but probably shortage of money, the pair had moved by 1911 to live at 71 Capel Crescent in Newport, along with William's maternal grandfather in what appears to have been a boarding house.

By then, at the age of 16, Townsend was described as a shipbroker's clerk, yet, on November 15, 1913 he left his ailing mother and caught a ship, the 'Guildford Castle' from Southampton and disembarked at Delgoa Bay in Mozambique. He was listed as being 18 and with occupation as a stevedore.

Also listed was that his intended country of permanent residence was South Africa.

The decision to leave and never again see his mother and why he got off at Delagoa Bay is a total mystery.

But almost as soon as he arrived in South Africa, seemingly in Durban, the First World War had broken out.

At this point it should be said that William Henry's schooling is unknown as is when and where he first played rugby. Was it in Newport? If it was in South Africa he would have had little time before enlisting by 1914 in the South African Infantry.

Just a year later on April 30, 1917, his mother died at Capel Crescent aged only 50 and William Henry was named as the beneficiary of her estate. Did he ever know?

He served with the Natal Mounted Rifles until war ended in 1918 but played some rugby during that time in Europe.

While waiting to return to South Africa, young Townsend was selected to play for the South African Services side in the King's Cup of 1919, beginning by defeating the Royal Air Force at Twickenham by 12-0 on March 8, when he scored a try playing at scrum half.

He was by then known by his Army mates as 'Taffy' and his next match was at Rodney Parade, Newport on March 15 against Australia.

It was lost 8-5, but did he look for his mother? Or did he already know she had died? Or did he care? And surely it was his one and only game on Rodney Parade.

By March 22 he was scoring a try in the 31-0 win over Canada at Swansea and on March 29 his side lost 14-5 to the New Zealand Services at Twickenham and then lost 21-12 to Mother Country (the British Army) also at Twickenham, when again he was a try-scorer.

There had been other matches in the warm-up to the Cup but then he appeared for Natal against the NZ Services on August 27, 1919 and again on September 16, when he dropped a goal.

'Taffy' represented the Old Collegians RFC in Durban and his occupation was listed as a diamond digger. It is not known if he ever married but by 1921 he was selected on the first South African tour to New Zealand.

In the 19 matches he played in ten – eight as scrum half and two as fly half – and made the first Test, being listed as only 5ft 5ins and 11st. His late try beat the Maori team by 9-8 on that tour.

'Taffy' is listed as a South African selector but that was not true and the next hearing of him was playing for Natal against the British touring side of 1924.

The Second World War began and when he was 46 he enlisted in the South African

Artillery 1AA Regiment as a bombardier to fight against the Germans in North Africa.

It seems his service record shows he was reported as missing on March 31, 1942 after what may have been the Battle of Gazala and fall of Tobruk.

By August 10 it was confirmed that he was a Prisoner of War but five months later, on January 27, 1943 at the age of 47 he was reported as having died at a POW camp.

It may have been in north Africa or more likely in Sicily, as he is remembered in the Catania War Cemetery in Sicily and he was the only Springbok rugby player to die in the Second World War, though several were POWs.

Seemingly, one military card had his date of birth as March 12, 1907, probably because, again, he lied as to his age. A puzzling but very brave man, but one that history passed over.