Christopher Warner on sporting figures in conflict
In all my dreams, before my helpless sight,
He plunges at me, guttering, choking, drowning.
In his poem ‘Dulce et decorum est’, Wilfred Owen reflects upon his experiences in World War One to capture the horrors of trench warfare. The haunting imagery describes an especially chilling glimpse of those afflicted by poison gas – men such as Welsh rugby star ‘Clem’ Lewis.
The crafty outside-half from Newton Nottage would ultimately recover from his wounds, giving John Morris Clement Lewis the rare achievement of playing for his club, university, and country before and after the war.
