With Remembrance Day approaching Letchworth Nub News with the help of Letchworth Rugby Club will be highlighting some of the fallen heroes from the Role of Honour on the wall at the clubhouse on Legends Lane.

Read on the first of our series Legends from Legends Lane featuring William 'Billy' Barron

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Letchworth GC Rugby Club has existed since the early 1920s.

During their long and proud existence, the renowned club featured players who did their duty and fought with courage and valour in World War Two.

Some of who made the ultimate sacrifice between 1939 and 1945.

The Role of Honour on the Letchworth RC clubhouse wall at Legends Lane contains nearly 20 names of The Fallen.

The fates of these brave young men were catalogued by former RAF flier Gordon Collinson.

Gordon passed away three years ago at the grand old age of 95 but his work lives on - as do our town's heroes from Legends Lane.

Gordon's work has been taken on by two stalwarts of the club, player Adam Winwood and treasurer Chris 'Taff' Marshall - who have made it their mission to try and visit every known grave of the men represented on the club house board.

This is an epic project as most lie in European countries or beyond and some have no known resting place.

The first in our series of Legends From Legends Lane involves William 'Billy' Barron.

Billy's grave was the first to be located, at Caserta, just north of Naples, on Italy's Amalfi coast.

Gunner Barron's fate was nothing short of tragic for his family, who lived in Nevells Road Letchworth.

He had been involved in severe fighting in Iraq and was reported as missing at the end of June 1942.

However at the end of September his mother received a joyous postcard to say he was alive and recovering as he put it 'in the midst of beautiful Italian scenery'.

Yet, just two weeks later, the sudden news of his untimely death from dysentery as a POW was received.

Billy Barron was just 22 years old.

Before the war he had played rugby for Letchworth and cricket for the Tabulators and was seen as a fine all round sportsman and outgoing and pleasant young man with a great future before him.

Now 79 years to the month of his sad demise, his short life has been remembered and honoured by these two members of his town's rugby club who visited his grave and laid flowers as well as a Letchworth rugby cap.

Letchworth RC chairman Brian Burke told Letchworth Nub News: "No doubt there will be further expeditions to find the resting places of others who lie in far flung graves that will be forever linked with Letchworth RFC.

"Rest easy Gunner Barron."

With thanks to Brian Burke and all at Letchworth Rugby Club

Age shall not weary them, nor the years condemn.

We will remember them"

For the Fallen, by Laurence Binyon, 1914

See Letchworth Nub News for more Legends From Legends Lane as Remembrance Day looms

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