Clive L Mort

H 1940 - 1948

Clive Mort, who died on 14 December 2018 aged 87yrs, entered Wycliffe Junior School aged 10 ½ yrs in May 1941. He was from Wales (Swansea), as was a large proportion of his contemporaries, because the Junior (Upper) School, as well as the Senior school, had been relocated from Stonehouse to Lampeter since September 1939.

He remained in Lampeter for the remainder of the War, returning to Stonehouse at the end of 1945, when, the forward in the Star (January – December 1945), records ‘the great trek back to Gloucestershire is in process’. His parents would not have known for how long he would have been at school at Lampeter, or whether his education would continue further afield in Gloucestershire. Fortunately for Clive, and his contemporaries, their early horizons were broadened. He remained at Wycliffe until the summer of 1948, leaving at the age of 17yrs.

By the time he left, as recorded in the Star, he was a house monitor and had been vice president of the Junior Debating Society.

However, it was on the rugby field that he probably best excelled. He was in the first XV in his last year, 1947 – 48, playing in the forwards. He was in good company. The forwards were not strong, but the backs included Viv Ganz, who was capped for the Wales Schoolboys, and Harry Morgan, who later became a senior Wales international. The Star reported that ‘with Webber at scrum half able to throw out long accurate passes, the midfield triangle of Joseph – Morgan – Ganz was a most dangerous attacking force’. It had been no coincidence that all four were Welsh.

However, the first XV did not achieve great success. They lost an equal number of games as they won, but, according to the Star, the results were ‘not a true indication of the standard and achievements of the first XV… the whole XV suffers in comparison with pre War teams by lack of years and thus inexperience and knowledge of the game’.

If Clive had remained at Wycliffe until 18 yrs he would have had two years in the first XV.

Under first XV “characters” in the Star Clive was described as ‘At one stage of the season played rather lackadaisically, but pulled up his socks and became a lively, thrustful forward as the season advanced, particularly good in dribbling rushes. Shared the duties of hooker with success’.

On leaving Wycliffe, Clive served in the Royal Air Force and went to University College Cardiff to study pharmacy. His subsequent career was spent in retail pharmacy in Swansea. Sporting interest nurtured at Wycliffe developed. He was keen on golf being a member for very many years at Swansea Bay Club and Langland Bay Club. He enjoyed fishing as well as driving sports cars. He was a social man with many friends.

He leaves a widow, Betty, and two daughters, Helen and Claire.