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War hero Sir Tasker Watkins dies War hero Sir Tasker Watkins dies
(40 minutes later)
Sir Tasker Watkins, one of Wales's greatest war heroes and an eminent judge, has died at the age of 88. Sir Tasker Watkins, one of Britain's greatest war heroes, recipient of the Victoria Cross and an eminent retired judge, has died at the age of 88.
He was a former Welsh Rugby Union president and the national team will wear black armbands in their opening World Cup game against Canada in Nantes He was a former Welsh Rugby Union president and the national team will wear black armbands in their opening World Cup game in Nantes.
He was 25 when he won the Victoria Cross in 1944 for his bravery serving with the Welch Regiment in Normandy. He was 25 when he won the Victoria Cross in 1944 for his bravery with the Welch Regiment in northern France.
He died in the University Hospital of Wales, Cardiff, in the early hours.He died in the University Hospital of Wales, Cardiff, in the early hours.
He had been in hospital for the past few weeks after a fall at his home in the Llandaff area of the city. Sir Tasker had been in hospital for the past few weeks after a fall at his home in the Llandaff area of the city.
He was born in Nelson, near Pontypridd, on 18 November, 1918, a week after the end of World War I.
The son of a miner, he won a scholarship to Pontypridd County School. He was almost 21 when World War II broke out and he joined the Welch Regiment.
Sir Tasker was awarded the Victoria Cross at the age of 25Sir Tasker was awarded the Victoria Cross at the age of 25
When he left the army he was called to the Bar by the Middle Temple. Soon after D-Day in 1944, while still a lieutenant, Sir Tasker became the first Welshman in WW II to be awarded the VC, the UK's highest award for gallantry, for his leadership in an assault on a German machine-gun post in Normandy.
In 1966, Sir Tasker was counsel for the inquiry into the Aberfan disaster, when a coal tip slid onto the south Wales valleys village, killing 144 people, 116 of them children. With his death, there are only 12 living holders of the VC left worldwide.
But Sir Tasker never talked publicly about his honour and he refused to let the regimental museum in Cardiff display a specially-commissioned painting of the incident, saying it "over-glamorised" his actions.
Aberfan disaster
After leaving the Army as a major, he began studying to be a barrister and was called to the Bar in 1948.
He rapidly made an impression in the courts, becoming a QC in 1965.
In 1966, Sir Tasker was deputy to Sir Elwyn Jones for the official tribunal into the Aberfan disaster, when a coal tip slid onto the south Wales valleys village, killing 144 people, 116 of them children.
In 1971 he became a High Court judge, and was also knighted.In 1971 he became a High Court judge, and was also knighted.
Sir Tasker was president of the WRU from 1993 to 2004, making him its second-longest serving president. He rose to become a lord justice of appeal in 1980 and was eventually the deputy lord chief justice.
The former WRU president became a freeman of Cardiff in 2006Sir Tasker took the controversial step of supporting a posthumous pardon for Derek Bentley, who was hanged in the 1950s for the murder of a police officer.
Lifelong supporter
He was president of the University of Wales College of Medicine for 11 years from 1987 and president of the British Legion, Wales, between 1947 and 1968.
Sir Tasker was a lifelong rugby supporter. Although small of stature, he played as outside-half for the Army, Cardiff and Glamorgan Wanderers, with whom he maintained a lifelong connection.
Later he was to take on the game's top role in Wales
Sir Tasker took on the role of president of the WRU in 1993 at a time when the game was at a low ebb both on and off the field.
He held the role until 2004, making him its second-longest serving president.