John Rea (footballer)

Lieutenant Colonel John Charles Rea (21 December 1868–4 February 1944) was a Welsh footballer who played in the Football League for West Bromwich Albion, and earned nine caps for the Wales national team.

Club career
Rea's only game for West Bromwich Albion was on 15 December 1894 in a 3–2 win against Stoke.

International career
Rea made his international debut for Wales on 24 February 1894 in the 1893–94 British Home Championship against Ireland, which finished as a 4–1 home win. He earned nine caps in total for Wales and scored one goal, with his last appearance coming on 19 February 1898 in the 1897–98 British Home Championship against Ireland, which finished as a 0–1 home loss.

Military career
In 1902, Rea was a Lieutenant in the Royal Garrison Artillery (Volunteers), though volunteer units were reorganised in 1908 with the creation of the Territorial Force. One of the new units formed was the 2nd Welsh Brigade of the Royal Field Artillery, with one battery of the new field artillery brigade provided by the 1st Cardigan Royal Garrison Artillery (Volunteers), becoming the Cardiganshire Battery. Rea served as the commanding officer of the battery by 1912. In August 1914, after World War I was declared, Rea took up his duty of battery commander within the first line division of the Welsh Division, later renamed the 53rd (Welsh) Infantry Division. The divisional artillery were ordered to France to join the British Expeditionary Force, where he arrived in November 1915. The divisional artillery rejoined the rest of the division in Egypt in January 1916, later serving in Palestine. Rea survived the war, and returned to his family business. In 1922, he received the 1914–15 Star, British War Medal and Victory Medal at Terrace Road, Aberystwyth.

Awards
1914-15 Star ribbon.jpg BWMRibbon.png Victory medal (UK) ribbon.png


 * 1914–15 Star
 * British War Medal
 * Victory Medal

Personal life
Rea was born on 21 December 1868 in Lledrod, to John Rea of Worcester and Mary Anne Williams of Newtown. In 1906, he took over the licence and lease for the family's hotel, and converted it to a restaurant with a grocery store. He married Florence Isabel Elkes in 1908 in Birkenhead, and had three children by 1911. Rea lived in Aberystwyth with his wife, who died in 1936. In 1944, he died in Aberystwyth at the age of 75.