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Description
This trophy is a one off. Made from a World War One Shell Case, it was presented to Billy after he won a bout at the British Army and Navy Championship in 1918, in Salonica, Greece.
William Isaac Eynon was born in 1895 in Merthyr Tydfil. By the age of 17 he was working as a coal miner and living at 10, Howell Street, Georgetown.
Billy learnt to box in the many boxing booths around the town at the time. If you were successful in the boxing booths you could earn decent money and you didn't have to go underground.
Billy enlisted on March 6th 1916. He served as a Gunner with the Royal Field Artillery.
The trophy here was won by Billy during a British Army and Navy Championship contest. The crowd Billy fought in front of is said to have been over 200,000 strong. The trophy is partly made out of a WWl shell.
Billy like many suffered greatly during the war. He was treated for dysentery and malaria during his service. He survived the war and continued to box for several years and later lived in Sunny Bank, Merthyr Tydfil.
CCM 1.992
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