V. E. Day – The Melting Pot

by Anna Morrell (née Bevan)

Glyn Bevan, my uncle, from Merthyr Tydfil, served as an officer in the Royal Navy during the Second World War, and was working at the Admiralty in London, aged just 24, when peace was declared. Here is his diary account of the V.E. Day celebrations in London. .

V.E. DAY

Violent thunderstorm, between 0100 and 0300. I was woken up by an extremely bright flash of lightning at the start. Heavy rain for a time. I believe there was a thunderstorm the night war was declared too. The streets were already filling with people as I cycled in to Admiralty. The end of the war has coincided with a big leave party from the B.L.A. (British Liberation Army) and also with the return of a large number of P.O.W.s, so besides the usual flags and banners many house have “Welcome home” and “Welcome home Pally” on them. About 75% of the houses and shops on the way in had at least one flag. All very like the Coronation in a way except that the whole thing has so much more meaning.

Am in Admiralty all day. Went out to lunch with J.L.S. and had to fight our way through perfectly enormous crowds in Trafalgar Square. Got held up by a procession on the way back and we were both streaming with perspiration, almost exhausted by the time we got back to the cool corridors of Admiralty.

Church bells were ringing all day. I locked up the office at 1500 to hear the PM – the first time it has been locked up since war started – and again at night to hear the King who spoke very well. Went out again for dinner – up to Piccadilly and Leicester Square where it was almost impossible to move. Planes were flying over dropping flares and the crowd was letting off explosives. Took Joan and another girl out into Whitehall at 2230 to see the lights. A lot of Whitehall was flood-lit, all Trafalgar Square, where it was a light as day with mobile searchlight batteries, and Parliament. The Jack on Parliament Tower was flood-lit too and looked grand and so was Big Ben. The show piece in Whitehall was the Ministry of Health which had flags of all the nations up besides being floodlit and bathed in searchlights. We went down just in time to see and hear Churchill speaking to a crowd of 60,000 from the balcony. The place was massed between Parliament Square until past the Cenotaph and the whole lot of us cheered and cheered at intervals through his speech until we were hoarse.

Winston Churchill greeting the crowds in Whitehall

Then went up to Trafalgar Square where they were letting off dozens of Very lights and explosives. The crowd was so immense that we simply had to drift with it, you couldn’t move independently. Eventually we got through Admiralty Arch as most people seemed to be going to the Palace. The Arch was lit by 40 searchlights and it was almost literally as bright as day. This was in addition to the usual floodlighting arc-lamps. The National Gallery and St Martin’s were also floodlit and looked grand. Planes dropping flares over St James Park, and there was also a bonfire there. Exceedingly warm, muggy day. More thunder to come I should think.

V+1

Also a general holiday. Cycled back to Woodford and went straight to bed. Got up at 4 o’clock and had tea. It rained a little as I came in. Got to the National Gallery at 1800 but JG didn’t turn up till nearly 1900 owing to the crowds so I listened to the bells of St Martin’s peeling out and also playing hymns and watched the crowd dancing and singing in the Square.

When he arrived we went off to Piccadilly where we pitched into beer and sherry and got pleasantly tight. Then had dinner with more beer and whiskey and finished off with brandy. Then drifted down to the Ministry of Health where there was another enormous crowd and waited there from 2130 to 2245 when Churchill came out. Chanted “we want Winnie” at intervals and sang songs – Roll out the Barrel, Daisy, There’ll Always be an England, Land of Hope and Glory, Keep the Home Fires Burning, Tipperary, Pack up your Troubles etc.

Got talking to a small boy and his young mother and several other people. Churchill came just after the floodlights went up and got a simply terrific reception. We yelled ourselves hoarse all through his speech, especially when he said “And let us not forget our great navy” and “God bless you all”. And we yelled for about 5 minutes at the end. Then went through the Park to the Palace where there was another enormous crowd. Flares and firecrackers too. The King and Queen came out just after we got there.

Eventually got back to Trafalgar Square and I took J up on Admiralty Arch. We then joined in songs in the Square and eventually he jumped a lift to Liverpool St and I went into Admiralty canteen to get some tea. Came back via Whitehall, the Embankment, St Paul’s. After the West End the City was blacked out, there was barely a light showing in Stratford and Wanstead. Got to bed by 0200.

After the war, Glyn returned to Merthyr to run the family business, a manufacturers’ agents, with his brother Clive – my father. Also as a talented musician, he was the organist and choirmaster at Christ Church, Cyfarthfa, for nearly 25 years. He died after a long illness in 1994.

by Eirlys Emery

During a recent visit to the Normandy coast in France, I was very impressed and moved by the efforts made to remember those who had died landing on the beaches on D-Day, 6 June 1944, 75 years ago. On each lamp post along the coast road was a photograph of members of the allied armed forces who were remembered.

Two examples of the commemorative photographs in Normandy

As it is another 75^th Anniversary, of the end of World War Two, next year, and there will be VE (Victory in Europe) Day celebrations and commemorations on the weekend beginning on Friday 8 May 2020, I wondered whether any individuals, organisations, schools, youth club, community groups, churches, etc. in Treharris may be interested in doing some forward planning and research to commemorate those associated with Treharris who died during World War 2 ready for May 2020.

Treharris War Memorial – the Library Clock

I began an online search and discovered 45 people associated with Treharris were killed during the the war and I wondered whether there are relatives of anyone who died who would be able to assist with photographs or any other articles or documents which could tell the story of their loved one. I checked with the local Library and found that there is no list of names available at the Library of either World War, even though the Library Clock is a War Memorial.

After posting on Facebook on the Treharris and Quakers’ Yard Group pages, I began to receive information and interest from people locally and from as far afield as Australia, so that it seemed feasible that we should keep a public record of those who had died in World War 2.

A small community group was established: –

to commemorate those people who lost their lives during the 1939-45 World War who were associated with the Treharris Ward area of the Merthyr Tydfil County Borough, and who have been recorded in records and on War Memorials throughout the world, as a result of their deaths during that period as a result of enemy actions or whilst in the service of their country.
to record information for wider public and educational purposes so that this current generation and future generations will have information and stories to understand how people in their community died in one of the deadliest conflicts in recent history, and the impact on their families and community.
to produce an exhibition of information, photographs and other media in time for the Commemoration of the 75^th Anniversary of the end of the 1939-45 World War, to complete the Project by 4 May 2020.

At least 15 individuals have been in touch about their relatives who died in the war, some having sent precious photographs and related stories about their memories and what they had been told about their loved ones.

A meeting was held in Treharris Library on 15 October 2019, and seven people attended, all of whom supported these proposals, and some who were unable to attend sent apologies and promised to assist also.

After hearing about how the Treharris Remembers – Treharris Yn Cofio project came about and some ideas were discussed, it was felt that the minimum that ought to be achieved by the Project was to establish a permanent Book Of Remembrance in Treharris, containing the same amount and type of information about each of those whose names appear as having died during World War Two and who had strong associations and families within the Treharris Ward. We discussed whether we should include Trelewis names also, although it was agreed that they are commemorated on the Trelewis War Memorial and all know who they were. To extend the scope of the Project would require more resources and time than we have available. However, we will work with our friends in Trelewis and share information as it becomes available.

If we are to be able to produce and publish materials discovered during project, we are likely to require funding for printing, photographs, Book of Remembrance printed and bound, and perhaps other items not known at present. In anticipation of this, and before the Project began officially, and application had been made to the Ffos-y-Fran Fund to the sum of £300. Indications are that it will be granted but it is likely that further applications for grants and crowdfunding will have to be considered. An account in the name of Treharris Remembers – Treharris Yn Cofio has been set up with the Merthyr Tydfil Credit Union, and the Project’s Constitution, which was discussed and amended at the meeting, allows for fund to be raised. It was decided that the project should be as inclusive as possible and that no membership fee will be charged and it is open to all who have an interest in the Project. The Chair of the Meeting and of the community group is Councillor Gareth Richards, the Treasurer is Susan Burgess, and the Secretary is Eirlys Emery.

It was decided at the meeting that it is likely that we will not be able to find photographs of all those listed, but that we should undertake what research might be possible, so that we can begin to tell the story of how the war had an impact on people in Treharris. Schools may be able to help us in this aim, as they are taught about World War 2 as part of their studies. It was decided that schools should be asked to take part if possible, so that young people can be part of the commemoration next May.

Other community groups may be able to help us also, and this will also be pursued.

Given the information we have gathered to date, the 45 names from Treharris provide us with an understanding which goes far beyond what you might expect from the small town that it was then and is now. These people from Treharris were killed in incidents in almost every Theatre of War that was fought during 1939-45. They represent the sacrifices made on land, at sea, and in the air. They died in the Far East, in many places in Europe and North Africa. Most were in the armed forces but others were civilians based in Wales and England, and killed in air raid bombings or on Merchant Ships. Three of the 45 were women.

The Project will continue to involve the community in as many ways as possible to achieve its purposes, and to take part in commemoration and recording for history the sacrifice, bravery and debt we owe to those from our town who died.

Tag: V. E. Day

V.E. Day – a Contemporary Account

Treharris Remembers – Treharris yn Cofio