The Second World War and Llanfechain.

On September 1st 1939 the German armies invaded Poland.  On Sunday the 3rd the British Government declared war on Germany.  The immediate cause remained an expansionist but now Nazi Germany and her allies in Europe and the Far East.  The war was more ‘mobile’ and fought over a wider area of the globe; and civilians were both more involved and targeted.  The number of civilians killed was about 47 million including 20 million who died from war related disease and famine.  The number of military killed was about 25 million including 4 million who died in captivity; Britain and her Commonwealth put 11,115,000 men to arms; 580,351 were killed, 475,000 wounded and 318,000 were taken prisoner.  The war ended with the dropping of the first nuclear bombs on Japan.

There are no known lists of those who went to war from the village.  But we do know that Tom Lewis of the Stryt was evacuated from Dunkirk. Ken Price, a Royal Electrical and Mechanical Engineer, was part of the Normandy invasion and push through France ending his war in Köln. John E. Humphreys, the grandson of Farrier Quartermaster-Sergeant John H Humphreys, served in a reconnaissance unit, landing in Normandy on D+5, fighting through Belgium and Holland, then in the Ardennes offensive where he was wounded. Bill Richards, an ambulance driver of the Royal Army Service Corps, was captured at Dunkirk when trying to recover casualties; he spent the rest of the war in Stalag XX 20, a prisoner of war camp in Marienburg, Poland. Stan Richards was a RQMS in the Welsh Guards. Percy Richards, an old pupil of the Llanfechain school, served as a Royal Marine Bandsman (a unit that had the highest casualty rates in the Royal Navy) and was on HMS Ajax at the Battle of the River Plate. James Wylie, also a member of Royal Marine Band Service, was torpedoed on HMS Kent, saw action in HMS Scylla on the Arctic convoy, and then in support of the landings in North Africa and at Salerno in Italy. Maldwyn Ellis, of Penllys Mawr, was in the RAF and was blown up on a mine while driving a bulldozer. John David Ellis, his brother, also served in the RAF.  Cyril, son of Pop Broomby of the Talbot, served in the Royal Marines, he ended the war in Hong Kong where, by chance, he met Maldwyn Ellis (see picture of the two together).
         
 

 

 

Francis Leslie Brayne (pictured left) who died 5th September 2009 (DOB 27th February 1920) was a Flt Sgt in the RAF, and served in Coastal Command; a Service of Thanksgiving was held in St Garmon’s on 17th September 2009.
         

Edward Breeze was a merchant seaman whose ship was sunk in the Atlantic and who spent 21 days adrift before being rescued. Elwyn Mechain Jones of Penllys Bach, served in the Parachute Regiment and landed at Arnhem. His brothers, Thomas Isaac and John David Jones also gave service, the latter in the Royal Engineers.  Evan Pugh of Berllan, having been in the 1st WW, served as an instructor stationed in Ireland.  Dick Jones, the Rector’s son, served in India and Burma. Peter Tripp who lived in Tan-y-ffridd, served in the Royal Marines in India, Burma and Malaya ending his war in Hong Kong. Major Derek Cooper MC (Irish Guards 1936-4, then The Life Guards 1941- 58) who came to live at Ty Bain, served in NW Europe and then in Palestine.  Oswald Edwards, the village postmaster both before and after the war and who lived in the Old Post Office and later in Tirionfa, was in the Navy; his brother John, a policeman after the war, also gave service as did Albert Lloyd. There may be others of whom we are regrettably unaware and for which we apologise. If you can add to this story please send the input to the History Society.

Those who died from the village were: