Welsh history
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I have a small number of copies of the Spanish Civil War book ‘A Bullet Saved My Life’ available for sale. The book, which was a Morning Star book of the week when it came out in 2006, tells the story of Welshman Bob Peters and his adventures in getting to and fighting in the
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Rhondda-born Alun Menai Williams had two remarkable photographs in his collection.One was a sad reminder of a friend, Billy Davies, who served in the Spanish Civil War, and was killed a few days after the snap was taken.The other was a source of immense pride. It showed Alun marching to the front, the flag of
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A Welshman, who helped rescue more than 2,600 refugees from Spain during the civil war, was this week honoured by the people of Alicante.Archibald Dickson, captain of the merchant steam ship Stanbrook, risked his life to enter the port as the civil war drew to a close.On Sunday, his son and daughter, Arnold Dickson and
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A plaque was due to be unveiled today in memory of Jimmy Murphy, the coach who helped nurture Manchester United’s legendary Busby Babes and led Wales to their only World Cup finals.Murphy, born in the Rhondda of a Welsh mother and Irish father, was the man who stepped into Matt Busby’s shoes after the Munich
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Psst, do you want to know a secret?It’s the story of a heroic Welshman, although it doesn’t start off very courageously.I mean, our heroes are rarely “mean-spirited” and “bony-faced”.They don’t normally have ill-shaped ears, or make a spectacle of themselves by only putting in their false teeth to eat.What manner of hero is this, I
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Back in the 1970s the BBC produced a critically-acclaimed drama series called Secret Army.The programme followed the exploits of a group of ordinary Belgians who ran an evasion line, helping Allied airman return to Britain after being shot down.The series was based on the Comet Line, a network established by a young Belgian girl, Andrée
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Farewell to Tower Colliery – and best wishes to all the miners who made the final march from the pit today.Tower, a workers’ co-operative, was the last deep coal mine in South Wales. It is a remarkable story, which has been told many times. Despite the understandable mythologizing, the colliery has always been about basic
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Vandals defaced a plaque in honour of the International Brigade volunteers who were killed nearly 70 years ago in the Battle of the Ebro.But on Saturday, November 10, a new plaque will be placed in memory of the dead of one of the Spanish Civil War’s bitterest battles.The memorial is set at the top of
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“I am here because I know that these fellows fought not only for Spain but for me and the whole world. It is my duty to be here.”Those were the words of Paul Robeson on the return to their homes of the South Wales veterans of the Spanish Civil War in December 1938.Seven thousand people
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Wise and Foolish Dreamers, an exhibition about Wales and the Spanish Civil War, is now touring Wales following its Swansea launch.It is currently at Ammanford Library (until August 2); and will then be at the National Eisteddfod (August 3-11); Rhondda Heritage Park (Oct 1 – Nov 4). More dates soon as it travels around Wales.The
Greg Lewis 