Pictures

The heroes of the raid on St Nazaire

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Raid on St Nazaire
Raid on St Nazaire

A ceremony has been held to remember the heroes of the raid on St Nazaire.

In March 1942, more than 600 men left Falmouth in Cornwall in a flotilla of three destroyers and 16 smaller boats.

The special fleet included HMS Campbeltown, which was packed with explosives and was used to to ram into the gates of the docks in the French port.

HMS Campbeltown being converted for the raid
HMS Campbeltown being converted for the raid

St Nazaire was targeted because the loss of its dry dock would force any large German warship in need of repairs, such as the Tirpitz, to return to home waters rather than having a safe haven available on the Atlantic coast.

HMS Campbeltown wedged in the dock gates
HMS Campbeltown wedged in the dock gates

The raid put the dry dock out of commission until the end of the war – but success came at a cost. Of the 622 men of the Royal Navy and Commandos who took part in the raid, only 228 men returned to England.

Heroes as prisoners
Heroes as prisoners

One hundred and sixty-nine men were killed and another 215 became prisoners of war. The fallen British raiders were buried at the Escoublac-la-Baule cemetery, near St Nazaire, with military honors.

Commandos under prison escort
Commandos under prison escort

Five of the raiders escaped overland via Spain.

Eighty-nine awards and medals were bestowed for the raid, including five Victoria Crosses.

The organiser of this weekend’s event in Falmouth, Eric Dawkins, stated:  “The destruction of the dock meant those facilities were no longer able to be used. Falmouth played a major part.

“I’ve known these veterans [who took part], including those few who are still remaining, for 30-odd years and know their tales.”

 

For St David’s Day: the Welsh National War Memorial

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Welsh National War Memorial
Welsh National War Memorial

The sun shines on the Welsh National War Memorial in Cardiff.

It commemorates the servicemen who died during the First World War. A plaque to those who died during the Second World War was added in 1949.

The memorial takes the form of a circular colonnade surrounding a sunken court and was unveiled in June 1928 by the then Prince of Wales.

It features inscriptions in Welsh and in English, and was designed by Sir Ninian Comper, the Scottish architect who mostly worked on designs for churches.

At the centre of the court is a group of bronze sculptures by Alfred Bertram Pegram, arranged around a stone pylon.

Around the base stand three figures, a soldier, sailor and airman, holding wreaths aloft.

CATHAYS PARK 2

It is situated in Alexandra Gardens, Cathays Park, and is made from the same stone as the civic buildings which surround the gardens.

A hero of the Royal Charter

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'A hero of the Royal Charter'
‘A hero of the Royal Charter’

This wonderful bronze statue honours a seaman of great courage who saved many lives during one of the major sea-faring tragedies of the Victorian age.

His name was Ġużeppi Ruggier but he was more often known as Joe Rodgers, and he sailed on a clipper called the Royal Charter.

The Royal Charter
The Royal Charter

On the night of the October 25/26 1859 the ship was on the last leg of a trip from Melbourne to Liverpool when it was caught in a terrible storm.

In winds in excess of 100 mph the Royal Charter was blown towards Anglesey’s rocky coast.

Storm
Storm

The ship sent out distress signals but the conditions were so atrocious that the Moelfre lifeboat could not be launched.

Ruggier volunteered to swim ashore with a rope.

'Joe Rodgers'
‘Joe Rodgers’

Amazingly, the Malta-born sailor reached the rocks to be hauled out of the sea by men from Moelfre.

His rope was used to rig a bosun’s chair and slowly the rescuers began to bring passengers and crew to safety.

They had saved thirty-nine people when the storm broke the ship apart. It is believed that more than four hundred perished.

The Royal Charter was carrying large quantities of gold bullion from the Australian gold rush and its loss became a huge news story at the time.

Ruggier was honoured by the Royal National Lifeboat Institution (the RNLI). He went back to sailing and died in Liverpool in 1897, aged 68.

Bronze memorial
Bronze memorial

The bronze memorial was unveiled at Moelfre in 2009 on the 150th anniversary of the tragedy. It was created by Sam Holland.

The inscription on it reads, ‘Joe Rodgers, A hero of the Royal Charter.’

Underneath is a Maltese Cross.

Moelfre today
Moelfre today

When I visited Moelfre, the weather was very different. A great place; a coastline of beauty where nature can be most cruel.

 

 

Two to remember from the Somme

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A brief story of two Royal Welch Fusiliers who were wounded at battles for woods on the Somme.

Their graves are located in the cemetery at Abbeville, which was some way from the front.

Abbeville cemetery
Abbeville cemetery

I took these photos some years ago and now the wonderful Anne Pedley, of the Royal Welch Fusiliers Museum in Caernarfon, has helped me piece together parts of the stories of Ceredig Ellis and Edward Roberts.

Ceredig Ellis
Ceredig Ellis

Second Lieutenant Ellis, whose parents were from Aberystwyth, was married to Mildred and lived 61 Oxton Road, Wallasey, Cheshire.

He was educated at Bangor University where he was a member of the OTC.

He was commissioned on February 1, 1915. He was transferred to 15th RWF (the London Welsh) and joined the battalion in France.

He saw action with D Company and was wounded at Mametz Wood on July 11, 1916.

He was to die of these wounds, most likely at Abbeville where there was a large military hospital.

Ceredig's grave - detail
Ceredig’s grave – detail

As the inscription on the grave indicates Mildred had recently given birth to their first child.

The second fusilier, CSM Roberts, enlisted with 10th RWF and embarked to France on September 27, 1915.

He received the Military Medal for bravery while in trenches in the Kemmel area, where the Fusiliers defended themselves against a German gas and an infantry attack.

Edward Roberts
Edward Roberts

He also fought at High Wood and it was during fighting there that he was first reported missing and then wounded.

He died of his wounds at Abbeville ten days later.

The cemetery contains around 3,000 graves
The cemetery contains around 3,000 graves

Pictures from the Hooge Cemetery, Ypres (WW1)

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Hooge Crater Cemetery
Hooge Crater Cemetery

I recently visited the Hooge Crater Cemetery just east of Ypres/Ieper.

Almost 6,000 Commonwealth servicemen of the First World War are buried or commemorated in this cemetery – with more than 3,500 of the burials unidentified.

Graves marked as mass burials.
Graves marked as mass burials.

Special memorials record the names of a number of casualties either known or believed to be buried among them, or whose graves in other cemeteries were destroyed by shell fire.

The cemetery was designed by Sir Edwin Lutyens and is situated near the site of the Hooge Chateau.

Hooge, near Ypres.
Hooge, near Ypres.

The chateau and its stables were the scene of fierce fighting throughout the First World War.

I will post more about the trench network still visible in the chateau grounds tomorrow.

Two graves.
Two graves.