Frank and Brian:
Thank you
By the way read another book, although expensive, may be of some use,
O' Sullivan, John 2004 When Wales Went to War, 1939-45 Sutton Publishing Ltd, Phoenix Mill, Gloucestershire, Great Britain. ISBN-10 0750938374 ISBN-13 978-0750938372
and wrote the following review of Amazon.com
This book has graphic images of bomb damage and mentions details of spies working for the Luftwaffe in Wales
review follows
take care and be well
Larry
http://www.amazon.com/When-Wales-Wen...4289230&sr=8-1
Images of Wales at WAr, November 2, 2007
By
Laurence Daley (Corvallis, OR USA) -
See all my reviews
Images of Wales at War
O' Sullivan, John 2004 When Wales Went to War, 1939-45 Sutton Publishing Ltd, Phoenix Mill, Gloucestershire, Great Britain. ISBN-10 0750938374 ISBN-13 978-0750938372
This book is a pleasant surprise, not only does it contain excellent sharp photographs, but much information of use to scholars and others interested in detailed events. Certain entries brought my own memories into sharp focus.
For instance on page 64 "I remember us kids running after American lorries as they carried goods salvaged from sunken ships to the refuse depot at Gladstone Road. In answer to our pleas they threw us chocolate and chewing gum." My own memories vividly recall a similar scene in Rhosneigr apparently in 1944.
The footnote on landmines found on page 14 "..."Martin Garnet, a weapons expert at the Imperial War Museum in London said `landmines' were in fact German naval mines which were adapted to be dropped on targets with the aid of parachutes. The first deliberate use in Britain of the naval parachute mine, the Luftmine, was on 16 September, 1940. ... " This too fits my memories of the massive damage caused by such devices, that I observed on my family's return to Liverpool when the danger abated.
The tabulation of bombing casualties in Wales (p. 3) confirms my parents' view that Rhosneigr Anglesey would be safe for us children, because as opposed to most of the United Kingdom, and Wales there was very little bombing there (no dead, only 3 seriously injured).
Then there are accounts of German spies, the evidence of the damage, and the very personal accounts of participants. Mention of the belly strength of the women in the Land Army. All is fascinating.
This book needs another edition, for non-Welsh like myself, it should include a map of places named. For scholars an index or some kind of computer data retrieval would be most useful. For the non-scholar those beautiful and poignant photographs deserve a far wider audience
Larry Daley 2007