Free Wales Army facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Free Wales Army
Welsh: Byddin Rhyddid Cymru
Flag of the Free Wales Army
Active	1963–1969
Ideology	Welsh nationalism Welsh republicanism
Leaders	Julian Cayo-Evans Dennis Coslett
Headquarters	Lampeter, Ceredigion, Wales
Area of operations	Wales
Allies	Mudiad Amddiffyn Cymru Irish Republican Army (alleged)
Opponents	United Kingdom

The Free Wales Army (FWA; Welsh: Byddin Rhyddid Cymru) was a group formed in Lampeter, Ceredigion, Wales in 1963. It was started by Julian Cayo-Evans. The group's main goal was to create an independent Welsh republic. This meant they wanted Wales to be its own country, separate from the United Kingdom.

The Free Wales Army: A Look Back

Early Public Appearances

The Free Wales Army first appeared in public in 1965. This was during a protest against building the Llyn Celyn reservoir. In 1966, members of the FWA marched in Dublin, Ireland. They were celebrating the 50th anniversary of the Easter Rising.

In 1967, a TV interview with David Frost made the group more widely known. The FWA leaders often sought attention from the media. They made big claims about getting money from rich people. They also claimed to have connections with other groups. Members wore uniforms they made themselves. They marched in historic places like Machynlleth. They also practiced with small weapons and explosives in the Welsh countryside. The FWA sometimes claimed responsibility for explosions carried out by another group, Mudiad Amddiffyn Cymru.

An Attempted Action

The FWA tried one action on its own. This involved an attempt to damage a water pipeline. This pipeline connected the Elan Valley Reservoirs to Birmingham. In February 1967, the FWA asked John Jenkins, a leader of Mudiad Amddiffyn Cymru (MAC), for an explosive device. Jenkins agreed and secretly provided the device.

The FWA group found a part of the pipeline they thought was weak. It was near Llandrindod Wells. They planned for the device to go off early in the morning. Their goal was to damage the pipe and make headlines on Saint David's Day. The device was made of an inflated car inner tube with explosives attached. It was lowered into the pipe.

The bomb was set to explode at 3 a.m. The FWA members left the area. The next morning, Dennis Coslett called a newspaper to announce the attack. However, the bomb did not explode. A local farmer found it and told the authorities. Bomb disposal teams from the British Army safely removed and detonated the device in a nearby forest. Coslett later said the bomb failed because of a mistake made in a hurry. After this, Jenkins decided not to trust the FWA with any more devices.

Helping Aberfan Families

In September 1967, the FWA supported families affected by the Aberfan disaster. These families were having trouble getting compensation. The FWA marched for them and worked behind the scenes. A journalist told the FWA about the families' problems.

Dennis Coslett and Dai Bonar Thomas met with the Aberfan Parents and Residents Association. They discussed how to help. The next day, the FWA held a press conference. They gave an ultimatum to the authorities. They demanded that £5,000 be paid to each family within a week. If not, they threatened to damage several government buildings.

Many uniformed FWA members were reportedly at the conference. They marched and chanted hymns. Before this, there had been several bombings by Mudiad Amddiffyn Cymru in Wales. This made the authorities take the FWA's threats seriously. For example, MAC had damaged the Clywedog Reservoir site a year earlier. They had left an FWA cap there to mislead police. It is not fully known how much the FWA's actions influenced the outcome. However, the commission agreed to pay the £5,000 to the victims the following Friday.

The Trial and Imprisonment

The media often did not take the FWA very seriously. A government note even warned against taking them "too seriously." However, with other Welsh nationalist protests and bombings happening, the FWA became a target for the government.

In 1969, nine members of the FWA were arrested. They were charged with public order offenses. Their trial took place in Swansea and lasted 53 days. It ended on the same day as the investiture of Charles III as Prince of Wales. On the first day of the trial, the defendants were greeted with a song, "Hen Wlad Fy Nhadau", from the public audience. Most of the evidence against them came from journalists who had reported on the group's claims.

Julian Cayo-Evans, Dennis Coslett, Gethin ap Gruffydd, and three other members were found guilty. Cayo-Evans and Coslett spent 15 months in jail. Saunders Lewis, a founder of Plaid Cymru, was present at the trial. He had been convicted for arson in 1936 during a protest. This likely explains why he supported the FWA members.

Rumors of Connections to the IRA

There were rumors that the FWA received weapons from the Official IRA (OIRA) in Ireland. However, Cayo-Evans later denied this. In Ireland, a rumor spread that the OIRA had given or sold most of its weapons to the FWA. This was said to be part of the OIRA's move away from violence. This rumor was used against the OIRA by other groups. Scott Millar, who wrote a book about the OIRA, said there was contact between the two groups. FWA members even trained in Ireland. But he said there was no large transfer of weapons.

Symbols and Legacy

The Free Wales Army's motto was "Fe godwn ni eto". This is Welsh for "We shall rise again." Their chosen symbol was Yr Eryr Wen, which means "The White Eagle." This white eagle appeared on the group's flags and uniforms.

The symbol was designed in 1952 by Harri Webb. He was a Welsh poet and editor. The eagle represents the eagles of Snowdonia. In Welsh mythology, these eagles are said to protect Wales. This symbolism is found in an old Welsh poem from the 13th century.

The FWA's use of the Eryr Wen symbol has continued to be important. During the Meibion Glyndŵr arson campaign in the 1980s and 1990s, the symbol was often seen as graffiti. It was painted on the ruins of burnt holiday homes. Nationalist murals across Wales often feature the symbol. A famous example is the Cofiwch Dryweryn mural near Llanrhystud, Ceredigion.

More recently, the symbol has become popular again. This is due to a youth movement called Mudiad Eryr Wen (Movement of the White Eagle). This group uses the symbol and has painted it on English-language road signs.

Later Mentions and Displays

In 2000, a hotel in Cardiff was renamed the Cayo Arms. This was in reference to Julian Cayo-Evans. A pub sign with his image was outside. However, the pub later closed and reopened under a new name in 2018.

In 2005, a newspaper published information from The National Archives. These documents claimed that Cayo-Evans had a "mental age of 12" and that Dennis Coslett was "unbalanced." People who knew the men disagreed with these claims. Writer and artist Robert ap Steffan said in 2005 that Cayo was "highly intelligent" and Dennis was "well loved." He added that both were "tough guys" and Cayo was a "fabulous individual." Writer Meic Stephens also commented that he found Cayo "charming" and "perfectly ordinary and normal."

In 2009, photos of the group's training exercises were put on display in a museum. These photos were taken by undercover police officers and used as evidence in the 1969 trial.

In 2025, the ITN Archive shared old footage of the FWA on YouTube. This included an interview with Julian Cayo-Evans and the then-president of Plaid Cymru, Gwynfor Evans.