Wales in the World Wars facts for kids
Wales, as part of the United Kingdom, played an important role in both World War I (1914–1918) and World War II (1939–1945). Welsh soldiers fought alongside the Allies and the Allies in both major conflicts.
In World War I, nearly 275,000 soldiers from Wales joined the fight. Sadly, about 35,000 of them lost their lives. Many fell in famous battles like Mametz Wood and Passchendaele. Welsh soldiers also fought on the Western Front, in Tsingtao, and during the Gallipoli campaign.
During World War II, around 15,000 Welsh soldiers were killed. Famous regiments like the Royal Welch Fusiliers fought in Europe and Southeast Asia. The South Wales Borderers saw action in the Mediterranean, Norway, and during the Normandy invasion. Cities like Cardiff, Swansea, and Pembroke faced heavy bombing from the German Luftwaffe. Cardiff Docks was a main target because it was a huge coal port.
Before World War II, a "bombing school" was built at RAF Penrhos in Penyberth, Caernarfonshire. This was strongly opposed by Welsh nationalists. The school was used throughout the war. Island Farm near Bridgend held German and other Axis prisoners of war. It was also the site of the largest escape attempt by German POWs in Britain. Later, it held important German military leaders waiting for trials.
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Wales in World War I
Before World War I began, Wales was a calm and successful nation. Coal production was at its highest in 1913. Politically, the Liberal Party was very strong in Wales. However, by 1906, workers' protests began to challenge this. In 1916, David Lloyd George became the first Welsh person to be Prime Minister of Britain.
Welsh Soldiers in Action
A total of 272,924 Welshmen served in World War I. This was about 21.5% of all men in Wales. Around 35,000 of them died. Many Welsh soldiers suffered huge losses at Mametz Wood and the Battle of Passchendaele.
The Royal Welch Fusiliers fought on the Western Front from 1914 to 1918. They were part of some of the toughest battles, including Mametz Wood in 1916 and Passchendaele in 1917. The Welsh poet Hedd Wyn was a Royal Welsh Fusilier. He was killed during the first day of the Battle of Passchendaele. He won a poetry award after his death for a poem he wrote on his way to the front lines.
The South Wales Borderers also played a big part. The 1st Battalion fought on the Western Front from August 1914. The 2nd Battalion fought against German forces in Tsingtao, China, in October 1914. Later, they fought in Gallipoli in April 1915 before moving to the Western Front.
The Battle of Mametz Wood
Mametz Wood was a key target for the 38th (Welsh) Infantry Division during the First Battle of the Somme. The attack took place between July 7 and July 12, 1916. On July 7, soldiers tried to take the wood in just a few hours. But strong German defenses, machine-guns, and shelling killed or injured over 400 soldiers before they even reached the wood.
The Welsh soldiers were very brave, but their task was incredibly difficult. They eventually fought their way into the woods. However, they were outnumbered by German defenders. The wood also had poor visibility, making it hard to navigate. By July 12, the Welsh had captured Mametz Wood. The 38th (Welsh) Division was then pulled out of the front line. The British commander, Douglas Haig, was later called "The Butcher of the Somme" because of the high number of casualties.
Frongoch Camp and Irish Prisoners
The Frongoch camp in Wales first held German prisoners of war. But after the Easter Rising in Dublin, Ireland, in 1916, the German prisoners were moved. The camp then held about 1,800 Irish republicans without trial. Famous figures like Michael Collins were among them.
These camps became known as "Universities of Revolution." Future Irish leaders planned their fight for independence there. Some historians believe that the Irish War of Independence was partly won in Frongoch, Wales.
Wales in World War II
For the first time in many years, the population of Wales started to shrink. Unemployment only went down because of the need for more production during World War II.
The Penyberth Bombing School
Welsh nationalism grew stronger before World War II. In 1936, the UK government decided to build the RAF Penrhos bombing school in Penyberth, on the Llŷn peninsula. This caused a big protest known as Tân yn Llŷn (Fire in Llŷn). This event helped shape the Plaid Genedlaethol Cymru (National Party of Wales). The government chose Llŷn after protests stopped them from building it in England.
However, the UK Prime Minister, Stanley Baldwin, refused to listen to the Welsh protesters. Saunders Lewis, a Welsh writer, said the government was turning a "home of Welsh culture" into a place for "barbaric warfare." The bombing school was used throughout World War II, from 1937 to 1946.
Welsh Soldiers in World War II
Welsh servicemen and women fought in all major war zones. About 15,000 of them died. After 1943, 10% of young Welsh men joining the army were sent to work in coal mines instead. They were called Bevin Boys. Very few people in Wales were pacifists (people against war) during World War II. Most saw it as a necessary fight against fascism.
The Royal Welch Fusiliers earned 27 battle honors in World War II. More than 1,200 of them were killed. The 1st Battalion fought in France and Belgium. They had to retreat during the Dunkirk evacuation. Later, they were sent to British India to fight the Japanese army in the Burma Campaign. They were involved in the fierce Battle of Kohima, sometimes called the "Stalingrad of the East." This battle helped turn the tide in Southeast Asia.
The South Wales Borderers also saw much action. The 1st Battalion was sent to Iraq in 1941 to stop a German-supported uprising. They also served in Iran. They suffered heavy losses in Libya near Tobruk, where many were captured or killed.
The 2nd Battalion of the South Wales Borderers fought in the Norwegian Campaign in April 1940. They were among the first British troops to fight the German Army in World War II. The campaign failed, and they had to be evacuated. This battalion was the only Welsh battalion to take part in the Normandy landings on June 6, 1944. They landed at Gold Beach and fought in the Battle of Normandy.
The Blitz in Wales
German air raids, known as the Blitz, caused many deaths in Wales. The German Air Force targeted the docks in Swansea, Cardiff, and Pembroke.
In the Cardiff Blitz, between 1940 and 1944, about 2,100 bombs fell on the city. This killed 355 people. Cardiff Docks was a major target because it was one of the world's biggest coal ports. Many civilian buildings, including Llandaff Cathedral, were damaged.
Island Farm Prisoner of War Camp
Island Farm, also called Camp 198, was a prisoner of war camp near Bridgend, South Wales. It held many German and other Axis prisoners. It was the site of the largest escape attempt by German POWs in Britain during World War II. Near the end of the war, it was used to hold senior German military leaders. They were waiting to be sent for the Nuremberg trials.
 | William L. Dawson |
 | W. E. B. Du Bois |
 | Harry Belafonte |
