A WEEK of wartime history will be coming to the Vale next week - with cemetery tours in Barry and Penarth.
The Commonwealth War Graves Commission (CWGC) will be bringing War Graves Week to Barry and Penarth and offering free tours at Penarth Cemetery and Barry Merthyr Dyfan Cemetery between May 20 and 28.
War Graves Week is an initiative aimed at encouraging people from the local community to come together and discover the World War heritage on their doorstep – learning about the stories of those commemorated by the CWGC and the skills, dedication and expertise of those CWGC staff and volunteers who work to keep their memory alive.
War graves in Penarth
The free guided tour will take place at 2pm on Thursday, May 25 at Penarth Cemetery.
More than 50 casualties from both World Wars are buried at Penarth.
The tour will visit the grave of a decorated Royal Engineer, William Bohlen, who was awarded the Distinguished Conduct Medal for his heroic action in the defence of a canal as the British Expeditionary Force in the Second World War were withdrawing to the coast and the Germans were attempting to split the British and French armies.
You will also here the story of the SS Lunan - destroyed by an explosion whilst leaving port at the river Ely in July 1941.
Three of those that perished that night are buried in Penarth and the only survivor was saved by another hero who was awarded a Kings Commendation for bravery for his action that night.
You will also here about the work of the Woman’s Auxiliary Territorial Service during the Second World War and how a group of its members were involved in a tragic training accident on Salisbury Plain in 1943 with fatal consequences.
War graves in Barry
The free guided tours will take place at 11am on Tuesday, May 23 at Barry Merthyr Dyfan.
More than 100 casualties from both World Wars are buried at Merthyr Dyfan.
The tour will visit the commemoration of the only female service woman at Merthyr Dyfan who served in the Woman’s Royal Auxiliary Air Force and talk about how women’s roles freed up men to fight on the front line.
Tragically the RAAF was not immune to taking casualties.
Both the Barry and Penarth tours will be led by local resident, Ian Howell, who is a volunteer for the CWGC.
To book a tour, visit www.cwgc.org/wargravesweek
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