Lleisiau'r Rhyfel Mawr

[clive_hughes]

Just thought I'd try my hand at a review of a recent book which, being in Welsh, may alas not be accessible to many of you.

Lleisiau'r Rhyfel Mawr by Ifor ap Glyn, adapted by Lyn Ebenezer

Published by Gwasg Carreg Gwalch/Carreg Gwalch Press, Llanrwst 2008

ISBN 978-1-84527-210-4

paperback, 199 pages, retails at £7.50

This volume is the fruit of a Television project by S4C the Welsh channel, which concentrated on Welsh-language recollections of the First World War. From research for a projected programme on the Battle of Mametz Wood 1916, it became clear that there was a great deal of this literature around and instead a four-part series was produced last Autumn.

This material has been adapted for publication, drawing on letters (original and as printed in contemporary newspapers), diaries and published recollections. It has an Army bias, according to its author because Naval and Air Force material proved harder to obtain. Likewise there is also a slight North Wales majority, since apparently more Welsh-language periodicals were published there than in the South.

It has a rough chronological order, though material dealing with specific topics can be arranged regardless of strict date. Being compiled for a general readership there is little attempt to explain the military background in terms of terminology, unit structure and so on. The history of the war and its campaigns is roughly sketched in as the book progresses, in just enough detail to give reasonable background to the testimony of the letters.

And it is the letters and recollections themselves which are the point of the book - personal, often painfully spelled or awkwardly composed, and in general very similar to their English equivalents. Some raise a lump to the throat, like this one from the distraught mother of Private Griffith Griffiths of Abererch, Pwllheli (I translate):

"Dear Child, ...Well my dear little boy, I think about you a lot my Dear Little Griff. I still pray for you to come Home safely When God Sees fit...You are not born to go Warring But for this to be a sort of schooling for you perhaps dear little Griff my Dear little boy..."

He was killed in France in October 1918. Others are amusing, such as Ernest Roberts RFC's attempts to mime to his Intelligence Officer that the Welsh letter he has been censoring contains the phrase "the canteen beer here is like mule piss and gives us the dry heaves".

Some try to convey a stark picture of conditions to those back home -"The land has been blown up and holed until its innards are scattered in every direction...and it's as if you are living in a wet potato field all day long. You don't see potato stalks sticking out of the earth here, but mens legs and heads."

There are accounts from various Fronts, and by Welsh-Americans, pacifists and Padres; but curiously few women. Some of these soldiers such as Saunders Lewis or Lewis Valentine became active Welsh Nationalists after the War. Others such as Ben Owen were sickened by what they saw:

"One day I stood in a coal yard at 8am; there in that very place where a young soldier had been shot by firing squad an hour earlier because his nerves had failed in the battle. His blood hadn't been completely washed away. In my anguish I prayed the enemy might be victorious."

It has one notable failing in that there is no list of sources or publications, no index, and hardly any footnotes. It isn't even possible sometimes to judge which unit the men are with or which part of Wales they come from, which is a pity. All in all, however, this is a welcome addition to the somewhat slender ranks of Welsh language accounts dealing with the War.

LST_164

[Bernard_Lewis]

Any 14th Welsh men featured please?

Bernard

[Kevin O'Marah]

Hi, LST_164

Long time no see?

Also, Trebrys has a four word thanks for all his effort on page 11

Hwyl, mewn gobaith gei di lwc hefo John Jones.

Kevin

[SiegeGunner]

I can't add anything to the substance, LST, but as a translator I salute the superb quality of your translations from Welsh.

Cofion gorau

Mick

[clive_hughes]

Briefly (it's late)

Bernard - none that I could identify, I'm afraid.

Kevin - I did wonder whether that was our Iwan! Well done to him too for his research and background work.

SiegeGunner - Diolch yn fawr. My brother's a professional translator too; but I'm just brought up bilingually so I scratch my head and struggle often over the aposite phrase...

LST_164

[bruce]

Many thanks for the review.

I think you may have just given me the answer to the age-old question

"What in the world should I get Ayesha for her birthday?"

Bruce

[geraint]

It'll be a good present Bruce. I agree with LST. It's a decent account of soldier's lives through their letters back home, and faithfully summarises the four programme series broadcast last Armistice. It's not an academic book; there are inaccuracies and mistakes, but with the focus being on soldiers' recollections, the academic side is perhaps less important.

[Bernard_Lewis]

Thanks for looking.

Bernard