BBC4 CWGC programme

[sassenach]

7 hours ago, BillyH said:

 

You unloaded the dishwasher again then?

 

BillyH.

There may be a problem with the word "again..."

[Kath]

BBC4 CWGC programme.

Also on  here:

https://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/b0bqr5jf/we-will-remember-them-with-huw-edwards?suggid=b0bqr5jf

 

Kath.

[Gardenerbill]

3 hours ago, Don said:

Thank you for the notice,

I will look forward to watching it.

Will you be watching it with your niece (see Don's avatar).

[BillyH]

2 hours ago, Gardenerbill said:

Will you be watching it with your niece (see Don's avatar).

 

You watch, he'll go and change it now!  

 

BillyH.

[Steven Broomfield]

13 hours ago, sassenach said:

There may be a problem with the word "again..."

 

There's actually a problem with the word 'dishwasher'.

[Don]

That's my Daughter Emer,

who has taken an interest in the Great War.So I have let her use my sign in  

[Steven Broomfield]

27 minutes ago, Don said:

That's my Daughter ... I have let her use my sign in  

 

Slippery slope. We'll be discussing lipstick, Boy Bands and the Kardashians before you know it.

[Don]

Opps,

I have warned her not to post anything without my permission

[SteveMarsdin]

On ‎05‎/‎11‎/‎2018 at 09:47, Gareth Davies said:

 

 

'untold'

 

'secret history'

 

 

 

I think it referred to Mr Broomfield being unaware of the scheduling of the programme, rather than the content itself

[Dai Bach y Sowldiwr]

31 minutes ago, SteveMarsdin said:

 

I think it referred to Mr Broomfield being unaware of the scheduling of the programme, rather than the content itself

On the TV, or on the dishwasher?

[593jones]

I watched the programme on Iplayer and thought it was very well done.

 

Going off at a slight tangent, regarding Hugh Thomas, The Welch Regiment, whose letter was read out by his grand-daughter, I noticed that the letter was written in Welsh.  This must have been interesting for the officer who was censoring the soldiers' mail.  I wonder what the procedure was in cases like that - perhaps find an officer who spoke Welsh?

[Dai Bach y Sowldiwr]

1 hour ago, 593jones said:

 I wonder what the procedure was in cases like that - perhaps find an officer who spoke Welsh?

 

Yes.

There were plenty around, just over 1 million Welsh speakers in the 1911 Census, 43.5% of the population.

[Scalyback]

1 hour ago, 593jones said:

I watched the programme on Iplayer and thought it was very well done.

 

Going off at a slight tangent, regarding Hugh Thomas, The Welch Regiment, whose letter was read out by his grand-daughter, I noticed that the letter was written in Welsh.  This must have been interesting for the officer who was censoring the soldiers' mail.  I wonder what the procedure was in cases like that - perhaps find an officer who spoke Welsh?

 

The Welch Regiment  had plenty of Welsh speakers. Even within the officer class especially the TF units. 

I understand Gaelic was more of a problem for censorship.

 

The Northern cousins in the RWF used Welsh on the radios in Bosnia.  

[593jones]

Dai Bach and Scalyback, thank you gentlemen, I must admit I had not known Welsh was so widely spoken at that time, we Anglophones are so limited in our outlook, aren't we?  I remember Robert Graves mentioned Welsh speaking soldiers who had an indifferent command of English, but of course Graves is not necessarily to be relied upon.

[Steven Broomfield]

3 hours ago, Dai Bach y Sowldiwr said:

 

Yes.

There were plenty around, just over 1 million Welsh speakers in the 1911 Census, 43.5% of the population.

 

For anyone who's not got a copy, I strongly recommend - nay, urge you to buy - Clive Hughes' book, Arm to save your native land! Army recruiting in North-West Wales 1914-16. It's superb, and available in Welsh or in English. The author is a member of the Forum.

[Ron da Valli]

An excellent programme. Hugh Edwards is a good presenter with the right amount of gravitas for the subject. My only gripe is that it was too South Walian.

[DavidOwen]

Just watched the recording and it was indeed a programme with gravitas.

[Ron da Valli]

On ‎05‎/‎11‎/‎2018 at 09:21, Dai Bach y Sowldiwr said:

I couldn't figure out why I was missing so much rugby, and watching just a little bit too much ballet.

Then I remembered I'd been diagnosed colour blind as a child.

Dai, if you need a rugby fix I can recommend Freesports, Channel 95 on Freeview. Plenty of Pro 14 matches, some live but most are recorded and played in full later.  I've just watched Edinburgh beat the Scarlets Yma O Hyd

[Dai Bach y Sowldiwr]

1 hour ago, Ron da Valli said:

Dai, if you need a rugby fix I can recommend Freesports, Channel 95 on Freeview. Plenty of Pro 14 matches, some live but most are recorded and played in full later.  I've just watched Edinburgh beat the Scarlets Yma O Hyd

 

I watch it on Sky box (free) Channel 422.

I don't have a Channel 95 on my DTV despite usually having all the channels. Looking into it a few weeks ago, I found that not all transmitters transmit it. I'm not sure that any of the South Wales transmitters do.

If you receive BBC Four HD on channel 106, or 4Seven HD on channel 110 you should be able to view FreeSports on channel 95.

Edit: Moel y Parc does.Llanddona doesn't.

Edited 6 November , 2018 by Dai Bach y Sowldiwr

[clive_hughes]

The Anglesey soldier on the programme was Hugh Thomas, 21270 Private in the 16th and (possibly after wounding) 2nd battalions RWF.  He was from Trewalchmai parish, but also had connections with Aberffraw even though he is not commemorated at the latter place.  I noticed that his "last letter" has 5 Platoon, "B" Coy., 16th RWF as an address, so either the heading they filmed was from a different, earlier letter, or he'd lapsed into noting his previous battalion.

 

Soldiers were entitled to write home in Welsh but the censorship rule obviously applied.  Not a great problem in the 38th Div., but I think other formations may have forced men to write in English.  The later Army Order regs. in 1918 specifically state that if a Welsh letter cannot be censored locally, it is to be forwarded to the War Office who will undertake the task.  

 

On 9 January 1918 the 2nd RWF were at Passchendaele, in snowy weather.  His company had been relieved two days previously after front-line duty in a very quiet period.  But that morning the enemy artillery plastered the battalion HQ and working parties in the rear for several hours, so presumably he was killed then, before the unit's relief began at 5pm.  Dunn notes that they suffered over a dozen casualties in their tour 3-9 Jan., of whom half were killed.  His body, with a couple of unknowns from the same spot, was later concentrated into Passchendaele New British Cemetery.

 

You may notice his name and details on the marble plaque inside the little Welsh chapel, with Huw Edwards speaking.  He was a member of Dothan Welsh Calvinistic Methodist chapel near Gwalchmai.  Some nice photos, and an evocative story.  

 

PS thanks for the plug Steven - the last year or so's royalties wouldn't pay for a tube of fruit gums, but I live in hopes of wealth untold pouring in this December thanks to your sterling efforts!

 

Clive

[Ron Clifton]

21 hours ago, 593jones said:

I watched the programme on Iplayer and thought it was very well done.

 

Going off at a slight tangent, regarding Hugh Thomas, The Welch Regiment, whose letter was read out by his grand-daughter, I noticed that the letter was written in Welsh.  This must have been interesting for the officer who was censoring the soldiers' mail.  I wonder what the procedure was in cases like that - perhaps find an officer who spoke Welsh?

There were similar comments in the film made about Ellis Evans (the poet known as Hedd Wyn). I think that it was fairly unlikely to find a Welsh battalion (especially of RWF) with no officers who could understand Welsh.

 

Ron

[hazelclark]

Thanks for flagging this.  Since I am in the country for a bit, have been having the opportunity to see programs not normally available to me.  Will now watch the Jackson production on Sunday , as will a few other people who would not otherwise be aware of it.

H.C.

[sassenach]

Hazel, a couple of other programmes this week are "Britain's Great War" and "Railways of the Great War," both in the afternoons. Also "WW1; the Final Hours" tomorrow at 2100. And of course live coverage of events at the weekend. 

Edited 7 November , 2018 by sassenach

[Fattyowls]

I watched it last evening and found it very informative and moving. Huw isn't always my cup of tea but I thought he was excellent.

 

Pete.

 

P.S. Clive, fascinating insight into Hugh Thomas. I'm interested in Sassoon and Graves and the 2nd RWF for various reasons, not least the time they spent on Merseyside not far from where I'm writing this. Unfortunately I've tended to loose sight of the battalion once they left it and one of my footballers who was in the same brigade was killed. I also remember the name of the village from childhood holidays on Anglesey. I'll buy you a tube of fruit gums if our paths ever cross, contingent on you not having to become a tax exile in the Bahamas of course.......

[hazelclark]

1 hour ago, sassenach said:

Hazel, a couple of other programmes this week are "Britain's Great War" and "Railways of the Great War," both in the afternoons. Also "WW1; the Final Hours" tomorrow at 2100. And of course live coverage of events at the weekend. 

Thank you. Duly entered on the calendar.

H.