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I was born in 1934 so I was 5 years old in 1939 when war was declared. I have vivid memories of that time. I was living at Rhydyfelin, Pontypridd and in 1940 the first British troops arrived, Men of the Duke of Lancaster’s yeomanry R.A. I remember their howitzer guns lined up at Treforest. They were followed by a searchlight Battery R.A. positioned across the River Taff. Once coming home from school a Germany fighter flew out of the sky and I remember its green fusilage with black crosses on its wings. We dived into a shop doorway! In 1943 the American’s arrived firstly, a U.S. Infantry Regiment later to be replaced by a Medical Unit. I remember it all like yesterday and I am 71 years old now!

Further Memories 1939 – 1945

In 1942 the evacuees arrived from London and Chatham. They were so ‘street-wise’ to us Welsh kids and in 3 days of arriving they had taken over the school. As to the American GI’s, I remember one of them putting his steel helmet on my head. It was so heavy. I often wondered what happened to him! They were part of the U.S 29th Division. The top railway line of Barry line had massive light grey American locomotives parked bumper to bumper. In 1940 I remember the drone of the German bombers flying over the land late at night.

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