"The guns of the First World War fell silent on the eleventh hour of the eleventh day of the eleventh month in 1918." Wednesday 11th November 2020 marked 102 years since the armistice was signed by Germany and the Allied Forces, declaring the end of The Great War in 1918.
The Great War is a significant part of Llanelli’s heritage as around the time of the war, Llanelli’s industry was thriving – exporting coal, copper and tinplate around the world. This attracted men from across Great Britain to come to the town to work and live, resulting in a surge in Llanelli’s population. Subsequently, a large proportion of Llanelli’s men were recruited to all three services; army, navy and air force after Great Britain joined the conflict on 4th August 1914.
In the four years of conflict, 40,000 men from Wales were killed. Thirteen of whom worked for the Great Western Railway (GWR) at Llanelli. We as the Llanelli Railway Goods Shed Trust, distributed an information booklet at an Armistice Day service in Dafen in 2018, which was kindly sponsored by our trustee, George Parker MBE. Click here to access an online version of the booklet, where you can read more about these men and how the GWR enlisted its workers to ‘Join the Colours’.
The Llanelli Railway Goods Shed Trust believe it is of great importance to commemorate those who risked their lives, and those who sadly lost their lives to serve their nation.
It is particularly meaningful for us to remember the GWR men who died in the conflict and pay tribute to them as an important part of our heritage.
Byddwn yn eu cofio - We will remember them.
