THE latest community news from Llanarth

Village heroes

ON Friday, 9 November, at the village hall, Alan Thomas, Llwynderw Fach, gave a talk arranged by Neuadd Bentref Llanarth about the men from the village who gave their lives during the First World War.

There are the names of 16 men on the memorial plaque in what was the memorial hall, built in 1920 to commemorate their sacrifice; 13 served in the Army, while three had been Merchant Navy seamen.

The speech recalled where the men perished, as well as details of their families.

Reports in the Cambrian News under Llanarth named the soldiers on leave, or those injured, and the sailors whose ships were sunk by German submarines.

They demonstrated how many men from the village had actually enlisted. Most of them, fortunately, survived.

The talk continued with extracts from the Appeal Tribunals held in Aberaeron, after the introduction of conscription in 1916.

There were those who appealed on their own behalf, as well as many employers who applied on behalf of their workers.

Their evidence gives a glimpse into the way of life and circumstances of the village and district during this period.

Many farmers argued that they would be unable to plough all their land (with horses) in order to grow the much-needed crops without the help of their farm labourers.

There were builders, tailors, millers, shopkeepers and others who argued that they would be unable to carry on their businesses if their workers were called up.

Details of all the tribunals held in Ceredigion can be found on the National Library of Wales website.

At the end of the evening, everyone enjoyed some refreshments and a chat.

It was a pleasant social occasion, tempered by the knowledge that the Great War had been a traumatic time for so many in the village. One hundred years on, it is still necessary to remember the debt we owe to those men who lost their lives, and all whose lives were blighted by its horrors in some way or other.

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