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Prisoner of War Diary

Swansea Museum collection

Exercise book, used as a diary, blue paper covers, white lines paper. The diary of Swansea man John Healy, while prisoner of war in Germany during World War II. Front label on cover reads ‘Sgt John Healy, 1837362 POW Barth Stalag Luft 1 7610 Germany’. Flt. Sergeant John Healy (1922-2018) was in the RAF from 27th December 1943 to 5th March 1947. John joined the service as a rear gunner, flying Lancaster bombers with the 90 Squadron of the RAF. He was shot down in January 1945, and captured at Mutterstadt, Germany and was interned at Stalagluft 1, a prisoner of war camp in Barth, North Germany until May 1945 when he was released after their German guards deserted. In the diary he kept whilst in the camp, he wrote of meals he hoped to have on his release. John wrote in his diary some of the meals he longed for when he returned home- faggots and peas- lumps of cheese with plenty of bread and butter and cups of tea! On the cover of the book are the words YMCA Sweden.

Whist Swansea YMCA was active in on the home front as highlighted in blog 7, they were also supporting troops at the frontline.  Many mobile units were sent overseas to support troops. Initially many of them in France were lost early in the war with the Dunkirk retreat.  Later, another mobile unit paid for by Swansea YMCA was dispatched to North Africa.

Other services for soldiers overseas was organising the delivery of presents to loved ones or organising flowers for example for a wedding anniversary, all undertaken in Swansea by the Ladies Auxiliary.

The Ladies Auxiliary annual report for 1944 gives a flavour of their activities.

“Almost entire work was war work.  Up to the end of 1944 we did duty on 6 static canteens and 5 mobile canteens.  Due to the movement of troops Crymlyn Burrows is now closed.

Gifts to Home scheme – 100 bunches of flowers delivered along with other requests such a doll, a teddy bear, gramophone records and tickets for the pantomime.

Entertaining wounded soldiers at YMCA Central and £800 raised and sent to Cardiff for overseas work.

It was very hard work but I know we have derived much joy in the knowledge that by giving a little help and comfort to those in the services who are willing to sacrifice their all for us”

Another important role undertaken by the YMCA on an international level was the welfare of Prisoners of War (POW) held in Germany and other locations. John Healey’s diary was provided by the YMCA in Sweden.  The work undertaken was similar to the Red Cross. Sweden being a neutral country during WW2, therefore YMCA Sweden would have been allowed to support British POW in camps.

A minute book for the Ladies Auxiliary in December 1945 records that Mrs Elliot Seager’s son reported missing was in fact in a POW camp in Germany, news of which had come through the YMCA.

Following the end of the war, the work quickly switched to the rebuild. A donation for example was given towards the rebuilding of Rangoon YMCA in Burma.

Reconciliation was also part of the agenda, already by 1948 a group of new German YMCA staff were at Swansea YMCA on a study tour.

Mr. D. L. Davies who ran the canteens (see blog 7) was later involved in refugee resettlement.  Acting on behalf of the YMCA World Council in Geneva he negotiated the placement of 5,000 refugees to Canada. 

The YMCA of course was not the only body raising money and supporting front line troops through mobile canteens.  Post War Mr. Davies also visited the headquarters of General Montgomery at Fontainbleau. Outside the headquarters was a mobile canteen still in use and presented by the people of Llwcher (Loughor).  The staff were apparently delighted to finally learn how to pronounce the name of the area, and find out where Llwcher was actually located.

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Swansea Blitz Photograph

Swansea Museum Collection

Photograph, black & white. Photograph of fire fighters using hoses to douse a fire caused by German incendiary bombs that fell on the Ben Evans store in Swansea during the 1941 Three Nights Blitz. View in photograph shows fire fighters subduing the blaze from Castle Square. The high buildings in the background are Burtons, David Evans, and Castle Cafe Kardomah which all were damaged by bombs and removed as the buildings were dangerous. There is a YMCA ‘tea cab’ visible on the bottom of the image, presumably this mobile canteen provided workers with sustenance.

Whilst a significant amount of members were serving in the armed forces during WW2, many older members and the Ladies Auxiliary of Swansea YMCA were serving on the home front. Money was being raised to support troops in the front line not with static huts as in WW1 but with mobile vans serving refreshments and offering reading material and stationary for letters home.

As the year 1939 progressed and war seemed more likely, the YMCA Wales National Council was busy setting up tents for recreation and refreshments in various training camps across Wales.  Following the declaration of war in September, many commanding officers were requesting YMCA support and a further seventeen were established in the first few weeks following the declaration of war. A War Emergency Committee was established and all other standing committees suspended. By 1940 it was apparent that permanent buildings would be required to replace the temporary premises at an estimated average cost three to four thousand pounds each.

It was also clear that refreshments and accommodation would be required for travelling troops at the main railway stations and mobile canteens to cover more isolated units such as barrage balloon units and anti-aircraft batteries.

The mobile canteens would also be used to support towns under bomber attack. During the three night blitz on Swansea, the YMCA mobile canteens were supported by several others including one from Porthcawl and six from Cardiff which had arrived by 2.45 am in the morning.

The Air Raid Precaution Controller report to the Council on the Blitz – 19th March 1941 stated.

“The mobile canteens also come in, as I have told you to help…the organizer of the WVS got the kitchen in the Guildhall going from which a quantity of food was prepared and loaded into the mobile canteens for delivering food around the Borough, and the YMCA rendered similar service”.

In several photos of Swansea in the February blitz, you can see a YMCA canteen in the picture.

Swansea YMCA had several mobiles to serve troops on anti-barrage balloons, anti-aircraft batteries and military camps scattered around Swansea.

Swansea YMCA committee member Mr. D. L. Davies volunteered to oversee all the YMCA canteens in the Swansea area, this would include those provided by Swansea and though the national umbrella body.  Mr Davies owned a clothes shop on Gower St (now the Kingsway) which was destroyed in the Blitz.

In Swansea, as well as the mobile canteens, there were canteens and recreational facilities at Fairwood, Crymlyn Burrows, High St Station and Mumbles and canteen and accommodation at the main building, the armed forces club on Alexandria Road and Officers Club on Gore Terrace. Most of the running and activity was undertaken by the Ladies Auxiliary, who also provided other services including meeting every train arriving with wounded soldiers at Swansea and issuing each with a parcel.

Fundraising was also required for facilities and mobile canteens at the various fronts.  Swansea contributed the second highest total in Wales, a sum of £5,000.  The majority of the work was being undertaken by the Ladies Auxiliary

On June 3rd 1940, L S Jenkins give a report of last week’s work when a number of refugees were given refreshments and then late one night a train load of British Expeditionary Forces men came in tired and weary straight from Dunkirk.  The next meeting it was reported that between 16th to the 22nd June, 1,778 cups of tea were served. The record day was 13th June, 462 cups of tea served.  Arrangements had also been made in the Ebenezer Schoolroom which now had eight beds for troops stranded on late trains.

At the AGM of the ladies Auxilary for 1940, Miss Dillwyn Llewelyn the president stated,

“Since our last annual meeting, the scope of the Ladies auxiliary has been greatly extended doing canteen work and these efforts have been the means of increasing our membership considerably, thanks to the many ladies who have come forward to give their services unstintingly to the work of the YMCA in this capacity.  It may interest some of you to know that we have the honour of being the oldest YMCA ladies auxiliary in the country and happily we have several members who did similar war work 25 years ago who are still active today”

The report of the Chair later outlined the canteen work and then goes onto state;

“At the beginning of September, you all know what happened at the station, our canteen was closed for 12 days but we do not forget those ladies who were on duty on the night of 1st September and who endured the hardships of that raid and the ladies who turned up for duty at 7.30am the following morning”.

The chair of the ladies auxiliary was in fact being typically understated for the time. September 1st 1940 was the first major raid on Swansea and High St Station was hit.

The women on duty that night were lucky not to be killed or seriously injured.

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Force G, “Operation Neptune Orders”.

“Operation Neptune” was the code name for the naval operation for D Day, under Operation “Overlord”. 

The orders run to a few hundred pages all marked “top secret”.  In large bold type on the front cover it states;

“To be taken on charge in accordance with article 39 of C.B. form U.2D and destroyed by fire on completion of the operation.”

As you can imagine, those orders were usually obeyed to the letter and therefore this is a rare survivor.  They belonged to Kenneth Hartree Davies, who joined the Navy in 1942 at Swansea YMCA. In 1944 he was promoted to 1st Lieutenant and was appointed to the tank landing craft ‘Copra’ in time for the D. Day landings, which he took part in under the operation name of “Neptune”.

The operational orders survived as their tank landing craft developed engine trouble on D day and was forced to return to port. Kenneth finally delivered his tanks on D Day plus 6.

The impact of war can last a lifetime on an individual, even if not injured physically. An example of this is SM 2018.14.1, an electric hair restorer kit from the late 1940s.

This electric hair restorer belonged to Mr Walter Stockdale. He served in the Pioneer Corp in World War 2 and was one of the soldiers to enter Belsen Concentration camp. He lost his hair due to the shock of what he saw and later purchased the hair restorer to aid with this.

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Goldfish Club Membership Badge

Fabric. Black fabric goldfish club badge showing a white-winged goldfish flying over two wavy blue lines.

The Goldfish Club is a fairly exclusive club. Membership qualification is on the basis that you have at some point forced to ditch your aircraft into the sea and survived to tell the tale. The badge along with membership card belonged to Flight Sergeant Marcus Arthur Harris who was born in Treboeth, Swansea in 1913 and joined the RAF in 1940, aged 27. He began his flying career in mid-Wales towing targets for anti-aircraft gunner training. Gun crews new to firing anti-aircraft guns, must have had a significant risk. Between June and November 1944 he flew numerous raids over Europe as a Wireless Operator and Air Gunner in Handley Page Halifax Mk.II and III heavy bombers with 158 squadron. From February to November 1945 he transferred to 96 Squadron and flew with Halifax bombers in the Burma campaign.  The badge also comes with his membership card which records that he was forced to ditch and use his emergency dinghy on the 8th march 1944.

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National Service Document

Swansea Museum Collection

Document, National Service (Armed Forces) Act, 1939. Personal documents of Mr Thomas William Howells. Letter from the Ministry of Labour and National Service. Required to submit for medical examination 24th November 1939 YMCA Buildings, St Helen’s Road, Swansea.

During WW1 the building was eventually entirely taken over for use as a hospital.  In WW2, much of the building was also being used by the military and the Ministry of Labour.

Recruitment offices were in the building for the various armed forces. On receiving your call up papers, it was to report to Swansea YMCA for your medical and processing. An entire generation of young men in Swansea would have visited the building for their medical including the dreaded drop and cough. In fact even post war the building was still being used for National Service call processing and medical until around 1948.

Swansea Museum continues to collect objects to record the history and heritage of Swansea and its people. The collecting policy is quite strict, the object must be related to Swansea and preferably has a story to tell. WW2 remains a period of great interest. The museum has a significant collection of objects from WW2 and very often the story of that object started at the YMCA.

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A Dance Card belonging to Ethel Howard

Swansea Museum Collection

Dance card, ink on card. Dance card for the V.A.D. 88 Glamorgan dance at the YMCA hospital on March the 25th, 1919. Inside has a list of songs and dances and a list for where gentlemen can write their names to claim Ethel Howard for a dance. There is a pale blue string attached to the bottom of the card with a miniature green pencil on the end. The string would have also allowed the card to hang from the lady’s wrist while she danced. Decorative edge to the card.

Swansea Museum Collection contains several dance cards. This example SM 1985.157.21, is for a dance held on the 25th March 1919, at the YMCA Red Cross Hospital, Voluntary Aid Detachment No 88 Glamorgan. The dance was held just a week before the building was handed back to the YMCA.

The YMCA new building on the Kingsway had only just opened in October 1913 and within a year the Red Cross were taking it over for use as a hospital.  As casualties mounted they eventually took over the entire building and the YMCA moved to St Andrews on St Helen’s Road, now Swansea Mosque.

Dance cards would soon go out of fashion but in essence it was a list of the different dances tunes that would be played that evening with a pencil attached.  Gentlemen could then approach the lady, request a particular dance and the woman would be able to remember by writing his name alongside the dance requested.

Dance cards originated in the 18th century and become widespread in the 19th century after they become fashionable in Vienna. Soon after this particular example, they pretty much were consigned to history. By WW2 the United States Army Air Force had taken the term dance card and instead applied it to a written card detailing their bombing mission plans.

The dance took place at the YMCA Hospital in March 1919 and Miss Howard was popular.  The dance list inside is full.

The tragedy of the Great War had resulted in changes to society in the 1920s with people more keen to live life.  Fashion changed and new dances like the Charleston become popular.  Swansea YMCA where the dance was held in 1919 but under the auspices of the Red Cross found itself trying to adapt to this new world but not without a struggle. A year later the Ladies Auxiliary were looking to organise social events and dancing as part of their funding efforts for the YMCA.

The Executive Committee minutes (YMCA Board of Management) dated 18th October 1920 gives a fascinating insight to that struggle.  The Ladies Auxiliary for the YMCA (support group primarily raising funds for the charity) had requested permission to hold social evenings during the winter in order to raise funds.  The minutes are handwritten but obviously this caused quite a debate at the meeting and the minute taker obviously gave up and typed up the section later and glued in the final agreed position.  The minute is worth repeating in full:

“That the request of the Ladies Auxiliary for permission to hold social evenings during the winter be cordially acceded to on the following conditions:

  1. That the closing time be no later than 10.30pm.
  2. That no card playing be permitted.
  3. That with regard to the question of dancing, this executive realises that the war service of the YMCA has opened out new and wider avenues of social service, and is desirous of meeting all legitimate and reasonable demands for recreation and amusement on the part of its members, but is bound at this juncture to reserve its judgement as to the desirability of allowing dances on the premises.
  4. The executive committee is prepared however as an experiment for its future guidance to sanction with the above request, on the understanding that if dancing takes place, it shall be of an informal character and not be advertised and made a special feature of the gatherings, and further the executive looks with confidence to the Ladies Auxiliary to exercise such supervision in the conduct of these social parties as shall preclude anything arising which shall in any way reflect upon or be detrimental to the spiritual work of the association.  Such work being its chief aim and purpose”.

So dances were permitted on the understanding that they would not be advertised as dances.  A very British compromise indeed.

However when you read the minutes through the 1920s and 1930s the issue continues to be an area of controversy, which arose a number of times.

Another area of controversy would be whist drives, which would also eventually become a means of fundraising for the organisation.