Aberconwy MP Robin Millar is supporting the Commonwealth War Grave Commission’s initiative – War Graves Week - that seeks to encourage people throughout the United Kingdom to discover the World War heritage on their doorstep. The initiative is being held between 21 May and 28 May.
Commenting, Robin said:
"Behind every name on a war grave or memorial throughout Aberconwy is a human story waiting to be discovered. During a tour organised by Adrian Hughes of Llandudno’s superb Home Front Museum, of St Tudno's Church on the Great Orme, I was fascinated to learn about the stories of several heroes who had fallen during the two world wars.
“One of these stories was about Pilot Officer Wyn Williams, from Llandudno, who was awarded his medal for skill and bravery in a bombing mission over Milan on 14th February 1943. His Lancaster was engaged and badly damaged by a Fiat biplane - setting an incendiary bomb on fire in their bomb bay, damaging an engine and destroying the navigational equipment. While he and the crew put out the fire, the pilot put the plane onto a steep dive, successfully extinguishing the fire in the damaged engine.
“Williams was badly burned but was still able to use the stars and a compass to guide the plane successfully back to England (skirting neutral Switzerland) where it was remarked that it was "the worst damaged Lancaster ever to make it back home". He was sent home to his wife Ruby but such was the shortage of crew, he was recalled a few weeks later, only to tragically die in a training crash. He was returned to Llandudno where he was laid to rest. His wife Ruby, years later, was laid to rest alongside him.”
Continuing, Robin said:
"I would like to encourage all my constituents to embrace War Graves Week. It is a
fantastic opportunity to reconnect with our local history and learn about the courageous ordinary people from communities throughout Aberconwy who made the ultimate sacrifice for our freedom.
“I pay tribute to Adrian, the CWGC and to all those who make such an invaluable contribution in ensuring that ‘We will remember them.’”
War Graves Week encourages people to learn about the stories of those commemorated by the CWGC in communities throughout the United Kingdom along with the skills, dedication and expertise of those CWGC staff who work to keep their memory alive.
Aberconwy residents keen to learn more about the remarkable stories of the men and women of the Commonwealth forces that died in the First and Second World Wars who are buried in their community can visit www.CWGC.org and visit the cemeteries in person.
At CWGC.org, Aberconwy residents can also learn about the ‘Ordinary People, Extraordinary Times’ project - the focus of this year's War Graves Week. Alongside the front-line armed forces, the CWGC will be celebrating the value those who served during the World Wars brought to key sectors such as healthcare, logistics, infrastructure and communications, and the parallels with today's global Britain which they helped to create. Residents can learn more about specific stories of those who served by visiting www.cwgc.org/war-graves-week
Commonwealth War Graves in communities across Aberconwy, from Penmachno to Llandudno, can be discovered by visiting www.cwgc.org/visit-us/sites-by-constituencies
The Commonwealth War Graves Commission (CWGC) honours and cares for the men and women of the Commonwealth forces who died in the First and Second World Wars, ensuring they will never be forgotten. Funded by six Member Governments, CWGC's work began with building, and now maintaining, cemeteries at 23,000 locations all over the world.
AS Aberconwy Robin Millar yn annog trigolion lleol i groesawu cynllun Comisiwn Beddau Rhyfel y Gymanwlad
Mae AS Aberconwy Robin Millar yn cefnogi cynllun Comisiwn Beddau Rhyfel y Gymanwlad – Wythnos Beddau Rhyfel – sy’n ceisio annog pobl ar draws y Deyrnas Unedig i ddarganfod treftadaeth y Rhyfeloedd Byd ar garreg eu drws. Mae’r cynllun yn digwydd rhwng 21 Mai a 28 Mai.
Wrth wneud sylwadau, dywedodd Robin:
“Y tu ôl i bob enw ar fedd neu gofeb ryfel ar draws Aberconwy mae stori ddynol sy’n aros i gael ei darganfod. Yn ystod taith a drefnwyd gan Adrian Hughes o Amgueddfa Home Front Llandudno, yn Eglwys Sant Tudno ar y Gogarth, cefais fy nghyfareddu gan glywed am straeon sawl arwr a oedd wedi marw yn ystod y ddau ryfel byd.
“Un o’r straeon hyn oedd stori’r Swyddog Peilot Wyn Williams o Landudno a gafodd fedal am ei fedrusrwydd a’i ddewrder mewn cyrch fomio dros Milan ar 14 Chwefror 1943. Cafodd ei awyren Lancaster ei thargedu a’i difrodi’n wael gan awyren ddwbl Fiat - gan roi bom llosgi ar dân yn eu storfa bomiau, difrodi injan a dinistrio’r offer mordwyo. Tra aeth ef a’r criw ati i ddiffodd y tân, anelodd y peilot yr awyren i blymio’n serth, a llwyddwyd i ddiffodd y tân yn yr injan a ddifrodwyd.
“Cafodd Williams ei losgi’n ddrwg ond fe ddefnyddiodd y sêr a chwmpawd i arwain yr awyren yn ôl yn llwyddiannus i Loegr (gan fynd heibio i’r Swistir niwtral) lle nodwyd mai hon oedd “y Lancaster gyda’r mwyaf o ddifrod i gyrraedd yn ôl erioed”. Cafodd ei anfon adref at ei wraig Ruby, ond oherwydd prinder criw, cafodd ei alw’n ôl ychydig wythnosau’n ddiweddarach, a bu farw’n drasig mewn damwain hyfforddi. Dychwelwyd ei gorff i Landudno lle cafodd ei gladdu. Claddwyd ei wraig Ruby ochr yn ochr ag ef, flynyddoedd yn ddiweddarach.
Aeth Robin ymlaen i ddweud:
“Hoffwn annog fy holl etholwyr i groesawu Wythnos Beddau Rhyfel. Mae’n gyfle gwych i ailgysylltu â’n hanes lleol a dysgu am y bobl gyffredin ddewr o gymunedau ar draws Aberconwy a wnaeth yr aberth eithaf dros ein rhyddid.
“Rwy’n talu teyrnged i Adrian, y CWGC ac i bawb sy’n gwneud cyfraniad mor werthfawr i sicrhau y ‘Byddwn yn eu cofio.’”
Mae Wythnos Beddau Rhyfel yn annog pobl i ddysgu am straeon y rheini sy’n cael eu cofio gan y CWGC mewn cymunedau ar draws y Deyrnas Unedig ynghyd â sgiliau, ymroddiad ac arbenigedd y staff CWGC hynny sy’n gweithio i gadw eu straeon yn fyw.
Gall trigolion Aberconwy sy’n awyddus i ddysgu mwy am hanesion rhyfeddol dynion a merched lluoedd y Gymanwlad a fu farw yn y Rhyfel Byd Cyntaf a’r Ail Ryfel Byd sydd wedi’u claddu yn eu cymuned ymweld â www.CWGC.org ac ymweld â’r mynwentydd eu hunain.
Yn CWGC.org, gall trigolion Aberconwy hefyd ddysgu am y prosiect ‘Ordinary People, Extraordinary Times’ – ffocws Wythnos Beddau Rhyfel eleni. Ochr yn ochr â’r lluoedd arfog rheng flaen, bydd y CWGC yn dathlu’r gwerth a roddodd y rheini a wasanaethodd yn ystod y Rhyfeloedd Byd i sectorau allweddol fel gofal iechyd, logisteg, seilwaith a chyfathrebu, a’r tebygrwydd â Phrydain fyd-eang heddiw y gwnaethon nhw helpu i’w chreu. Gall trigolion ddysgu mwy am straeon penodol y rhai a wasanaethodd drwy ymweld â www.cwgc.org/war-graves-week
Gellir dod o hyd i Feddau Rhyfel y Gymanwlad mewn cymunedau ar draws Aberconwy, o Benmachno i Landudno, drwy fynd i www.cwgc.org/visit-us/sites-by-constituencies
Mae Comisiwn Beddau Rhyfel y Gymanwlad (CWGC) yn anrhydeddu ac yn gofalu am ddynion a merched lluoedd y Gymanwlad a fu farw yn y Rhyfel Byd Cyntaf a’r Ail Ryfel Byd, gan sicrhau na fyddan nhw byth yn cael eu hanghofio. Wedi’i ariannu gan y chwe Llywodraeth sy’n Aelodai, dechreuodd gwaith CWGC gyda’r gwaith o adeiladu’r mynwentydd mewn 23,000 o leoliadau ledled y byd y maen nhw bellach yn eu cynnal.