Free Wales Army

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Free Wales Army
(Byddin Rhyddid Cymru)
LeaderJulian Cayo-Evans
Dates of operation1963–1969
HeadquartersLampeter, Ceredigion, Wales
Active regionsWales
IdeologyWelsh independence
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The Free Wales Army (FWA;

Cardiganshire) by Julian Cayo-Evans in 1963. Its objective was to establish an independent Welsh republic
.

History

Overview

The FWA first appeared in public at a 1965 protest against the construction of the

Basque separatists," dogs trained to carry explosives, etc.[4] Members wore home-made uniforms and marched in historic sites like Machynlleth, as well as carrying out manoeuvres with small arms and explosives in the Welsh countryside and claiming responsibility for many of Mudiad Amddiffyn Cymru's bombings.[3][4][5] They also advocated for families of victims of the Aberfan disaster whose compensation claims were being blocked, "marching on their behalf and working behind the scenes for them."[1][4]

Army

The group was generally not taken seriously by the media,

investiture of King Charles as Prince of Wales the FWA presented an appealing target to the government, and in 1969 nine members were arrested and charged with public order offences.[4][5] The trial, in Swansea, lasted 53 days, ending on the day of the investiture.[5] On the first day of the trial the defendants were "greeted with an impromptu recital of Hen Wlad Fy Nhadau from the public gallery."[4] Almost all of the prosecution's evidence came from journalists who had reported the group's claims.[4][5] Julian Cayo-Evans, his second-in-command, Dennis Coslett (who refused to speak English throughout the trial), and four other members were convicted; Cayo-Evans and Coslett spent 15 months in jail.[4][7]

The Army's motto was "Fe godwn ni eto",

Myrddin's prophecy is that a king shall come with heroism from among the Welsh people. Prophets have said that generous men shall be reborn of the lineage of the eagles of Snowdonia." The modern symbol itself was designed by Harri Webb, a Welsh republican
poet who edited The Welsh Republican in the 1950s.

The FWA was rumoured to have received arms from the

Irish Republicanism—was that the OIRA had given or sold most of its weapons to the FWA as part of its turn away from political violence, leaving it defenceless when intercommunal violence erupted in Northern Ireland in August 1969.[8][9][10][11] Scott Millar, coauthor of a history of the OIRA, wrote that there was contact between the two groups (including FWA members training in Ireland)[12] but no large-scale transfer of arms took place.[13][unreliable source?
]

In 2005, the Western Mail newspaper published information from The National Archives, asserting that Cayo-Evans had a "mental age of 12", and that Coslett was "unbalanced".[14] In 2009, photos of the group's exercises taken by undercover police officers (and introduced as evidence at the 1969 trial) were brought out of storage and put on display in a museum exhibit.[15]

See also

References

  1. ^ a b c d Higgit, Duncan (22 May 2004). "Dennis Coslett: Free Wales Army commandant". Western Mail. Retrieved 28 October 2009.
  2. ISBN 978-0-7190-5826-4
    .
  3. ^ a b c Stephens, Meic (21 May 2004). "Dennis Coslett: Dashing commandant of the Free Wales Army". The Independent. London. Retrieved 28 October 2009.
  4. ^ a b c d e f g "Funeral for Free Wales Army chief". BBC News. 26 May 2004. Retrieved 28 October 2009.
  5. ^ a b c d Hannan, Patrick (16 November 2005). "Obituary: Tony Lewis". The Guardian. London. Retrieved 28 October 2009.
  6. ^ "Free Wales Army inquiry revealed". BBC News. 30 March 2005. Retrieved 14 July 2008.
  7. ^ "Wales on Air – Free Wales Army". BBC. Retrieved 28 October 2009.
  8. ISBN 978-0-19-953970-3
    .
  9. ISBN 978-0-7100-8966-3
    .
  10. ISBN 978-1-930901-76-6
    .
  11. Irish Republican Socialist Committee of North America. Archived from the original
    on 2 May 2017. Retrieved 11 October 2009.
  12. ^ Hanley, Brian and Scot Millar. The Lost Revolution: The Story of the Official IRA and the Workers' Party. Penguin, 2009. Pages 49-50
  13. ^ "The Lost Revolution: The Story of the Official IRA and The Workers' Party – 1 | The Cedar Lounge Revolution". Cedarlounge.wordpress.com. 17 September 2009. Retrieved 23 March 2020.
  14. ^ "Cayo Evans? His mental age is 'about 12 years'". Western Mail. 30 March 2005. Retrieved 19 March 2020.
  15. ^ Williamson, David (7 August 2009). "Images spark interest in almost forgotten Free Wales Army". Western Mail.

Further reading

External links
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