This unique collection of nine interviews with veterans of the 1914-18 Great War were undertaken by David Mathias in the 1980’s when he was serving as a young Army Officer in the UK but also whilst serving in Germany. These interviews have never previously been released and published.

The introductory audio interview undertaken with Lt Col Mathias provides context to his interviews, the methods he employed to record these veterans and some personal recollections of the veterans. His account includes meeting two Welsh veterans for the first time by chance at Mametz Wood in 1987 when David was in charge of the Army unit which had transported the Welsh Red Dragon Sculpture and its three metre stone plinth ready for installation.

The Interviews

All but one of these audio-recorded interviews feature veterans from Carmarthenshire, Swansea and Surrey. The exception being Heinrich Krappen, a machine gunner with the German Imperial Army, which was carried out with the assistance of an interpreter at Herr Krappen’s home in Mönchengladbach, Germany.

The sound quality of the recordings is variable, and we are grateful to Berian Elias, Field Officer with Peoples Collection Wales, for his considerable efforts in seeking to enhance the sound quality of each interview.

However, it is important to remember that these recordings are historically very significant, for they capture the voices of men who have since long passed away. The experiences recounted range from the Battle of Mons which was very first battle of World War One on 23.8.1914 through to the end of the war with the Armistice and Army
of Occupation. The accounts include fighting on the Somme, the Ypres Salient, attacks by German aircraft upon Allied trenches, sardonic trench humour captured in the rhymes shared by the ‘ordinary’ soldier, being injured, and taken prisoner. There is also mention of initial recruitment into military service, the training which followed, and inevitably the loss of friends.

[Name – date and place of interview – unit served in – role and notes]

• Albert Victor Wheeler, 1982, Burry Port
  53rd Y.S. [Young Soldiers] Battalion Welsh, Reg., 4 RWF, 53 SWB, 52 SWB
  Drummer
• Daniel Archibald Williams,1982, Burry Port
  5th Battalion MBC Service No’ 9781
  Corporal
• Ivor Watkins, Oct 1988, Sketty, Swansea
  South Wales Borderers forTraining.15th Welsh Regiment (a Carmarthenshire unit) Service No’60797
  Runner at one point. Temporarily blinded.
• Gwilym Blair Williams, Nov 1981, Byfleet, Surrey
• Heinrich Krappen,  28.2.1983 Mönchengladbach, Germany
  814 Machine Gun Coy. Imperial German Army
• Robert Owen Williams, Jan 1982 
  4th Welsh Llanelli Service No; 489?
• Gywnoro Morris, Oct 1988, Cockett, Swansea
  9 Royal Welsh Fusiliers. Service No’ 73179 and 3949113 1st Welch Regiment 
  Became Prisoner of War in March 1918
• Reg Fry, 27.2.1988
  15th Welsh Llanelli
• Alf Dixon, Aug.1982, Pembrey