After yesterday’s function in Pontypridd, today I attended two events at home in Maesteg. Today it was a commemoration of the courage and sacrifice of those who participated in the D-Day landings eighty years on and the subsequent fights in the Bocage, then onwards to Germany. Maesteg’s War Memorial is particularly stunning. The choice of design is an admirable and moving one; of a soldier standing tall in defence of a stricken colleague. With a world conflict in full-swing, nowhere will remain unscathed and Maesteg men were at the scene of the biggest amphibian landing in history. Please forgive me if anyone has been overlooked, but two men in particular were at the forefront of the day. Two men who probably looked at their surroundings: at their homes; streets; familiar workplaces and watering holes; farms and the Pwll yr Iwrch, Garnwen, Pleasant and Darren mountains. Who waved goodbye to their loved ones, then jumped on the train to muster at barracks. It would be the final sights, sounds, smells and time they would tread the land called home. David Evans-Jones was born into a bi-lingual home in 1915; to Gwilym Ivor Evans, a miner from Aberaman and Mary Jane Evans, from Ferndale. He was the youngest of four siblings who lived in Gwendoline Terrace. He later married and set up home with Irene. When war came, Evans-Jones went into the Royal Artillery. As part of the 33 Field Regiment of the Royal Artillery, Evans-Jones took part in the D-Day landings of June 6 1944. His regiment fired their guns from the sea, to suppress the German fire-power that was raining down on the infantry. When landing on ‘Sword’ beach, the 33 provided artillery support from there.
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In 1914 David Henry Hopkins came into the world, son of David J and Charlotte M Hopkins [nee Loveridge] of Caerau. Hopkins joined the army prior to the commencement of the second world conflict and served on the famed North-West Frontier of India from 1937 to 1939. reached the rank of Corporal in the 2nd Battalion Royal Warwickshire Regiment. At the start of World War Two, the 2<sup>nd</sup> Battalion RWR were sent to the French-Belgian border as part of the British Expeditionary Force. Overpowered and overrun by the Nazi blitzkrieg onslaught, Hopkins played a huge role in his battalion’s immense defence of Escaut, Wormhaut. It was here the Royal Warwickshires suffered greatly in the Wormhaut massacre on the banks of the Ypres-Comines canal. From there, Hopkins awaited repatriation to the British Isles on the beaches of Dunkirk… but he would return. Landing on Sword beach on June 6th 1944 in the murderous first assault, probably under the protective ‘fire on the run’ of David Evans-Jones 33rd Field Artillery, Hopkins who was part of the 3rd Infantry Division would take the beach and create a foothold. The 2nd Battalion of the Royal Warwickshire’s were to move on to the Battle of Caen, before pushing the Germans to the banks of the Rhine.
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Returning to David Evans-Jones, after the success in securing Sword beach, the 33rd Field Artillery moving inland to the fields surrounding Hermanville. It was here on June 8th 1944, where Evans-Jones lost his life while flushing the Germans out from their well dug-in defences. At Hermanville a memorial is in place to commemorate the courage and sacrifice of the glorious dead. One of them includes David Evans-Jones. The 2nd Battalion of the Royal Warwickshire’s were to fight for Caen and push arrive at the Rhine and the capture of Bremen without Hopkins. He died aged just thirty on June 7th 1944. His remains lie in La Delivrande War Cemetery, Douvres, Calvados, France. Maesteg men. Born, bred and true heroes, who saved the world from the evils of Nazi Germany. Bendith Duw.