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‘Commemorations in Steel’ #SWOS20 Hi – I am Dr Gethin Matthews, a senior lecturer @SwanseaHistory, and I am particularly interested in war memorials in Wales – I ran a project kindly funded by @LivingLegacies3 – which gathered information about them http://war-memorials.swan.ac.uk/ 1/17
In the aftermath of WW1, people sought to commemorate loved ones who had served in the war. An enormous variety of memorials were established by communities, eg. schools, chapels, clubs, workplaces & I believe these are more interesting that the ‘official’ memorials #SWOS20 2/17
I have information on this map regarding 22 memorials established by metalworks in south Wales.
https://www.google.com/maps/d/edit?mid=1O9rPj9w5XKJXkCIR6lmrTQhKpeR07nOH&usp=sharing Some were non-ferrous, but over half dealt in iron or steel #SWOS20 3/17
https://www.google.com/maps/d/edit?mid=1O9rPj9w5XKJXkCIR6lmrTQhKpeR07nOH&usp=sharing Some were non-ferrous, but over half dealt in iron or steel #SWOS20 3/17
The number of names on these memorials varies greatly, from 1 dead (out of 39 who served) from the Morlais Tinplate works Llangennech https://www.wwwmp.co.uk/carmarthenshire-memorials/kidwelly-morlais-tinplate-works-memorial/ to the 121 dead commemorated at the Orb Works (Lysaght’s), Newport http://steelremembered.org/memorial.html #SWOS20 4/17
The Orb Works memorial highlights a point seen in many of these mem'ls – how the men were explicitly remembered by their role in the workplace. This mem'l divides the men up not by rank but by dept: 65 from the Mills; 3 Staff; 7 Bar Bank; 4 Brass Shop etc @Linc_Cymru #SWOS20 5/17
This division by dept can also be seen in the memorial on my list which names the greatest no. of men, that of the Gilbertson Co of Pontardawe, which lists all those who served– 321, of whom 34 died. The original is now with @WestGlamArchive https://www.swansea.gov.uk/article/45700/The-Gilbertson-Works-Pontardawe #SWOS20 6/17
The original was designed by the Western Mail, a company that produced many WW1 memorials. A copy, easier to read, is in Pontardawe – you can see here that 73 joined from the Steel Works Dept, 99 from Sheet Mills & Galvanizing, 68 from Tinplate etc. #SWOS20 7/17
2 more steelworks memorials which list everyone who served can be found in Briton Ferry. The Albion Steelworks memorial lists 74 who served by their department, including 2 who died; for the Briton Ferry Steelworks there are 92 names of whom 6 died #SWOS20 8/17
Some details of the Briton Ferry Steelworks memorial are interesting – A S Webb is down as the company’s ‘Cricket Pro’, and the image of the Steelworks is striking – similar to numerous chapel memorials which have an image of the chapel centre-stage #SWOS20 9/17
The company with the greatest number of mem'ls on my list is Guest, Keen and Nettlefolds, with 6 from their iron/steel works (in addition to 3 from coal-mines & 1 from a wharf). These all have a similar style, listing the fallen alphabetically by surname and initial #SWOS20 10/17
The text of each reads IN EVER GRATEFUL RECOGNITION/OF THE SPLENDID PATRIOTISM/AND HEROIC SELF SACRIFICE OF/THE EMPLOYEES … WHO GAVE THEIR LIVES/FOR THEIR KING AND COUNTRY/IN THE GREAT WAR,1914-1918 http://war-memorials.swan.ac.uk/?p=52 @The_Waterfront #SWOS20 11/17
Besides establishing memorials, companies organised events to thank and welcome home those who had served. Here is the programme for such an event held by GKN for the employees of the Cwmbran Coke Ovens https://www.peoplescollection.wales/items/26682 @pplscollection #SWOS20 12/17
Baldwins, who ran steel and tinplate works across south west Wales held similar events – a report of an event in Landore in Dec 1919 https://newspapers.library.wales/view/4437197/4437202/80/ and here is a photograph of a reunion in Swansea in May 1920 with over 800 present #SWOS20 13/17
Some workplaces created medals or mementos for their returned servicemen, such as these from Richard Thomas & Co Cwmfelin Steel & Tinplate Works, and from Hafod Isha Nickel-Cobalt works #SWOS20 14/17
I don’t have information on any physical mem'ls in north Wales metalworks (please contact me if you do!) but I have a copy of the 1st issue of the Brymbo Steelworks magazine from 1920, which gave pride of place to a ‘Roll of Honour’ of those who died @The_Waterfront #SWOS20 15/17
2 points to conclude: 1- these steelworks memorials show that the workplace community saw themselves as a cohesive body: the men had an identity as steelworkers, and the companies were keen to push that, and claim the men as their own #SWOS20 16/17
2 – the survival rate of metalworks mem'ls is higher than other workplace mem'ls (eg. I know of only ~12 from Welsh mines) perhaps because so many are solid & robust, but they are still vulnerable as the works close down – see Ebbw Vale https://firstworldwar.gwentheritage.org.uk/content/catalogue_item/war-memorial-to-the-fallen-employees-of-the-ebbw-vale-company #SWOS20 17/17
Thanks to @LivingLegacies3 @megryder93 Dr Jennifer Protheroe Jones @The_Waterfront @AmgueddfaCymru @RCAHMWales Suzanne Bowers @Linc_Cymru @WestGlamArchive @SwanseaHistory @pplscollection Mark Newton @I_W_M
