News

How Pembrokeshire’s beaches were used as practice for the world’s biggest invasion

Published

7 months ago

June 6, 2024

TODAY marks the 80th anniversary of D-Day, when the Allied forces landed on the beaches of Normandy, France as part of Operation Overlord; a concerted and successful attempt to liberate Europe from the grip of German occupation under Hitler.

The invasion of Normandy (codenamed Operation Neptune) was a massive amphibious assault involving 7,000 ships and 11,000 aircraft. A decoy plan, Operation Fortitude, led the Germans to believe the main target was Pas de Calais. It was a major milestone in securing victory for the allied forces.

Tenby, Saundersfoot, Amroth and Laugharne had already experienced their own version of the Normandy landings – in practice form.

Our local beaches were the location for an extensive two-week-long practice, Operation Jantzen. The exercise commenced on July 22, 1943, and was, thankfully, the only land invasion of Wales during World War II.

Under the watchful eyes of Winston Churchill and Lord Mountbatten (rumour has it that Eisenhower also attended), 100,000 American, Australian, British and Canadian forces had a rare opportunity to practice every element needed for a successful attack on “Fortress Europe”, this involved the initial landings, the setting up of Headquarters and even the moving and stockpiling of vital supplies that would be needed by troops on the front line.

Newsreel footage clearly shows trucks somehow being driven onto flat-bottomed transports in preparation for the training excercise on Tenby Beach, a beach more commonly associated with bathing, swimming and making sandcastles.

The Regimental War Chronicles of the Oxfordshire & Buckinghamshire Light Infantry Vol3 1942-1944 records that the First Bucks Battalion had been training in Ayrshire before moving to West Wales.

The road convoy of over 200 vehicles left Ayr on the July 8, 1943, and the main body departed by train three days later. Troops disembarked at Haverfordwest station, where three-ton lorries lifted them to Picton Park.

Picton Park, consisting of Nissen huts and tents, provided an excellent concentration area and preparations for Exercise “Jantzen,” due to start on the July 17, were pressed forward.

All was ready, but the exercise was postponed owing to bad weather, and the move to the assembly area at Cresselly did not begin until July 20.

The area allotted to No. 6 Beach Group consisted of the village of Saundersfoot and its immediate hinterland. There were two small beaches and a tiny port, and the country behind the beaches was hilly and heavily wooded, with narrow country lanes.

No. 5 Beach Group had an equally difficult area some miles to the east with a steep, shingle bank at the head of the beach which made exits and entrances serious problems.

The first key plan prepared before the exercise needed little adjustment and the deployment of thousands of men and hundreds of vehicles and guns proceeded most smoothly.

Coasters and barges were loaded at Tenby and beached at Saundersfoot on a falling tide.

Stores were unloaded first to barge and then to lorry, and, when the coasters had dried out, direct to lorry. Folding boats were not used and the DUKW had still not made its appearance.

On August 5 (D+14) the exercise was closed.

A great many lessons had been learned from “Jantzen.” The organisation and training of the group were sound. The complicated deployment drill had worked smoothly although it had been shown how vulnerable any beach organisation is to deterioration in the weather.

The effort was not only limited to troop movements.

The first major supply exercise involving barges (36 in 3 flotillas), 36 coasters and other forces, took place at Tenby, South Wales in July/August 1943 in Exercise “Jantzen”.

As part of the preparation for sailing across the English Channel for the Normandy landings, “dumb” Thames River barges sailed from the south coast of England around Land’s End and across the Bristol Channel under their own power.

The barges acted as kitchen vessels and troop transports during the exercise.

They subsequently made even longer coastal voyages over to Normandy as supply vessels.

The beaches of west Wales were chosen because they mimicked the conditions of Normandy being a mixture of salt flats, shingle and wide sandy areas overlooked by dunes. In addition, earlier in the war some of them had been extensively fortified and defensive measures put in place as part of the preparations for invasion.

The importance of experiencing the ‘draft’ of landing beaches was vitally important as were the changing tidal conditions around the West Wales coast.

The area’s roads were also used to give troops experience of moving along thin, rural roads with heavy armour like Tanks and Armoured Troop Carriers.

Speaking to the BBC in 2007, Bentley Howell, whose family lived at Wiseman’s Bridge Inn at the time, remembered some of the events surrounding Operation: Jantzen.

“My half-brother, who was about 40 years old, was at the time the licensee of the Wiseman’s Bridge Inn, Permbrokeshire. In his old age, he used to tell me of his wartime memories and particularly about the day that Winston Churchill called in for a pot of tea.

“A full scale invasion landing practice took place, involving up to 100,000 men, DUKW’s, other landing craft, and troopships disgorging their loads onto the sands of the Saundersfoot bay.

“The publican, John Henry Mathias, or ‘Jack the Bridge’ as he was affectionately known, was appointed a Coastguard because of his local knowledge, and although the whole area had been sealed off for security reasons and a 10pm curfew imposed, Jack was exempt from this and wandered at will.

“Officially, the troops were not allowed to drink, but for 1s 6d they had all they could eat – home killed ham, eggs, fried bread and apple tart. Jack entertained them with tales of a ghostly monk who roamed the tunnels between Saundersfoot and Wiseman’s Bridge.

“One day, several large staff cars swept down the narrow lane to the pub. It was about 3pm, but in those days the pub was open all hours. A blonde woman in an ATS uniform carried out ‘a plain Welsh tea’ to the party of about 15 high ranking officers – later it was learned that she was Sarah Churchill; Winston Churchill surveyed the troops on the beaches together with Admiral Viscount Mountbatten. It was rumoured that Eisenhower was also present”.

For several years after the War, the letter signed by Churchill, thanking the licensee for his hospitality hung on the wall in the pub premises.

In fact, the rumours about Eisenhower’s presence in Pembrokeshire were true, but not quite in the way supposed.

The late and much-missed Vernon Scott wrote in his book An Experience Shared: “Had residents been told on the first day of the fourth month of 1944 that the Supreme Allied Commander, General Dwight D Eisenhower, was in Pembroke Dock, they would have surely dismissed it as an April Fool leg pull. But America’s top soldier in the European Theatre of Operations, really was in the area.”

Eisenhower came to west Wales to inspect the men of the 110th Infantry Regiment, at that time based at Llanion Barracks in Pembroke Dock.

By April 1944, the Regiment was going through last-minute training for the Normandy landings and push for victory.

The Supreme Commander Allied Forces’ visit came as a surprise to the GIs stationed in the County. ‘Ike’ arrived in secrecy at Tenby and was whisked to Pembroke Dock in a staff car kitted out with miniature stars and stripes for the occasion.

The GIs called Pembroke Dock ‘Blitz Ville’, surprised at the extent of the bomb damage in such a small town on the far fringes of Wales.

Pembrokeshire wears its battle-scars proudly, from the huge castles built hundreds of years ago to suppress the native Welsh, to the fuel depots, RAF airfields and anti-aircraft gun bases that were literally thrown up around the county to help protect Great Britain from the power of the Nazi war machine.

The south of the county bore the brunt of Hitler’s wrath. On August 19, 1940, a fuel depot at Llanreath, Pembroke Dock, was bombed by the Luftwaffe. The resulting fire spewed thick, black, oily smoke into the blue skies of Pembrokeshire for 18 days.

The dense plume of smoke could be seen from as far away as the North Devon coast and the fire claimed the lives of 5 Cardiff-based firemen who had been sent down to help deal with the raging inferno as an estimated 100,000 gallons of oil burned.

600 German prisoners of war were also imprisoned in Pembrokeshire during the conflict, with many being placed at local farms to plough, plant and help the Allied war effort ‘dig for victory’.

Looking around today, it’s hard to imagine the full military might of the Allies being put through their paces on our beaches, but our county’s role as a staging area for the biggest naval landing in human history cannot be underestimated

News

Bird keepers in Wales urged to stay vigilant as avian flu cases rise

Published

38 mins ago

December 18, 2024

Tom Sinclair

BIRD KEEPERS across Wales are being warned to remain alert and implement biosecurity measures after a surge in avian influenza cases in poultry and kept birds across Great Britain.

The Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA) has declared a regional Avian Influenza Prevention Zone (AIPZ) covering East Riding of Yorkshire, Kingston upon Hull, Lincolnshire, Norfolk, and Suffolk. Within the AIPZ, mandatory enhanced biosecurity measures are in place to prevent the disease from spreading further and to protect flocks.

The UK is now in a period of heightened risk from highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI), prompting calls for increased vigilance from Welsh bird keepers.

Biosecurity is Key

Dr Richard Irvine, Chief Veterinary Officer for Wales, highlighted the importance of biosecurity:
“The winter migration period significantly increases the risk to poultry and kept birds. Recent rises in confirmed cases of avian influenza in both wild and kept birds across the UK are deeply concerning.

“Maintaining scrupulous hygiene and biosecurity measures daily is the best defence against this highly infectious disease. I urge all bird keepers in Wales to act now to protect their flocks and prevent the spread of bird flu.

“Vigilance is essential. Any signs or suspicions of avian influenza in flocks must be reported immediately.”

Legal Requirements and Further Guidance

Bird keepers in Wales and England are now legally required to register with the Animal and Plant Health Agency (APHA). This registration allows APHA to provide timely updates and guidance during disease outbreaks, helping keepers make informed decisions to safeguard their birds.

Further advice, including a biosecurity self-assessment checklist, is available on the Welsh Government website.

The current AIPZ in England may expand, with housing measures and other mandatory protective actions under constant review as the disease situation develops.

Reporting and Resources

Dead wild birds should be reported to the Defra helpline on 03459 33 55 77, and any suspicions of avian influenza in kept birds must be promptly reported to APHA on 0300 303 8268.

Details about current national risk levels for avian influenza, along with the evidence supporting these levels, can be found at gov.uk/birdflu. Additional information on disease control measures in England is available in Defra’s guidance, Bird flu: rules in disease control zones in England.

Zone declarations are accessible through the notifiable disease case finder.

By adopting rigorous biosecurity practices and reporting any concerns, bird keepers in Wales can help protect their flocks and reduce the spread of avian influenza.

Community

Ben Lake MP visits postal workers during Christmas rush

Published

3 hours ago

December 18, 2024

Tom Sinclair

BEN LAKE MP visited postal workers at the Llandysul Delivery Office last Friday (Dec 13) to show his support and gain insight into their operations during the festive season—the busiest time of the year for Royal Mail.

The holiday period sees Royal Mail handle around double its usual volume of letters and parcels, as people send Christmas cards and shop for gifts online. To meet this seasonal surge, the Llandysul Delivery Office has hired four extra vehicles, while Royal Mail nationally has recruited 16,000 temporary workers and introduced nearly 4,000 additional vans, trucks, and trailers.

During the visit, Ben Lake spoke with Ryan Goellnitz, Customer Operations Manager, about Royal Mail’s efforts to enhance convenience for customers. These include services like Parcel Collect—where posties collect parcels directly from customers’ doorsteps—and the introduction of over 5,000 new parcel drop-off points this year, including at Collect+ stores and parcel lockers.

Ryan Goellnitz said:
“It was great to have Ben visit our Delivery Office and show him how we are gearing up for our peak period. We are pulling out all the stops to deliver Christmas for our customers.”

Ben Lake, MP for Ceredigion Preseli, praised the dedication of the postal workers:
“It was a pleasure to visit the Llandysul Delivery Office and witness the incredible volume of post managed by Royal Mail, not only here but across the country. This is an essential service year-round, but the effort and planning to ensure smooth operations during Christmas are extraordinary.

“I am immensely grateful for their tireless efforts and dedication, which deserve to be fully recognised. The visit gave me real appreciation for the hard work and commitment of everyone involved.”

Royal Mail’s preparations for Christmas are a year-long effort, ensuring the postal service continues to meet the festive demand.

News

Pembrokeshire County Council achieve Insport Partnerships Gold Standard

Published

3 hours ago

December 18, 2024

Herald Sport

PEMBROKESHIRE COUNTY COUNCIL have recently achieved the insport Partnerships Gold Standard, recognising their commitment and passion to providing inclusive opportunities for disabled people across the local authority area.

‘insport’ is a Disability Sport Wales programme delivered with the support the of Sport Wales, which aims to support the physical activity, sport, and leisure sectors delivering inclusively of disabled people. The purpose of the insport programmes is to support the development of inclusive thinking, planning, development and delivery by everyone within an organisation so that ultimately, they will deliver across the spectrum to disabled and non-disabled people, at whatever level they wish to participate or compete. The intent is to facilitate and deliver cultural change in attitude, approach, and provision of physical activity (including sport) and wider opportunities for disabled people.

Sport Pembrokeshire and Pembrokeshire Leisure have consistently developed their offers for disabled people locally, becoming the first local authority partner nationally to achieve the insport Partnerships Gold standard. Working with the natural, rural and coastal assets, the Sport Pembrokeshire & Pembrokeshire Leisure teams’ have done a fantastic job in navigating the opportunities and challenges to prioritise the inclusion of disabled people in leisure & community-based physical activity (including sport) opportunities. Ensuring that as many people as possible can be involved in sport and physical activity.

Achievement of the insport Partnerships Gold standard means that an inclusive approach to communities of disabled people is embedded within strategies, programmes, and thinking. This award is never the end of an organisation’s inclusion journey, and Disability Sport Wales will continue to support Pembrokeshire County Council as they continue to provide sector leading inclusive opportunities for disabled people.

Pembrokeshire have a number of excellent examples of collaborative work and partnerships supporting the delivery of strong inclusive programming across Pembrokeshire’s communities which add significant value to the area’s rich inclusive sporting heritage. These opportunities provide the initial steps on the pathway that many former and current Paralympic and Commonwealth Games Para athletes have taken from Pembrokeshire, including the Paris 2024 Paralympic Champion, Matt Bush; Paris 2024 Paralympic athlete, Jodie Grinham; 2022 Commonwealth Games medallist Lily Rice.

Tom Rogers (Governance & Partnership Director, Disability Sport Wales) said: “Pembrokeshire’s achievement of the insport Partnerships Gold standard is a remarkable milestone that highlights the unwavering commitment to inclusion in physical activity (including sport). This achievement recognises the efforts in creating opportunities that ensure everyone, regardless of ability, can participate and thrive in physical activity and sport at a level of their choosing.

Achieving the insport Partnerships Gold standard reflects the culture of inclusivity and recognises the excellent example for communities across Wales and beyond of an embedded culture of inclusion. Sport Pembrokeshire’s dedication to breaking down barriers and fostering an equitable and person centred approach to the delivery of physical activity is reflected across their programming. The commitment to inclusion exits across the Sport Pembrokeshire and Pembrokeshire Leisure teams’ and the achievement of this standard recognises the years of hard work by current and former team members, as well as excellent community led opportunities across the local authority area.

Congratulations on this significant achievement—your success paves the way for a brighter, more inclusive future in sport.”

Matt Freeman, Sport Pembrokeshire Manager said, “Pembrokeshire County Council is proud to achieve the prestigious insport Gold Standard, a recognition of our commitment to championing inclusive sport and physical activity across the county. This milestone, led by Sport Pembrokeshire – the Council’s sports development team – reflects the collaborative efforts of our partners to ensure opportunities for inclusive participation continue to grow. We remain dedicated to working with both new and existing partners to expand access and make inclusive provision a cornerstone of sport and physical activity in Pembrokeshire”.