'Arm to Save your Native Land' - Army Recruiting in North-West Wales, by Clive Hughes

'Arm to Save your Native Land' - Army Recruiting in North-West Wales, by Clive Hughes
Book published by Carreg Gwalch in 2015, 290 pages. Paperback (N8044)

Brand New Book


From the rear side cover: August 1914. How to entice, rapidly, a surge of recruits for a country plunged into war?

In north-west Wales, a region deeply conservative in nature and habits, where agriculture and quarrying attached generations of men to the land, there was need for a vibrant recruiting campaign that would attract attention, hold out promise of adventure and result in "a flurry of response before it was 'all over by Ghristmas'.

Only a quintessentially Welsh flavour to recruiting methods would have a chance of success - appealing to the hearts and sentiments of not only the men, but their womenfolk and families through carefully designed posters, leaflets and newspaper advertisements; combined with rousing affirmations from noted Welsh academics and clerics from public platforms and pulpit. Did they succeed?

As the call went out for more volunteers, Lloyd George instigated the Welsh Army Corps. Its frustrations in securing native Welsh officers, the rampant political intrigue and War Office opposition are documented alongside the story of its unique and distinctive 'Brethyn llwyd' uniform, and the stories of some of those recruits.

'Come along, Boys!' But did they indeed come? .Did they flock in their thousands to the recruiting offices in those first exhilarating weeks and months - young, idealistic thrilled with the chance of adventure; the older and thoughtful, only too aware of the remorseless weariness and perils of working life, wherever that might be?

"Young men of Anglesey, join the fight against the despoilers. Are you going to let Australia and faraway Canada and distant India bleed for the sake of your children? Is the zeal of these remote peoples ... to swell their breast and warm their heart, while att abundance of the young men of Wales are idling in apathy and freezing in cowardice? The more that enlist the sooner will the war end, and the more certain will be the victory"


There is a small price sticker on the rear side cover