POPPY POWER

MORE than 3,000 poppy crosses have now been laid at Caernarfon Castle in memory of Welsh soldiers killed in World War I.

The Great War Memorial Garden was opened this summer to mark a century since the start of the Battle of Mametz Wood, which ran from July 7-14 1916, in which 4,000 Welsh soldiers died or were seriously injured.

Last week soldier Daniel Lewis 3446 of the Welsh Guards was remembered in a moving ceremony during which a poppy cross was erected while the Last Post rang out. He was selected on behalf of Pobol y Cwm actor Ifan Huw Dafydd, who wanted to do something to remember Mr Lewis because they hailed from the same village in Ceredigion.

Mr Lewis (pictured right), who served with the Welsh Guards, was killed shortly before the end of the war in 1918.

Shirley Williams, manager of the Royal Welch Fusiliers museum within the castle, said: “Lewis’ family have requested ‘Hedd, perffaith hedd’ on the cross which is what is on his headstone. Today, our Last Post ceremony was dedicated to Lewis.”

The memorial garden is a precursor to the Weeping Window poppy sculpture which will be at the castle from November 12 following its success at the Tower of London and Liverpool.

At its official opening, thehe names of Royal Welshh Fusiliers who died at Mametz were shown on the inside of the castle walls, along with their photographs.

The event also included costumed interpretation and demonstrationss and the opportunity for visisitors to see and handle real artefacts from the Great War War.

Shirley added: “We have over 3,000 poppies and have raised over £8,000 for the Poppy Appeal. The garden continues to grow beyond our wildest dreams. It will remain until November 20 when we will have a small ceremony to clo close it. “It will remain in place while the Weeping Window installation is in the castle s so that people can lay a p poppy to remember someo one from World War I. “I am thrilled about the wa way the garden has grown. I thou thought we would get quite a few po poppy crosses laid, but the way it has caught people’s imagination is amazing. We have had very many emotional moments with families coming especially to remember someone. We have had people from 52 countries laying a cross.”