Sacrifices made by many not forgotten
IT WAS a Remembrance Sunday like no other but one Army veteran in Cardiff managed to pay his respects to his fallen comrades in his own unique way.
William Williams, who turned 90 last month, has attended the parade at the Wales National War Memorial for at least the past 30 years, and only missed it three times when he was on duty protecting the Queen in London.
But this year, William, who lives in Caerau, was unable to show his support in the normal way because of the coronavirus pandemic.
However, on Saturday, the two-tour Korean War veteran told his grandson, Matthew Williams, that he “was on parade tomorrow” and an appeal was put out on social media for people to join William in paying his respects to his fallen comrades.
Matthew said: “Because of lockdown and not keeping track of time it took me by surprise how quickly Remembrance Sunday came along and when I was saying about the parade being cancelled my grandmother Gloria said, ‘He’s on parade tomorrow’.
“We did it for him to show that he hasn’t been forgotten. The way I see it, veterans are all old and they’re leaving us so it’s nice to bring it back into people’s minds.
“I was choked up today I was so proud. He’s my hero. He turned 90 not long ago and had his birthday alone with a cup of coffee watching the telly.” Matthew and his wife Jemma have been looking after William and Gloria, who live a couple of streets away, and have been their carers throughout the lockdown.
They said that they didn’t expect many people to turn out – but they did, with even local firefighters turning up. Matthew and Jemma had asked everyone who did want to attend to social distance.
“For Caerau to come out as they did today, it just shows the strength of our community. Some people didn’t know him but they still came along to see him,” Jemma said.
“He’s everything to us. It’s not just that we think he’s a hero. Our community wanted to come together to thank him for his service and everything he is.” Sadly, William and Gloria have outlived all four of their children and their last living child, Matthew’s father, passed away four months ago.
“We lost dad four months ago and he was their youngest son. At the funeral of all his sons he always said the ode,” Matthew added.
The ode is taken from the poem For the Fallen by Laurence Binyon and reads as follows:
They shall grow not old, as we that are left grow old
Age shall not weary them, nor the years condemn
At the going down of the sun and in the morning
We will remember them. William is said to have been “overwhelmed” by the support he received yesterday, as he was “only expecting to see his grandchildren and great-grandchildren”.
“He wanted to come out and shake everyone’s hand but he couldn’t because he had to stay behind the gatepost,” said Matthew.
William was joined by other veterans on the day, as well as a serving solider and a cadet.
“We wanted to show him the appreciation and recognition he deserves and it’s something for our kids to show their kids in years to come,” added Jemma.
During his active tours in Korea
with the Royal Welsh, 33 men from William’s regiment were killed.
Matthew said that when his grandfather returned from the war his parents had moved from their home in Whitchurch and had no way to tell him where they had gone.
“He left the barracks and went to the house in Whitchurch but there was no-one there so he didn’t know where to go, so he had to ask one of the neighbours where they’d moved to,” he added.
William is from a long line of Welsh carpenters and still makes candlesticks and egg cups for his family.