THE ARCHIVES

100 years ago

Five Cardiff brothers and brotherin-law met under remarkable circumstances. Only two of them, both serving in the Royal Engineers, had seen each other since the beginning of the war. Some of the brothers were coming out, others going in to the trenches. They met in the middle of the road. “Why, it’s Harry,” said Bert and a moment later they were welcoming Archie, Jack, Victor and their brother-in-law Private S. Dursley. The family were granted four hours’ leave.

50 years ago

More than 100 school children waited for almost two hours at Prestwick Airport yesterday to meet the Scottish-born actor David McCallum, alias Illya Kuryakin, the man from U.N.C.L.E. One 13-yearold girl said it had been all over the school that the actor was arriving at Prestwick. “We were told that thousands of fans were waiting to greet him in London so he was flying to Scotland instead,” she said. However, his agent said that he did not know when the actor would arrive in Scotland.

25 years ago

Dundee fencers were in action reaching the finals of the Merseyside Open Fencing Tournament. Chris Zoppke and Claire Collins took part in the ladies foil, Claire reaching the second round while Chris went on to lift the bronze medal. Two Dundee fencers reached the final of the men’s epee, Harry McEwan bravely battled on after receieving medical attention to a hand wound to reach the final 16 elimination round while Jim Morrow also went on to a final 16 place, in spite of a badly cut foot.

One year ago

When the Royal Scots Dragoon Guards’ officers’ mess at Fallingbostel in Germany is emptied and its contents shipped to Leuchars, one thing is for sure – there’s going to be a need for a lot of bubble wrap. The building is a treasure trove of paintings, silverware and gifts covering more than two centuries of history. Paintings include Waterloo, Balaklava and an imposing portrait of Tsar Nicholas II of Russia, who was colonel-in-chief of the regiment between 1894 and 1916.