If one 
was to believe all written about the FWA in the book FREEDOM FIGHTERS Wales's Forgotten 'War', 1969 - 1993 by John Humphries, one may be forgiven if coming to the opinion that the FWA was nought but a Pint Pot Patriotic Army? However, this is not quite the whole truth, and of course there is no history that ever does record the complete truth, not least when such is about a 'Secret War', and wars of 'Underground Resistance' or of National Liberation.
was to believe all written about the FWA in the book FREEDOM FIGHTERS Wales's Forgotten 'War', 1969 - 1993 by John Humphries, one may be forgiven if coming to the opinion that the FWA was nought but a Pint Pot Patriotic Army? However, this is not quite the whole truth, and of course there is no history that ever does record the complete truth, not least when such is about a 'Secret War', and wars of 'Underground Resistance' or of National Liberation..
Usually it is the victor who writes the history or a particular class that might win a war of Independence or Revolutionary Struggle which writes up their account. After all how many of you have read any account of America's 'Whiskey Rebellion?' or of the Canudos Revolt in Brazil and there are a great many small wars and revolts that are in the shadows and dark corners of history, placed there usually for class reasons or otherwise.
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Case in point is how our own history makes the so called martyrdom of Dic Penderyn more important than the revolutionary leader Lewis Lewis in the aftermath of the 1831 Merthyr Insurrection. Same why as it is of the Scotch Cattle who are generally ignored but Rebecca Struggle gets preferential treatment, that is something to do with our very own rural rooted 'Cymraeg Crachach' and 'Brit Anglicised' Chartist to Labour traditionalists. Although very interesting in case of the Rebecca Struggle, in the fullest account by David Williams, two working class Rebeccites are labeled as part of a ''Lunatic Fringe'', in particular Dai'r Cantwr and Shoni Sgubor Fawr.
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Of course FWA Commandants Cayo and Coslett were labeled as the ''Lunatic Fringe'' of the Nationalist Movement during the 60's, and it may surprise you to learn that Rhys ap Gruffydd and his wife Gwenllian were labeled ''Imbeciles'' by the medieval crachach for wanting to revolt against the Normans. I will leave you to ponder on all this, as well as why someone who describes himself as a ''patriot'' as John Humphries does, should so rubbish the FWA, and I guess the Patriotic Front and the radical militant Anti - Investiture campaig in passing too? Sadly, what was otherwise a much needed book and excellent for the most part has left a lot to be desired in it's account of the Adfywiad Gwladgarol Fawr 1963 - 1969.
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How Humphries can some how give an account of FWA and MAC without taking aboard more fully the political organisation being developed by the PF, and also the civilian protest movement being put in place in the shape of the Anti- Investiture Campaign and Struggle defeats me. This kind of undermines the Western Mail calling Mr Humphries an expert on the Secret Underground Army and 'patriotic war' being fought in the 'sixties' on a number of fronts. As for the terrible attack on Denis Coslett, now passed away I find just unbelievable to say the least, and generally undeserving of such vindictiveness which just undermines the whole general good worthy sentiments in the book aforementioned.
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Over the coming months I shall write a more balanced account of the FWA, and give full account of what the PF was up to, in general but in particular regards the radical Anti - Investiture Campaign for which I and four others were rounded up and put on trial with others of the 'Swansea Nine'. Suffice to say now, regards foto above, I have already pointed out that I was never part of this whole FWA ''Uniformed Scene'', for reasons already stated. I have been teasing and winding up the 'powers that be', our own treacherous Welsh establishment and 'Crachach Cowards' in particular, suggesting that I am setting up a FWA Living History & Military Re-enactment Society with purpose of marching on Caernarfon in July, to 'Storm the Castle'. Of course, this is not true, I would have to be totally mad to attempt such, no I am wearing the FWA Uniform here, there and where ever from time to time this year, to in main make tribute to the FWA, and in particular it's Commandants and Volunteers who have passed away.
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Why foto by a beer bar at a Living History Festival, well to make the point that it seems many of our Welsh struggles, inc the FWA had a ''Pub Scene'' but he FWA was not a 'Pint Pot Army'. If anything it was the ''Hangers On'' who turned up at events, as much for the beer then as they do now. Check them out at the annual Rali Cilmeri and Dydd Dewi Parade in Cardiff, in the 'sixties' they were sometimes young Plaid Cymru members or styled themselves as ''Republicans''. It was often as not their lack of serious commitment to struggle that would tarnish the FWA as anything else, sadly Denis Coslett did lend himself in this direction too, but that is no good reason for a full on very personal bitter attack on his memory by John Humphries.
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Gorchfygwn! Maybe?
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Fe Godwn Ni Eto? Sadly No!
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G.Gruffydd Archivist.
