For a f
ew years during the 1960's, a not so small band of mainly young Welsh Nationalists were to join together in an attempt to establish a 'Welsh Army'. An idea first put forward in the writings of the first Welsh Republican Movement that came into existence following WW II and demised in the late 1950's. However, it was not until the beginnings of the 'Tryweryn Troubles' that an actual 'organisation' came into existence in Gwynedd calling itself the WELSH FREEDOM ARMY.
ew years during the 1960's, a not so small band of mainly young Welsh Nationalists were to join together in an attempt to establish a 'Welsh Army'. An idea first put forward in the writings of the first Welsh Republican Movement that came into existence following WW II and demised in the late 1950's. However, it was not until the beginnings of the 'Tryweryn Troubles' that an actual 'organisation' came into existence in Gwynedd calling itself the WELSH FREEDOM ARMY. .
By 1963 the name had been changed to the FREE WALES ARMY and it's main area of existence at first was in West Wales, coming under command of horse breeder Julian Cayo Evans. 1963 was to be a key year in the history of the FWA, the opening of the Tryweryn Reservoir witnessed 'Commandant Cayo' leading a radical protest at this opening.
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From this point on the FWA was making the news 'big time' and loads of young Welsh patriots were 'joining up' but that's about all most of them ever did. Where the FWA was succeeding was simply in the fact that they 'made it' in the English Media which young Welsh People were more and more reading. Only an older generation and those who had a 'stake' in Wales or were into Rugby bought the Western Mail, so for many young Welsh people, the FWA in the English press made them more aware of Wales, and a Wales as a Nation than ever previous.
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Welsh Speaking 'Cymry' and it's youth may have been more tuned into the rise of their 'Sixties' Cultural Nationalism for a verity of reasons. However, in the South and working class areas of the West as Llanelli, 
the youth were more up for the FWA and would soon be out there Tramp! Tramp! Tramping with Commandants Cayo and Coslett. Myself had become a 'Young Nationalist' before all this, and it was more 'Cofia Dreweryn', Owen Williams and the two 'Boys from Gwent' that inspired me than the FWA.
the youth were more up for the FWA and would soon be out there Tramp! Tramp! Tramping with Commandants Cayo and Coslett. Myself had become a 'Young Nationalist' before all this, and it was more 'Cofia Dreweryn', Owen Williams and the two 'Boys from Gwent' that inspired me than the FWA. .
However, I was drawn toward the FWA by Toni Lewis, although as Toni was more of a political mind than Comandants Cayo and Coslett, we soon found the FWA to be lacking. This led to our forming the Anti - Sais Front and out of that was born the Patriotic Front and then Rali Cilmeri was founded, and within a year we were getting into the Anti - Investiture Campaign and all that!
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However, a first major step along the road to more military awareness for the FWA but more Political awareness for myself was the visit to Ireland in 1966 to attend the 50th anniversary commemoration of the 1916 Easter Rising. This commemoration attracted 100's of Celtic Nationalists and to many of us was crucial in 
learning of the struggles of our fellow Celts, I myself was already very interested in Quebec and Flemish Nationalist struggles.
learning of the struggles of our fellow Celts, I myself was already very interested in Quebec and Flemish Nationalist struggles. .
Later my interest would particularly look towards the Black Panthers and Native American Activism, although also like most with FWA associates we were interested in the Anti - Imperialist struggles against English Rule in Israel, Cyprus, Aden and Malaya. For the FWA the Irish visit would provide them with links with members of S.F. and of the IRA. All of which you may read up on in the book: To Dream of Freedom, details below.
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It is a truth that the FWA never really became an organised body let alone a 'Military Machine', what it did become was an in
ternational 'Propaganda Machine'. A role it was to serve well, much prompted by the Patriotic Front in direction of carrying out Anti - Investiture Propaganda in particular. For much of this time the Patriotic Front was attempting to make itself the 'Political Wing' of the FWA, this was largely being thwarted by Denis Coslett of Llanelli who had become FWA Western Command Commandant.
ternational 'Propaganda Machine'. A role it was to serve well, much prompted by the Patriotic Front in direction of carrying out Anti - Investiture Propaganda in particular. For much of this time the Patriotic Front was attempting to make itself the 'Political Wing' of the FWA, this was largely being thwarted by Denis Coslett of Llanelli who had become FWA Western Command Commandant. .
Commandant Coslett wanted the FWA to remain Independent and follow a more militant 'IRA Style' path, but PF members disagreed seeing it much more preferable to let MAC get on with their undereground secret resistance 'Saboteurs War' whilst the FWA should, we hoped became more as an Home Defence Army as the Israeli 'Haganna'. But when it looked as if the FWA was not up for that, nor getting its act together otherwise, the PF disassociated itself from 'Y Fyddin' officially. However, we continued to push individual members to supporting our 'Chaos Caernarfon' plans, on which I will inform in further posts in due course.
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Whatever, the outcome of all this, was eventually to lead to the so called FWA Trial during the summer of 1969, I will deal further with this trial and the Anti - Investiture Campaign in future posts to this blog. Suffice to say now, that shortly before sentences were handed out on 1 July 1969, the remaining defendants were all asked to sign a document. I never seen the exact wording as I refused to sign it straight away after by barrister informed me of it's basic contents.
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Essentially, it required that we signed a document stating: that we would never again rise up in such military ways against English Rule in Wales. All my co - defendants signed this document, including FWA Commandants Cayo and Coslett and so effectively they 'Surrendered', they had already given up their arms! Now they were 'Signing a Treaty', as I would 
quip to Cayo and Coslett, they had left me as the solitary anti - treaty force of 'one'. But I never let it become a bitter issue, as far as I was concerned much was over, much water had gone under the bridge, fin!
quip to Cayo and Coslett, they had left me as the solitary anti - treaty force of 'one'. But I never let it become a bitter issue, as far as I was concerned much was over, much water had gone under the bridge, fin! .
Our ''Forgotten War'' was over, until recently remembered by John Humphries and maybe brought to your attention for the first time in his book Freedom Fighters - Wales's Forgotten 'War' 1963 - 1993? Not a bad book, to be fair very good in many ways, but for the opening and concluding chapters, and then made terrible by the most awful character assassination of Commandants Cayo and Coslett, rubbishing of the FWA and marginalising of the Patriotic Front and later Cofiwn.
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To move on, before the end of 1969, I was released from prison and before the year had ended I had decided to get out of treacherous grovelling 'Cymru Bach' and go into self imposed exile in Ireland for two years. Returning much more politically aware and to the left, in the years that have followed, I helped found Cofiwn as a Cymric Consciousness Cause and Campaign but Politically the way forward was with helping to found Cymru Goch I and not returning to a Patriotic Front or similar, untill I was to help found Cymdeithas Cyfamod.
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The latter movement I soon resigned from as soon as I saw it start to run off down the road of rural cultural nationalism, radical yes but nevertheless too rural for my liking. Plus, their becoming the political voice of Meibion Glyndwr and their 'Arson War' left me unsure on many counts regards the way things were going to end up. When a Meibion Glyndwr Colour Party was set up with it's attempts to link to Cymdeithas Cyfamod and MG, I just knew this would all end in disaster as nobody seems to have learned any lessons from 1969, at least politically. A later Welsh Independence Party would essentially shoot itself in the foot by again focusing too much in rural radical cultural nationalism areas and issues aka 'Mewnlifiad', although I am not quite sure why it exactly imploded, other than being aware of the same 'informer' accusations that plagued demise of 'Y Cyfamodwyr'. In passing it is pertinant to draw attention to the now, not so new 'Boyos on ther Block', in shape and form of 'Balchder Cymru'. Linked with they are a number of ever changing blogs, also what has been called ''extremist websites'' as CYMRU 1400 and various, possibly a number of internet MI5 'Sting Operations' for most part linking to FWA & Meibion Glyndwr interests? However, do note whilst I consider Balchder Cymru as not having learned very much from previous patriotic experience and are politically lacking in so many areas, at least they are identifiable to their founder Adam Phillips of Fflintshire. Plus, they are to move beyond their usual passive patriotism towards a more 'Adfywiadwyr Gwladgarol' Activist Radical Nationalism on 1 July 2009 with a Patriotic Protest against another Investiture of an Englishman as Prince of Wales, at the Gate of Caernarfon Castle. For further details see their Website & Blogs also my Adfywiad Gwladgarol blog. However, in all radical nationalist matters do heed the below:
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WARNING DO NOT BE TEMPTED TO CONTACT SUCH SITES NOR SIGN INTO THEIR FORUMS OR PETITIONS OK! IF THEY DO NOT GIVE REAL NAMES OR OTHERWISE IDENTIFY THEMSELVES AS I DO - TAKE CARE IT IS QUITE POSSIBLE THEY ARE MI5 AGENTS OR THEIR LACKIES.
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All of which will be further enlarged on in posts in this and other of my blogs during course of the year. Not least I will inform as why today I oppose Political Violence of the 'Old Ways' in Wales of the present and future. Plus what I think about any campaigning against another Investiture of another Englishman as Prince of Wales. Yes! I do consider Radical Protest preferable to Passive Petitioning, and I have already said much on this in my other blogs as The Welsh Patriot and Adfywiad Gwladgarol Cymru. So stay tuned in particular brand of militant Welsh Nationalism, devoid of all Cultural Romantic Nationalist sentiments and a fierce enemy of Knee Jerk & Pint Pot Patriotism, Devolution Dilettantism and Crachach Cronyism!
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Red Dragon Illustration above is taken from a carrier bag of the time which all of the Swansea Nine' signed.
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Adfywiadwr Gethin ap Gruffydd.
Archivist AWNM&S History Archive.
