The War Graves of Ystradgynlais

On Saturday 8th April 1950, an unveiling ceremony was held at the Scouts Headquarters in Penrhiwvarteg for a memorial trophy for the dead ex-scouts, killed in the Second World War. The article below comes from The South Wales Voice newspaper, from April 1950. View the Order of Service for the Unveiling of the Memorial Trophy, thanks to Mr John Owens, a relative of 'Skip' Morgan for this information.

UNVEILING OF MEMORIAL TROPHY AT SCOUT HEADQUARTERS
1st Swansea Valley Group Honour Fallen Comrades
Many functions have been held and many ceremonies have been performed in the club room at Penrhiwvarteg, Ystradgynlais during its forty odd years as the headquarters of 1st Swansea Valley Scouts, but there has been none so impressive and moving as the ceremony on Saturday evening last when a memorial trophy was unveiled to the seven old scouts of the group who were called to higher service in the Second World War. The ceremony was well-attended by Cubs, Scouts of the Varteg and Colbren sections of the Troop; old scouts, parents, friends of the group and relatives.

Rev DL Williams, B.A. Bec ? Local Association Chaplain officiating said that Penrhiwfarteg was the cradle of scouting in the district. There were many men who had shone in their particular ? and who had received their training in citizenship by their scout training at Penrhiwvarteg. Dickens , he said, had written that 'there is nothing innocent or good that dies and is forgotten.' They had gathered together to pay homage to the old scouts of the group who had 'played the game'.

'Our Hymn', the words composed by the late Lord Glanusk, ?, DSO, Scout Commissioner for Wales was sung.

District Commissioner Jenkin Evans said that in the last 30 years we had had two world wars when the cream of the country had been taken from us. The call had been answered on two occasions and ? had not been found wanting. He referred to the number of boys from the troop who had done their bit in the 1914-1918 war and to those who had failed to return and whose names were inscribed on the tablet erected at St. David's Church, Ystalyfera. In the last war a similar price had been paid and it was their duty to honour the seven old scouts whose names were inscribed on the Memorial Trophy

Mr W.A. Thomas, secretary of the local branch of the B.P. Guild of Old Scouts read the seven names: PL Eddie Guppy, Second Gwilym Hopton, TL Tom Humphreys, Scout Harkless Rowe, PL Emlyn Watkins, Scout Cedric Williams, Second Sidney Woodcock.
*Note Below

A SCOUT'S REPUTATION
The unveiling was performed by Major DV Williams, Cwmtwrch. He said that the plaque had been made by old scouts of the troop and credit was due to them for a fine memorial to their friends and brother scouts. It was a fact that when an employer or officer knew that a boy or young man had been a scout, they knew that they had a person who could be trusted to do a job and do it well. Most of the old scouts of the troop who had served in the Second World War had come back, but the seven they were honouring had made the supreme sacrifice.

In handing over the memorial trophy to 'Skip' E. Morgan for safe-keeping, he expressed the hope that, in addition to being a worthy memorial to the old scouts who had failed to return, it would urge the present members of the troop to live their lives in the same selfless way. He hoped that they would remember those noble lads and remember what they had done.

'Skip' E Morgan said he was very proud on behalf of the present scouts to accept the trophy into the safe-keeping of the group and he was very grateful to the old scouts who had made this possible. Few of those present could remember all the boys whose names were inscribed, for they were not all in the troop at the same time. The old scouts had drawn up the tests in which the trophy was to be competed for and they stressed not technical efficiency but aimed at bringing out those qualities which go to the making of a boy's character. He hoped that the trophy would inspire present and future scouts and he then felt that the sacrifice made would not be in vain.

Then followed the dedication by the Chaplain, the singing of 'The Holy City' by John Hopton, and 'The Lord is My Shepherd'.
'The Last Post' was sounded by Walter White.
The final hymn 'Teach Me To Play The Game' also written by the late Lord Glanusk , ended with the verse
'Teach me to live that I may die
Without remorse, regret or shame
And in the solemn hours of death
Teach me, O Lord, to play the game
and the blessing was pronounced by the Chaplain.

After the ceremony, the ladies of the committee were there as ever to provide all present with light refreshments.

Thanks are due to those, too numerous to mention, who gave their assistance to ensure the smooth running of the proceedings.

* Note
PL (Patrol Leader), TL (Troop Leader) and Seconds are all ranks within the Scouts and reflect what status these old Scouts had within that organisation, rather than their military rank in wartime service.

View the Order of Service for the Unveiling of the Memorial Trophy, thanks to Mr John Owens, a relative of 'Skip' Morgan, for this information.

Names of The Fallen 1939-1945