World War 2 hero honoured by Llandudno mayor

World War 2 hero honoured by Llandudno mayor

Dec 16 2010 by Judith Phillips, North Wales Weekly News
A WORLD War Two hero has been honoured for his services to Llandudno.
Alf Davies, 90, from West Shore made a decision which helped him escape a massacre when British troops were herded into a barn near Wormhout in Northern France by the Germans and mown down in cold blood.
Since the war he has been active in the resort’s Royal Artillery Comrades Association, and he was also a committee member of the town’s football club and helped with its youth team for many years.
He was presented with a Meritorious Public Service Award by town mayor Ann Yates.


Alf was a member of Llandudno and Caernarfon Battery 242 of the 69th Medium Regiment of the Royal Artillery. On May 28, 1940, their unit was in retreat and heading towards the Dunkirk beaches, where the Germans, British and French armies were involved in heavy fighting as the British troops withdrew from France.
At Wormhout, about 12 miles away, the German SS were being held at bay by the Cheshire and Worcester Regiments, whilst the retreat continued.
Captain Earl of Aylesford, leading D Troop, of the 6th Medium Regiment decided to take a short cut to the beaches via Wormhout but D Troop ran into the fire of the infamous SS. The hail of SS machine gun fire instantly killed Captain Aylesford.
“It was a case of every man for himself. We didn’t have rifles so couldn’t have a go at the Germans. About 40 of us managed to get into a house and then out through the back door and into a river.
“We then had to decide which way to go. Some went one way and got away, the others were captured and taken to the barn. I lost many friends that day,” recalled Alf.
All prisoners taken from D Troop together with those from the Warwickshire and Cheshire Regiments were herded by the SS into a barn and executed in cold blood.
Also presented with a meritorious service award was town councillor John Ridler who has served for 60 years as a member of Llandudno Town Band, 15 years as a church warden, and as a member of the former Gwynedd County Council, the old Aberconwy Borough Council, Conwy County Council and the town council. He has also raised over £80,000 for local charities.

 

intresing story!