1944 in Wales

← 1943 1942 1941 1940 1939 1944 in Wales → 1945 1946 1947 1948 1949
Centuries:	18th 19th 20th 21st
Decades:	1920s 1930s 1940s 1950s 1960s
See also:	List of years in Wales 1944 in The United Kingdom England Scotland

This article is about the particular significance of the year 1944 to Wales and its people.

Incumbents

• Archbishop of Wales
  • Charles Green, Bishop of Bangor (died 7 May)
  • David Prosser, Bishop of St David's (elected)
• Archdruid of the National Eisteddfod of Wales – Crwys

Events

• 22 January - Wynford Vaughan-Thomas reports for the BBC from the Battle of Anzio. ^[1]
• 23 January - An RAF Halifax bomber crashes in the Elan Valley, killing nine crew.
• 28 March - Cardiff Blitz: Nine people are killed in an air raid on Cardiff.
• 11 April - An RAF Lancaster bomber crashes near Llanwrtyd Wells, killing eight crew.
• 16 August - Lt. Tasker Watkins leads a bayonet charge at Barfour in Normandy, winning the Victoria Cross for his courage. ^[2]
• 17 October - The first "Welsh Day" debate takes place in the House of Commons (UK).
• 11 November - A US Dakota C-47 with four crew crashes into cliffs above Llyn Dulyn. ^[3]
• 10 December - American Liberty ship Dan Beard is torpedoed off Strumble Head, resulting in the deaths of 29 crew. ^[4]
• 20 December - An American B-24 Liberator plane crashes into the sea off Anglesey, killing eight crew.
• Plaid Cymru transfers its head office from Caernarfon to Cardiff.
• Morgan Phillips becomes Secretary of the Labour Party (UK), a position he will hold until 1961. ^[5]
• Sir Thomas Williams Phillips becomes permanent secretary of the new government ministry created to implement the national insurance system.
• Sir David Brunt is awarded the royal medal of the Royal Society for his work in meteorology.
• Politician Goronwy Owen and naval architect Llewellyn Soulsby are knighted. ^[6]

Arts and literature

• 2 October - Dylan Thomas is best man at the wedding of his friend and fellow poet Vernon Watkins in London - but fails to turn up.
• BBC commentator Alun Williams marries Perrie Hopkin Morris, daughter of Sir Rhys Hopkin Morris.

Awards

• National Eisteddfod of Wales (held in Llandybie)
• National Eisteddfod of Wales: Chair - D. Lloyd Jenkins
• National Eisteddfod of Wales: Crown - J. M. Edwards
• National Eisteddfod of Wales: Prose Medal - withheld

English language

• Rhys Davies – Black Venus
• Fred Hando - The Pleasant Land of Gwent ^[7]
• Jack Jones - The Man David
• Alun Lewis - The Last Inspection
• Sir Percy Emerson Watkins - A Welshman Remembers
• Sir Ifor Williams - Lectures on early Welsh Poetry

Welsh language

• Thomas Rowland Hughes - William Jones
• Edward Morgan Humphreys - Ceulan y Llyn Du ^[8]
• T. H. Parry-Williams - O'r Pedwar Gwynt ^[9]

New drama

• James Kitchener Davies - Meini Gwagedd ^[10]
• Emlyn Williams - The Druid's Rest

Music

• Harry Parr Davies - Jenny Jones (musical)
• Grace Williams - Sea Sketches

Film

• The Halfway House , starring Mervyn Johns, Glynis Johns and Rachel Thomas, is set in Wales.

Broadcasting

• August - Wynford Vaughan-Thomas reports on the liberation of Paris for BBC radio.
• Launch of the Noson Lawen series on BBC radio.

Visual arts

• Polish-born expressionist painter Josef Herman begins 11 years living and working in Ystradgynlais.

Sport

• Boxing - Syd Worgan beats Tommy Davies for the vacant Welsh featherweight title. ^[11]
• Football - The first post-war match between Wales and England ends in a 1 - 0 victory for Wales.

Births

July:Glenys Kinnock

October:Mandy Rice-Davies

December:Deke Leonard

• 21 January - Peter Rodrigues, footballer
• 17 February - Karl Jenkins, composer ^[12]
• 1 March – Dai Morgan Evans, English-born archaeologist (died 2017) ^[13]
• 6 March – Billy Raybould, Wales international rugby player
• 12 March – Tammy Jones, singer
• 24 March
  • Mary Balogh, novelist
  • Steve Jones, biologist ^[14]
• 31 March – Myfanwy Talog, actress (died 1995) ^[15]
• 4 April – Ronnie Rees, footballer
• 8 April – Hywel Bennett, actor (died 2017) ^[16]
• 15 April – Dave Edmunds, musician ^[17]
• 16 April – Llew Smith, politician (died 2021) ^[18]
• 5 May
  • Roger Rees, actor (died 2015 in the United States) ^[19]
  • John Rhys-Davies, actor ^[20]
• 20 May – Kathrin Thomas, magistrate ^[21]
• 3 June – Dilwyn John, footballer
• 11 June – Alan Howarth, Baron Howarth of Newport, politician ^[22]
• 16 June – Brian Protheroe, English-born singer and actor of Welsh parentage
• 7 July – Glenys Kinnock, English-born politician (died 2023) ^[23]
• 7 July – Angharad Rees, actress (died 2012) ^[24]
• 31 July
  • Endaf Emlyn, TV presenter, musician and director
• Betty Williams, politician
• 9 October - Desmond Barrit, actor
• 21 October - Mandy Rice-Davies, socialite (died 2014) ^[25]
• 6 November - Gerallt Lloyd Owen, poet (died 2014) ^[26]
• 14 November - Eurfyl ap Gwilym, economist and politician
• 29 November - Gareth Wardell, politician ^[27]
• 18 December - (Roger) Deke Leonard, rock musician (died 2017) ^[28]
• 24 December– Meirion Pennar, translator and son of Pennar Davies (died 2010) ^[29]

Deaths

May:Charles Green

• 8 January - John Newell Evans, Welsh-born farmer and politician in Canada, 97 ^[30]
• 11 January - Richard Powell, Wales international rugby player, 79
• 5 March - Alun Lewis, poet, 28 (accidentally shot)
• 20 March - William Retlaw Williams, lawyer and historian, 80 or 81
• 31 March - Talfryn Evans, cricketer, 29
• 7 May - Charles Green, Bishop of Monmouth, Bishop of Bangor and Archbishop of Wales, 79
• 17 May - John Lloyd Morgan, lawyer and MP, 83 ^[31]
• 24 May - Sir Herbert Williams-Wynn, 7th Baronet, politician, 83
• 27 May - Griffith Hartwell Jones, academic, 85 ^[32]
• June - Dai Davies, footballer, 63/64
• 16 June - David Davies, 1st Baron Davies, philanthropist and MP, 64 ^[33]
• 25 June - James Atkin, Baron Atkin, judge, 76
• 5 August - Maurice Turnbull, cricketer, 38 (killed in action) ^[34]
• 5 August - Ethel Lina White, crime novelist, 68
• 20 September - Oliver Morris, rugby player and footballer, 27 (killed in action) ^[35]
• 21 September - Bob Jones, rugby union player, 69
• 25 September - David Davies, 2nd Baron Davies, 29 (killed in battle) ^[36]
• 30 September- David Harris Davies, Wales international rugby union player, 66 ^[37]
• 5 October - Laura Evans-Williams, singer, 61 ^[38]
• 27 October - Clem Lewis, rugby player, 54
• 19 November - Watkin Williams, Bishop of Bangor, 99 ^[39]
• 8 December - Sir William Jenkins, MP for Neath, 73

See also

• 1944 in Northern Ireland

References

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29. Steve Dube (18 December 2010). "Academic and poet Meirion Pennar dies at 65". Western Mail. Retrieved 19 December 2010.
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