How war affected a Dinefwr community (From South Wales Guardian)

How war affected a Dinefwr community

6:00pm Friday 5th October 2012 in News

A MOTHER’S attempt to protect her daughter from a falling bomb is just one of the stories recorded in a memory book at Dinefwr Park during a Second World War event.

The story, written inside a notebook for wartime recollections, features a woman’s earliest memory of the Second World War.

She tells how, aged two, she was being tucked into bed by her mother when the woman heard a flying ‘buzz’ bomb cut out, which meant that it was coming down.

The mother threw herself on top of her daughter, almost suffocating the youngster.

Later in life, the unnamed author quizzed her mother about the event. She said an overwhelming maternal instinct to protect the child had kicked in. The bomb exploded just half a mile away.

Seasonal assistant Scott James said the memory was just one of those collected in the book, which provides an insight into life in the region during the war.

“It clearly had a powerful effect on people, including in our community of Llandeilo,” said Scott, aged 19, of Llandybie.

“Wedecided to dedicate the whole of the summer holidays to the Second World War because the history of that time is something people are really interested in. It was great to talk to visitors about their experiences.

“We had costumed volunteers and staff and Newton House was as it was during the war, when it was used as a hospital for injured troops.

Entering the National Trust property was like stepping back in time.

“I’m so glad the memory book was such a success and that people were kind enough to share their memories with us.“ It’s important that these stories are not forgotten.”