Reflecting on how come an ''Hwntw'' from Merthyr and many other young Valley lads and lassies become Welsh Nationalists in the ''sixties'', rejecting the Labour and Socialist Traditions of their Forefathers and Mothers. From Households that read the 'Labour Paper' The Daily Mirror, to take up reading the Western Mail and consuming ideas that would make them 'Cymric Conscious' and not anglicised and acculturalised victims of ''Cerebral Colonialism'' aka ''Cultural Imperialism''. However, rather oddly whilst many of my rather ''Lumpen 
Proletariat'' Brothers and Sisters fully embraced Cymric Culture and learnt Cymraeg and imbraced the arising new ''Cultural Scene'' of Dafydd Iwan et al & etc, I did not. My 'Welsh Identity' was forged by becoming aware of Welsh History and Politics, indeed by reading the Western Mail as it made me aware of my Country and all about it, as regards contemporary news, people and events.
Proletariat'' Brothers and Sisters fully embraced Cymric Culture and learnt Cymraeg and imbraced the arising new ''Cultural Scene'' of Dafydd Iwan et al & etc, I did not. My 'Welsh Identity' was forged by becoming aware of Welsh History and Politics, indeed by reading the Western Mail as it made me aware of my Country and all about it, as regards contemporary news, people and events. .
I made a poor 'Language Learner', although I took action to ensure my three daughters learnt Cymraeg and thus three of my four grandchildren today speak Cymraeg, I was also never struck by the new Cymraeg Music scene nor English Pop Music. Instead, it was American Music I favoured, my Father introduced me to such as Bing Grosby, Perry Como and Nat King Cole et al and my Uncle to Bill Haley and Rock & Roll, my first two records were Duane Eddy's 'Ring of Fire' and a Little Rchard E.P. Throughout the ''Sixties'' my struggle had the Sound Track of Motown and Beach Boys. Today, I am listening more to my Fathers 1930's & 40's music, and given the Economic Depression we are heading into it seems the right kind of sound track in these hardening times, in particular Bing Grosbies 'Buddy Can You Spare a Dime'.
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40 Years ago today 26 February 1969 I was arrested with eight others, imprisoned and eventually tried for Public Order Offences that related to the Organisation, Training and Arming the Free Wales Army. The outcome of which I and two others, FWA Commandants Cayo & Coslett were sentanced to further terms of Imprisonment, this final episode took place on 1 July 1969. Somewhat ironically whilst these events were taking place at Swansea Crown Court, many miles North at the same time in Town of Caernarfon Charles Windsor heir to the English Throne was being Invested in Castell Caernarfon as Prince of Wales, much is disputed about this history, and not least about the FWA and the way it demised not only in that trial of the ''Swansea Nine'' but by fact that the two aforementioned FWA Commandants and Volunteers caught up in this trial brought the FWA to an end itself by a kind of formal surrender. For all on trial, apart from myself were asked to sign a declaration to effect that we would never engage in such Military Activities against the English Crown and State ever again.
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The fact that my fellow compatriots so signed this declaration could have made me very bitter and turn against them, but what the hell it was all over anyway, we were imprisoned and 'Carlo' was crowned Prince of Wales. So there was not about to take place a Pro & Anti Treaty type ''Civil War'', not least because there was no real FWA worth talking about as an organised Military Force. The FWA then as today, at least in a web ''appreciation'' form was in main a kind of symbolic form of radical nationalist resistance, if not an actual for real Armed Movement of National Liberation. See my blog: ALTERNATIVE WELSH NATIONALIST MOVEMENT & STRUGGLE Hist Archive also you may be interested in another of my blogs, a creative one: THE ASSYRIAN ROD Alternate Welsh History.
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As for myself, I was but an erstwhile FWA Volunteer, caught up in the ''Sixties'' radicalism but far from being on the left as was the mood of the time, many of us young radical nationalists were for the most part Anti - Left and thus Anti - Socialist. Just how come when born in Merthyr Tudful with fam
ily on both sides being of Mine Worker backgrounds and traditions (Father from Gilfach Goch), both sides of my immediate family were Labour but betime I was old enough to become Politically conscious, I was rejecting Labour but not neccessary Socialism. Although I had no time whatsoever for the Anglo - Welsh New Left, nor the ''Student Revolts'' of the time. At same time, I had little space for Plaid Cymru ''Progressives'' other than old WRM 'Radical Republicanism'', Plaid Pacifism and all the CND stuff was totally beyond the pale to my young Radical and Militant Nationalist thinking.
ily on both sides being of Mine Worker backgrounds and traditions (Father from Gilfach Goch), both sides of my immediate family were Labour but betime I was old enough to become Politically conscious, I was rejecting Labour but not neccessary Socialism. Although I had no time whatsoever for the Anglo - Welsh New Left, nor the ''Student Revolts'' of the time. At same time, I had little space for Plaid Cymru ''Progressives'' other than old WRM 'Radical Republicanism'', Plaid Pacifism and all the CND stuff was totally beyond the pale to my young Radical and Militant Nationalist thinking..
I had started to become a Welsh Nationalist in the latter years of my Secondary Education, but upon leaving School and taking up work in a number of areas of South Wales as Bridgend, Maesteg, Neath and Gorseinon I gravitated away from Politics. Those early teen developing years was more concerned with 'twisting' and other ''Sixties Style'' dancing around Dance Halls in the Neath and Swansea Valleys, the good old days when girls danced around their Handbags and remained sober, the boys too, did not get too drunk but after few pints, a game of Darts or Billiards turned up at the Dance Halls for the traditional 'Inter Valley Tribal' punch ups. These were the ''battles'' of those teen years, from Ystradgynlais to Ystalyfera, from Maesteg to Gowbridge, good old Welsh Tribal ''warfare'' was the order of the day.
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That came to an end when I moved to Somerset to take up work in a weaving mill, and it was there I witnessed a reawakening interest in Welsh Nationalism, possibly because I was living and working amongst the English. I have since spent many years in London working amongst the English (and in latter years many other peoples from all over the World who are resident in London), and it would be untruthful to say that the English had anything as such to do with my becoming a Welsh Nationalist. Far from it, over the years working amongst the English, Irish and many other ethnic groups has made of me with they a 'Brother of the Ox'. It was whilst working in Somerset I took out a subscription to the Plaid Cymru News Paper, 'The Welsh Nation', and soon by reading this paper and in particular about the Tryweryn Struggle, I was really motivate to return to Wales.
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Soon I did, and as soon as I could called in at the Plaid Cymru Office in Caerdydd, to join what was then the Welsh Nationalist Party, it is at this time I met Pedr Lewis, an ex WRM I member who had also been imprisoned in association with a Bomb attack close to the Elan Valley Reserviour in protest about Elizabeth II turning up in Wales shortly after her Coronation in 1953. Pedr Lewis became my first 'Political Mentor' and it was from he, that I drew upon Welsh Republican Ideas and an interest in Irish Republicanism. Pedr had been in Jail with Irish Republicans and was like they also of Militant Mind, Pedr also was no freind of Plaid 'Cultural Nationalist' Leadership or leanings. In time I was introduced to another Welsh Republican Nationalist, Trefor Morgan another mentor in my Political Education.
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At about the same time I had hitch hiked to Pwllheli to meet a man who was in these times and still is a Patriot I admire and regard of great signifigance and consequence to Wales, the ''Sixties Struggle'' and personally someone I will always regard as a 'Welsh National Hero', that is Owen Williams. He was to introduce me to a from of Nationalism, that whilst not exactly ''Right Wing'' was not in sympathy withSocialism but then Anti - Political in general, best described as a Radical Cultural Nationalist. That ideology I was never to fully take aboard, either in its soft or hard form but rather it has always moved me to recognise that it has within essentially such that can be 'bought out' or used, as it has been by the 'Crachach Newydd' - England's Contemporary Client Tribe in Wales. Althought the likes of Owain Williams, Niel ap Siencyn and Emyr Llew of Adfer could never be accused of pandering to that form of ''Sell Out'' Cultural Nationalism, I doubt if todays CYMUNED would either, nor Llais Gwynedd.
However, at that time 'Cofia Dryweryn' was to play an important part in my political development, and move me toward more Militantism and eventually lead me towards finding myself associated with the FWA as were many working class lads in both the Industrial and Urban South as well as in the Rural and Agarian North and West of Wales. Pivitol in this was the influence of Irish Revolutionary Nationalist History, and most important to the bringing together the various strands of the then developing Radical Alternative Welsh Nationalist Movement and Struggle was the 1966, 50th Anniversary of the Dublin Easter Rising. Hundreds of Welsh and other Celtic Nationalists attended the Commemoration, my Brother and I went over for the week,enjoyed ourselves agreat deal, learnt a lot and made many freinds and later to be, useful contacts. Dublin 1966 is possibly as much a Political milestone for ''Alternative Nationalism'' as was 'Cofia Drywerin' and Rali Cilmeri and later 'Merthyron Abergele.
However, at that time 'Cofia Dryweryn' was to play an important part in my political development, and move me toward more Militantism and eventually lead me towards finding myself associated with the FWA as were many working class lads in both the Industrial and Urban South as well as in the Rural and Agarian North and West of Wales. Pivitol in this was the influence of Irish Revolutionary Nationalist History, and most important to the bringing together the various strands of the then developing Radical Alternative Welsh Nationalist Movement and Struggle was the 1966, 50th Anniversary of the Dublin Easter Rising. Hundreds of Welsh and other Celtic Nationalists attended the Commemoration, my Brother and I went over for the week,enjoyed ourselves agreat deal, learnt a lot and made many freinds and later to be, useful contacts. Dublin 1966 is possibly as much a Political milestone for ''Alternative Nationalism'' as was 'Cofia Drywerin' and Rali Cilmeri and later 'Merthyron Abergele.
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The FWA membership were not of the ''Student Revolt'' or, of the Anglo - Left or has it took shape in Wales, as the Language Struggle of a Pacifist Cultural Nationalist Language Struggle, such I have always considered to be in many ways a largelly Middle Class Struggle similar to that of Peoples Democracy in Occupied Ireland also Femminism and Gay Rights as Anglo - American in basis in the Middle Class elements of those involved. The FWA I have always seen has having more in common with the IRA and ETA in basis and class make up to some degree. Myself however, was more of Political mind than FWA Commandants Cayo & Coslett, Cayo was considered to be a Fascist for being pro - Franco and Spanish Falange, although Cayo's Nationalist Politics came from having an Anti - Communist Polish Teacher at the Public Shool he was sent to. Coslett was, well a Patriot, largelly a Cultural Nationalist but with some ''Left Leanings'', after all he came from Llanelli, his Grand Father in Law was the famouse Spanish Civil War Blockade Runner 'Potato Jones'. So how could Denis not have a touch of red in him, like myself, even at that time.
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During the ''Sixties'', and yes, I guess I am a ''Victim of the Sixties'' I had began to do a lot of Political Reading, anything Political that came my way, be it of the Left or the Right, I collected and consumed Politics but with a particular growing interest in the Radical Political Nationalism of the Quebec Liberation Struggle, Flemish Struggle and also of Black Panthers and Native Americans. At same time I was well into reading books about the struggles in Palestine/Israel and Cyprus also Malaya and later Aden, as for books the ones that left a lasting impressiom were Orwells 'Homage To Catalonia'. Steinbecks 'Grapes of Wrath' and 'Graham Greens 'Power and the Glory'. Not least any Welsh History and particularly then Medieval Welsh History became an all consuming passion of mine and still is.
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Another important figure in my life was to be Toni Lewis, another mentor but particularly Toni taught me how to be creative Nationalist. Toni was not overtly Political, he was another mainly of simply Patriotic persuasion but of all Radical Nationalists I came to know in those days, I guess it's the truth that Toni was to the ''Far Right'' often to a point where I would tell him to ''get off'' that particular boat. However, Toni was too busy a patriot and too much a Welsh Nationalist to allow or have time to let certain Right Wing views bog him down and divert him from a truer and the more noble cause of Welsh Freedom without the ''Racist Baggage'' with which English Nationalism carries around.
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It was under the 'Mentorship' of Toni that I moved more to the Politics and stepped back frtom the FWA, as Toni and I founded the National Patriotic Front in time fed up with FWA going no where, we concerned ourselves with establishing a Political Organisation, the NATIONAL PATRIOTIC FRONT out of which came the Rali Cilmeri, the beginnings of a later COFIWN but most of all it was the NPF that Conspired, Plotted and Planned the Anti - Investiture Resistance Campaign. Not being an actual for real FWA Volunteer in 1969 but having attempted to organise and train with an Anti - Investiture Insurrection in Caernarfon in mind, I was guilty as hell but still the truth of the matter is at least five of the nine arrested on 26 February 1969 were really arrested for being organisers of the Anti - Investiture Struggle, I now refer to as the Adfywiad'69. Thus to my mind the FWA Trial 1969, should really read the ANTI - INVESTITURE CONSPIRACY TRIAL, the conclusion of which was to be an end to our ''Sixties Struggle''.
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So whilst Carlo went his merry way, never to become King but nevertheless he has remained that 'unacceptable' English Prince of Wales, and for 40 years I have at least never accepted this 'Status Quo'. However, over those 40 years my Politics have changed and they changed rather quickly following my release from prison, mind you nine months in Prison allowed for much reading time, and Prison Libraries were not too bad in containing good books. But it was the two years I spent in an ''Irish Exile'' working as a Kitchen Porter and later Grill Chef in Dublin that I met Socialist people, Left Sinn Fein, Trade Union Socialists and even a Scottish Anarchist Lady who were to point me in direction of the Socialism of James Connelly. This was at time just prior to a renewed armed struggle in the North and Civil War between the Left official SF/IRA and Traditional SF/IRA, that I had witnessed radical revolutionary activities and action taking place in Dublin and in other Irish Cities and Towns. In main struggles aganist the bosses and landlords, against the Cheque Book Colonisation of Ireland and other forms of Exploitation, not least the destruction of Georgian Dublin by developers.
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These were exciting times but as matters became dangerous with bombings and assassinations, the Irish S.B. paid me a visit and warned me to stay out of Irish affairs. From that moment I was regualarly visited and checked up on, and told by my local News Agent that the Dublin S.B. had me also under ''Secret Surveillance''. Thus stay out of Irish Politics I did under threat of being sent packing back to Wales, which at the time such may not have been a good idea to give them the opportunity to do so. However in time I did return, in 1972 to found with Toni Lewis the National Commemoration Association later with inspiration from Eurig ap Gwylim, the NCA became Cofiwn. The NCA/Cofiwn was an idea I picked up in Ireland from attending such historical Commemorative events as the Wolfe Tone Bodenstown Rally.
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My brother who had always been more left than I after visiting me in Ireland had been influenced to start up a Welsh Socialist Vanguard which later advanced with others of the left as Meic & Cris Haines and later with Idwal Dyer, an Independant Socialist and the Libertarian Anarchist Ian Bone of Class war, to form Cymru Goch I. This pioneered the way for the WSRM and Cymru Goch II, and not least all of whom were to put the 1831 Merthyr Insurrection back on the historical map, by making it the centre of annual left Commemorations in Wales. Reflecting on these times, it is a big what if? I and others had ''gone left'' earlier back in the ''Sixties'' would things have turned out any different, as maybe by paying more attention to history of Merthyr 1831, the Scotch Cattle and 1839 Chartists Revolt in Newport on to learning more of Tonypandy 1910 and Llanelli 1911. Might this have motivated us more to establishing a Popular Armed National Liberartion Front rather than the Free Wales Army, maybe with then a progressive National Democratic Front our ''Sixties Struggle'' just might have taken a left turn for the better? Who knows?
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G.Gruffydd.
