‘Disgusted’: Fury as memorial to poet Hedd Wyn is defaced by vandals
A memorial dedicated to the poet Hedd Wyn, who was killed in the First World War, has been defaced by vandals.
The tribute which is in the centre of Trawsfynydd has been daubed with paint, sparking fury from “disgusted” locals.
The incident has also been reported to North Wales Police, which says it is investigating the matter.
The memorial to the poet who was posthumously awarded the Eisteddfod chair in 1917 after losing his life at the Battle of Passchendaele is also dedicated to the other men in the village who fought and died in the conflict.
Cllr Hefin Wyn Jones of Trawsfynydd Community Council, says he’s angry that the memorial has been shown such “disregard”.
He told the Cambrian News: “I was informed of the vandalism by a fellow community councillor on Thursday morning (26 August) and like everyone I have since spoken to, I am angered that the (Hedd Wyn) memorial has had paint thrown on it.”
“Although the paint can easily be removed, it is the thought that someone has such disregard for a memorial that represents all the men from Trawsfynydd that lost their lives in the First World War.
“The matter has been reported to the police, and we are confident that the nearby CCTV will have captured the culprit.”
‘Disgusted’
Nesta Hughes, who lives in the village, said locals are “disgusted” by the incident.
She said: “All the village people who I have spoken to are absolutely disgusted with the behaviour.
“Hedd Wyn represents all the local young men that was killed in the First World War.
“He was not more important than any of them but because he was a well known and respected poet, it brings to mind all the men that were killed in the senseless awful war.”
She added: “I volunteer in his home, the Yr Ysgwrn Cartref Hedd Wyn, and there is still so much interest in the history and the heritage.”
The incident was reported to North Wales police who attended the scene on Thursday afternoon, and enquiries into the incident are ongoing.
A spokesperson for the North Wales Police said: “We were called shortly before 1pm on Thursday, 26 August to report that a statue of Hedd Wyn, in the town centre of Trawsfynydd, had been defaced with paint. Officer enquiries into this incident are ongoing.”
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Another hate crime against Welsh memorials, I see. The same was done to the wall commemorating the drowning if Tryweryn where morons defaced, then smashed it multiple times.
Whoever it was that did this disgusting act are akin to ISIS defacing and destroying monuments & temples. They are pure scum and need to be made an example of. The sad thing is. Hedd Wyn and others died for their freedom. His & their deaths were in vain.
Firing squad!!
Anti-Welsh sentiment is not recognised as a hate crime, which is unjust itself. My instinct is to say our forebears had the wrong skin colour but there are paler people than us who are considered worthy of protection. I expect it is an issue of institutional power – with anglocentric academics and wokefolk being ignorant, or indeed hostile, toward us the people in power can do what they like.
They probably don’t have two brain cells to rub together and have no real comprehension of what they’ve done or why. It’s a mistake to try and work out what’s going on with these soulless people. A sad indictment on the state of some people’s empty lives. We just have to remember there are still way more good people in this world than bad. Let’s not let them think they’re winning. Oh wait. They don’t think. And we let these people vote. Although I’m guessing they can barely manage a cross on a piece of paper. Every cloud and all… Read more »
They’re bitter and bigotted, but I don’t think they’re thick. They knew exactly what would outrage people in that part of Wales and beyond when they did this. Arrogant scum.
Could be as you describe it, could be local kids driving around with not much else to do, bored out of their skulls. Doesn’t change the understandable offence taken by locals, of course. But let’s not jump to conclusions too quickly – premature outrage is often indistinguishable from manufactured outrage, cofia.
You seem to be conflating two separate issues.
1) Vandalism.
2) Effort to recognise black people in history. Which is rewriting history, but not to introduce censorship, rather to remove it. Writing history with a full account of historical people and events. And based on that comprehensive assessment deciding whether an individual should be celebrated publically, or relegated to history books.
Racist vermin.
Not quite sure how this can be viewed as racist; it’s pretty low, obviously offensive, but we simply don’t know the motivation.
..and who will find out ? GogPlod will be too busy taking their cars for their daily exercise to get out among people and discover who saw or who knows something.
You think perhaps the perpetrator was just a misguided literary critic?
Gwae ni am dal i fyw mewn oes mor ddreng…
https://www.poetrybyheart.org.uk/poems/rhyfel-war/
Yes, indeed!
If I were the culprit I’d be giving serious consideration to taking an extended holiday as far from Wales as possible, for my own safety