Welcome to the Wales (South) branch of The Western Front Association. 

Meetings are held every first Friday of the month between 7.30pm - 9.30pm unless stated otherwise

Venue: Fairwater Conservative Club, 61 Ely Rd, Cardiff CF5 2BY

The club is 5 minutes walk from Waun-Gron Park rail station and on the 61 bus route

The venue has ample free, illuminated car parking and is on the ground floor with good access for attendees of all abilities. There is a bar serving hot & cold drinks and food. Our Christmas meeting includes a social event with a small buffet, after the talk.
Our forthcoming branch meetings have the following talks planned:

Date

Topic(s)

Speaker(s)

10-Jan

F W Harvey the Gloucester poet and soldier

Phil Davies

07-Feb

Morale sapping attrition or spirit building training? An assessment of the impact, role and utility of trench raiding in one Western Front division. (ZOOM)

Dr. Tom Thorpe

07-Mar

"Empire Jack”  - John Norton-Griffiths

Peter Walker

04-Apr

Hoist with their own petard: The German capture of Fort Douaumont and its effect on the Battle of Verdun 1916 (ZOOM)

Christina Noyes

02-May

"Sir Billy in the Wars"  - Billy Butlin and his service in WW1 and involvement in WW2 

Rosemary Chaloner

06-Jun

Response of Australian Medical Services to restoration of mobile warfare in 1918 (ZOOM)

Thomas Scotland

04-Jul

The Battle of Jutland

Gavin Davies

01-Aug

Royal Naval Response to U Boat Campaign (ZOOM)

Graham Kemp

05-Sep

The WW1  memorial I never knew about…until I found it!

Jeremy Sparkes

03-Oct

Military Justice during the Great War

Prof. Lois Bibbings

07-Nov

Welsh Warrior at Ypres 1914: Captain Hubert Rees

Peter Hart

05-Dec

Logistic Support in the BEF

Viv John


Members of the Western Front Association and non-members are equally welcome, and we encourage their attendance. It is suggested that attendees might wish to give a small donation towards the cost of the venue, the speaker’s expenses, and the cost of live streaming via Zoom. Those unable to attend in person who join in via Zoom and may wish to help the branch with a donation, can now do so safely via 

Simply click the link and follow the on-line instructions. You can pay using all major Credit Cards, Apple Pay or Google Pay.

 

Find us on Facebook > Western Front Association South Wales Branch

https://www.facebook.com/groups/2017117855083779

Upcoming Branch Events

"Empire Jack”
07 Mar

"Empire Jack”

Fairwater Conservative Club, 61 Ely Rd, Cardiff CF5 2BY
07 Mar 2025 19:30

"Empire Jack” - A talk by Peter Walker. John Norton-Griffiths lived at Mole Cottage in Westhumble. Before the war, he had mined for gold in southern Africa, served in the Boer War, and developed railways in Angola and Chile. In 1914 he raised the 2nd King Edward’s Horse at his own expense and was commissioned as a major. Using his engineering ex...

Event Details
Hoist with their own petard: The German capture of Fort Douaumont and its effect on the Battle of Verdun 1916
04 Apr

Hoist with their own petard: The German capture of Fort Douaumont and its effect on the Battle of Verdun 1916

Fairwater Conservative Club, 61 Ely Rd, Cardiff CF5 2BY
04 Apr 2025 19:30

Hoist with their own petard: The German capture of Fort Douaumont and its effect on the Battle of Verdun 1916 – a Zoom talk by Chrtistina Noyes. The surprise capture of Fort Douaumont - at first sight a triumph - changed the offensive's centre of gravity and forced the Germans to extend the battle to the flanks, locking them into a deadly sloggi...

Event Details
"Sir Billy in the Wars"  - Billy Butlin and his service in WW1 and involvement in WW2
02 May

"Sir Billy in the Wars" - Billy Butlin and his service in WW1 and involvement in WW2

Fairwater Conservative Club, 61 Ely Rd, Cardiff CF5 2BY
02 May 2025 19:30

"Sir Billy in the Wars" - Billy Butlin and his service in WW1 and involvement in WW2 – a talk by Rosemary Chaloner. Billy Butlin, the founder of the Butlin's holiday camp empire, served in the military during World War I and contributed to the war effort in other ways: Military service - Butlin served as a bugler and drummer boy, and was eventua...

Event Details