Archive of the month

The Archive of the Month feature raises awareness amongst students and staff about the variety of material that we hold. In particular, the old Bangor photographs appear to spark a lot of interest and debate on the University’s Facebook pages.

Every month, an item is selected to be showcased. The item is scanned and a short piece of text written about its history.

December 2016

Christmas Card from Harold Williams to Major W.P. Wheldon of the 14th Battalion, Royal Welsh Fusiliers (1916)

Major W.P. Wheldon was born in 1879, Bronycraig, Ffestiniog, Meirioneth. He took charge of the Royal Welsh Fusiliers, 14th Battalion, 113th Brigade, 38th Welsh Division, where the 14th Battalion fought on the Somme between ,1916-1918.

The 14th (Service) Battalion, formed at Llandudno on 2nd November, 1914 by the Welsh National Executive Committee. In 28th April, 1915, the formation became the 113th Brigade, 38th (Welsh Division). They moved to Winchester for final training in August 1915, proceeded to France in December 1915. In July 1916, there was action at Mametz Wood on the Somme suffering severe casualties, and action in the Third Battles of Ypres in 1917, and action on The Somme in the Battles of the Hindenburg Line and Final Advance in Picardy in 1918, where Major Wheldon was received a gunshot wound to the left knee on the 7th November of that year. Demobilisation of the 14th RWF Battalion commenced in 1918, which was completed by June 1919.

He was Secretary and Registrar of the University College of North Wales from 1919 until 1933 when he was appointed Permanent Secretary of the Welsh Department of the Board of Education.

Major W.P. Wheldon received an award for Distinguished Service Order (DSO) in 1917. In 1948 he presented to the University of Wales Bangor, a collection consisting of war diaries 1916-1918 of the 14th (Service) Battalion, Royal Welsh Fusilliers, with a majority hand written by Major Wynn Wheldon, giving a day-to-day of the activities of the battlefield on the Western Front including reports on operations and actions, particulars of casualties, etc. He died on November 10th 1961, Prestatyn, North Wales.

The collection is available at Bangor University Archives, reference no: BMSS/7059-7060

This “Archive of the Month” was created by our volunteer, Louise Williams.

Click on the links below to view all our showcased documents.