Llangwm seemed little affected by the maelstrom of international events as shown in George
Stephens’s diary:
‘Saturday 6th June
Martha, Martha Ann and Alic walked to H’west. Georgy, Jemmy, Freddy and Granfa went up in the
boat to take them home. Reached home about 9pm.
Saturday 27th June
At Burton sports. Good racing with the horses, one horse fell and sprained his knee, and another
threw his rider. Alec, Freddy, Martha Ann and Jemmy were there.
August 3rd
We was at Blackpool today with Willie. Sailed all the way up. A Bazaar at Butterhill field on
Saturday 1st August did not sell all, sold the remainder today Monday. The two days sale fetched
£57 10s 4.5p.
August 4th
War declared between Britain and Germany.’
RECRUITMENT
The lack of recruits from Wales resulted in Welsh Regiments traditionally looking to England to fill
their ranks; the Royal Welsh Fusiliers were not dubbed “The Birmingham Fusiliers” for nothing.
Yet with the outbreak of war, Wales was swept with a fever of support for a war in which 280,000
Welshmen served and approximately 35,000 died.