1940 in Wales

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1939 | 1941 | Other years in Wales
1940 in the United Kingdom
1940 in Ireland
Other events of 1940

This article is about the particular significance of the year 1940 to Wales and its people.

Contents

[edit] Incumbents

[edit] Events

  • The Urdd changes its policy to include 16 to 25-year-olds.
  • 27 January - A freak ice storm brings down telephone and electricity lines in many parts of Wales.
  • 3 March - The steamer Cato is damaged by a mine off Nash Point and 13 of the crew are killed.
  • May
  • 8 May - Three German Heinkel 111s crash in separate incidents over Wales: one near Wrexham, one at Malpas in Denbighshire, and one at Bagillt, Flint. In all nine crew are killed and four captured.
  • 10 July - Ten people are killed in an air raid on Swansea Docks.
  • 11 August - Seventeen people are killed in an air raid on Manselton, Swansea.
  • 14 August - Three German Heinkel 111s are shot down during an air-raid on Cardiff, and another over North Wales after a raid on RAF Hawarden.
  • 22 August - A steamer, the Thorold, is sunk by German aircraft off the Skerries. Ten crew are killed.
  • 2 September - 33 people are killed in an air raid on Swansea.
  • 3 September - Eleven people are killed in an air raid on Cardiff.
  • 4 September - A German Junkers 88 crashes near Machynlleth. Four crew and a Gestapo officer are captured.
  • 13 September - A German Heinkel 111 crashes into a house in Newport, Monmouthshire.
  • 20 October - Communist minister and poet Thomas Evan Nicholas ("Niclas y Glais") and his son are arrested and interned for "endeavouring to impede recruitment to HM Forces".
  • 22 November - The steamer Pikepool is damaged by a mine off Linney Head, Pembrokeshire, with the loss of 17 crew.
  • Gwilym Owen Williams becomes chaplain of St David's College, Lampeter.
  • Percy Cudlipp becomes editor of the Daily Herald.

[edit] Arts and literature

[edit] Awards

  • National Eisteddfod of Wales (held in Bangor (radio))
  • National Eisteddfod of Wales: Chair - withheld
  • National Eisteddfod of Wales: Crown - T. Rowland Hughes
  • National Eisteddfod of Wales: Prose Medal - withheld

[edit] New books

[edit] Music

  • Mai Jones & Lyn Joshua - "We'll Keep a Welcome" (performed for the first time in the forces' variety show, Welsh Rarebit on February 29)

[edit] Film

[edit] Broadcasting

  • February 25 - The Proud Valley is the first film to have its première on radio, when the BBC broadcasts a 60-minute version.
  • October - The BBC Radio Variety Department relocates to Bangor, Gwynedd because of wartime disruption.

[edit] Sport

  • Football
    • April 13 - Wales defeat England 1 - 0.
  • Quoits - Jack Price wins the Welsh championship for the third time.

[edit] Births

[edit] Deaths