ENIGMA 2000 Newsletter - Issue 25

November 2004
Articles, newsreports and Items of interest :enigma2000-owner@yahoogroups.com

ENIGMA 2000 article - The Smokey Dragon – Part 2

Held over for three issues we bring you an interesting article that examines nationalism and political violence. Due to the complexity and length of the article this will be spread over more than one issue.

The Smokey Dragon – Part 2

This article is the result of a recent conversation between ENIGMA 2000 and myself, AnonMW. It concerns the rise of nationalism and the use of political violence in Wales and now continues with Part 2:

The TRYWERIN DAM

The 1950's saw a hugely increased demand for water in Liverpool and district and the decision was taken, rightly or wrongly is outside the scope of this article, to flood the Trywerin Valley. The valley was also called CWM CELYN, and the failure of many prominent MP's at the time to halt this plane obviously drove some locals to direct action of the explosive variety.

In 1966, on 6th March, an Improvised Explosive Device [IED] exploded on the site of the Vesenoic, which like so many of these acts by such groups in Wales, was more symbolic than effective. For all that, a repair bill of GBP36000 and six weeks loss of work is symbolism by anyone's standards. Responsibility for this attack was attributed to MAC [See groups and personalities]. A recent S4C programme of the currently popular drama documentary type, transmitted 13/07/03, featured the three men convicted of explosives offences in relation to the Trywerin protest campaign. They were: Emyr Llewellyn JONES, Owain WILLIAMS and John Albert JONES. At trial they were sentenced to a term of imprisonment.

On a somewhat more disconcerting note, the programme hints at the involvement of lecturers from ABERYSTWYTH and Ireland. This latter is not the first link to that troubled province which our latter day Robin Hoods seem to have forged. MAC will appear later in this Dragon's tale.

1967 saw further developments of a similar nature and the following is a list of their times and locations. On 12th March a cache of explosives, mainly gelignite, was discovered in the Elan Valley water pipeline at Crossgates near LLADRINDOD WELLS.

On 30th September an IED was detonated in an attack on the LLANRHIADR-YN-MOCHNANT pipeline.

On 17th November an IED exploded at the Temple of Peace in Cardiff. The legitimacy and reason for targeting this building would escape most people save for its proximity to the Welsh Office, Town Hall and Central Police Station and Crown and Magistrate's Court building in Cardiff's City Centre.

A recently released intelligence dossier compiled at the time showed uncanny accuracy when it stated, "They [the perpetrators] would appear to be a small group with expert, perhaps ex-army, knowledge of bombs and access to explosives. They are also likely to be Welsh speaking and have links with extreme nationalist and Welsh language elements. They were probably responsible for all four recent sabotage incidents. "Details of this dossier can be read in "The Authorities Response."

1968 saw a further attack by the MAC on the Welsh office. Again, little damage was done and as previously stated, the act seemed more symbolic, although the same report as is quoted in the preceding paragraph states that "had the timing device on the Temple of Peace IED been late in activating, some serious loss of life could have occurred.

1969 was the year in which HRH Prince Charles was invested as Prince of Wales at Caernarvon Castle and having regard to the recent upsurge in nationalism and violent direct action, to say that the Police and Security Services were monitoring the situation is like saying Marconi was keen on radio!

Regardless of one's feelings on the monarchy, the young Prince won many friends by attending Aberystwyth University and even learning Welsh [something which the vast majority of Welsh people, your author included, fail to do]!

1969 was also the year that MAC scored, but unfortunately for them, an own goal! [Remember that phrase, you Aden & Ireland vets]. In the early hours of the July morning on which Prince Charles was to be invested, two MAC members, Arwel JONES and George TAYLOR were blown up by the explosives they were carrying through the village of Abergele. [A web site consulted by the author quoted the book "The Mitrokhin Archive" as having disclosed KGB involvement in this plot Ed. This was Operation EDDING. KGB Dept V proposed to use British made Gelignite to blow-up a small bridge near the junction of the A487 and a498 to disrupt proceedings. Outlined on page 491.].

It was generally accepted then, as now, that the two had intended to attack the train, hence their proximity to the railway line. Later the MAC would suffer losses, although not of the permanent variety.

Not so widely reported, in 1969, was the bomb attack on the GPO sorting office in Cambridge Road East in the Victoria Park district of Cardiff.

There was a postal box set into the wall of this building through which members of the public could drop letters directly into the sorting office. In June 1969 Welsh nationalists, believed to be MAC members, dropped an IED into this mail box, the resultant explosion sufficient to blow this pillar box into the middle of Cambridge Road East.

This road is part of the main A48, was at that time, and still is a very busy main road. [Your scribe has good cause to remember this attack as he was on home leave from the Army at the time].

On reading the newspaper account the next day and using the timings, worthy author would appear to have being 10 mins or so of having been the recipient of a pillar box in the taxi in which he was returning from Cardiff City centre with an Army comrade. In retrospect it must be said that no pain would have been felt by either of us. However having returned from Aden in November 1967 such an attack was a severe trial of humour. [Ed. Sorry - nothing like bringing a bit of Crater with you even if the Post Office delivery was, as usual, late].

MAC also placed a device in a left luggage locker at Queen Street Railway Station, Cardiff. This IED was one of the first described to me, during my police service, as being a classic in the "how not to do it" training course. A senior detective, long retired and now sadly deceased and who shall remain nameless, save for the hint that he had a slight speech impediment. [Caused by being shot in the mouth by a man he arrested and whom he did not search diligently enough]. Our readers have no doubt guessed what this officer's next actions were on being shown the suspect bag in the locker. He proceeded to open it, being a paid up member of the "it can't happen here!" school of thought. Fortunately, on seeing the wires and a battery, he stopped and closed the bag. The comments of the Army armament technical officer [ATO] who attended are not recorded, but he was quoted as saying, amongst other things, that had the bag been fully opened the railway station and certainly all of the police officers would have been destroyed.

From bombings these groups moved to arson attacks, starting from December 1979. They gave their justification as the shortage of affordable homes in North Wales for local people, and the threat to the Welsh Language and culture which the influx of English people represented. [Readers from Folkstone and Dover please note]!

Primarily three groups claimed responsibility for these attacks which had by 1989 destroyed over 200 English owned holiday homes. [One can be forgiven for hoping that this newsletter is not available in F, EA and CT areas].

The three groups responsible were MAC, CC and MG. Later a fourth group WAWR would announce its existence in the early 1980's. Its targets would be Army Recruiting Offices, Government Offices and local Conservative Party Headquarters. With the exception of the MG these groups were either apprehended by Police or Security Services or ceased operations.

As far as MAC is concerned it is highly unlikely that it was ever active in this campaign, despite responsibility being claimed, on its behalf. Its leader JB JENKINS and a co-conspirator received ten and six year’s imprisonment respectively in 1970. A further two of its supporters had scored a spectacular 'own goal' of the explosive variety in 1969. Hardly the stuff of which folk heroes are made! Following the trial of four and the conviction of one of its alleged members WAWR also seems to have ceased operations.

MG alone is believed currently active. Not to be ignored, from a potential threat standpoint, are the supposed Welsh language preservation groups. CYMDEITHAS-YR-GYMRAEG [The Welsh Language Society]. Never ones to restrict their actions to peaceful protest the members of the aforementioned have many times been convicted of, and jailed for, criminal damage and burglary. They justify this by saying they are defending their language and culture.

Another emergent group which would bear monitoring is CYMUNED, who have as their stated aim: Civil Disobedience, Campaigns to promote and protect the Welsh language. See "An appreciation for more details."

Nor did the attacks or the threat thereof, cease with the turn of the century. In 2001 during the height of, and inspired by, the devastating foot and mouth outbreak, and during the protests it engendered. a man placed a dummy IED at, and conducted a hoax bomb campaign against, the National Assembly for Wales.

Ironically, yet again, the man Christopher Valentine FUSSELL, aged 61years, was a former soldier. Perhaps significantly he served in the Royal Army Ordnance Corps [RAOC]. One wonders what would have happened had more interesting ingredients than batteries and wires had been placed in FUSSELL's box of tricks. and if he had the required knowledge?

Be that as may, the device placed at the Assembly had the police concerned enough to summon RAOC ATO's who detonated the package. Even more interesting FUSSELL claimed membership of MEIBON GLYNDWR, the one Welsh nationalist group that which seems to be still active, albeit apparently dormant.

FUSSELL was convicted at Cardiff Crown Court of six charges of making hoax bomb calls and one of planting an imitation IED. He was sentenced to two years community rehabilitation, with the proviso he receive psychiatric care.

With the Middle Eastern pot boiling well, the current Balkan upheaval which still threatens and the by no means inactive Irish Terrorist activity, boredom would not seem to be a problem with which we, in the 21st Century, will have to deal with for sometime.

Known Terrorist Groups and Members:

MUDDIAD AMDDYYFIN CYMRU [MAC]: Movement to defend Wales.

First founded and became active in the early 60's, this group was founded and led by John Barnard JENKINS. He was at the time a sergeant in the British Army in the Royal Army Dental Corps, RADC. They carried out and claimed responsibility for many bomb attacks. [See Chronological Record of Attacks].

The were, arguably, one of the most dangerous of the known groups discussed in this article. It would seem that they have/had access to high grade explosives. One of their most spectacular acts was an 'own goal'. Two of its members Arwel JONES and George TAYLOR blew themselves up in the early hours of 1st July 1969. There are two differing accounts of the reasons for this event [if one discounts carelessness]!

One reason is that the two were merely transporting the explosives from a building site near ABERGELE, which lies on the coast of North Wales. The other is that they were about to attempt to blow up the Royal Train which would have taken HRH Prince Charles to the investiture at Caernarvon later in the day.

Another, far more frightening aspect, is the hint of KGB involvement in this plot. The claim is made, as earlier mentioned on pages 491-2 of The Mitrokhin Archive. [Details: http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hil/wales/446072.stm] The families of both men, who interestingly, are still remembered by like-minded Welsh nationalists as "The Abergele Martyrs" deny both the intention to sabotage the Royal Train and any KGB involvement.

A Professor at Russian History at Bangor University in North Wales is quoted as saying the claims of KGB involvement in this plot are "very plausible."

Apart from this 'own goal' other successes against MAC by the security services and the police were the conviction and jailing in 1966 of three more members of MAC; namely Emyr Llewellyn JONES, Owain WILLIAMS and John Albert JONES. This was for blowing up of installations and property to be used in the creation of the dam at Cwm Celyn.

Then in 1970 MAC's leader, John Barnard JONES was jailed for ten years, whilst a fellow member, Frederick ALDERS was jailed for six years. They were both from Wrexham and were convicted of offences of conspiracy to cause explosions in Wales between 1966 and 1969. Today this group is inactive and would appear to have been neutralised.

Although it is no way relevant, it may be of interest to readers that JENKINS was homosexual with convictions for importuning males; a far cry from freedom fighting!

The author was present at one of his arrests and was responsible for duties concerning the extensive correspondence and literature recovered. The Special Branch overtime fund took some serious punishment on that evening! When asked his occupation, JENKINS replied, "Urban Terrorist." It must be stated that Mr JENKINS was the only person present who thought that amusing. John Barnard JENKINS died of natural causes in the mid-1990's. [Part 3 next time].

Wales is a Principality and exists with its own seats of Government as well as its own language not spoken by many but seen on road signs and heard as announcements on Railway Stations [except when two E2k members meet and converse in Yemeni Arabic baffling those around them]. Imagine the horror when the Eurostat Yearbook 2004, that contains the statistics used by Euro MEP’ has a map of Britain where the Principality is missing! Nothing between England and Ireland – how insensitive.