ENIGMA 2000 Newsletter - Issue 26

January 2005
Articles, newsreports and Items of interest :enigma2000-owner@yahoogroups.com

ENIGMA 2000 article - The Smokey Dragon - Part 3

Now onto the ENIGMA 2000 ARTICLE

The Smokey Dragon - Part 3

MEIBION GLYNDWR [MG]: Sons of Glyndwr

This group takes their name from the Welsh landowner who, in the 15th Century, led a brilliantly successful revolt and campaign against the English Crown. His army was eventually destroyed and he himself disappeared. He has no known grave. Legend has it that he is sleeping and will, at sometime in the future, return to lead his armies again.

An analysis of the arson attacks against English owned holiday and second homes, chiefly in mid and North Wales, would indicate this group first coming to prominence in mid-December 1979. Within a month, eight such homes had been destroyed and the next decade would see the number of attacks rise to between 200 to 300.

This group [MG] also widened their net to include Estate Agents and Property Letting Agencies who advertised or handled homes in the North and mid-Wales area.

Analysis and comparison of such attacks would indicate that MG is probably not responsible for all the attacks which have been carried out. This group may well be claiming for arson attacks carried out by other groups or individuals, for one should not forget the enterprising insurance fraudster. [Thank heavens for good and honest villains]!

MG would appear to be the only active, albeit dormant at this time, terrorist group in Wales at this time of writing. The last known claim on their behalf was made by bomb hoaxer Christopher FUSSELL [See notes in 'Record of Attacks']. Obviously a claim made is not proof of either the individual's membership of the group mentioned, nor involvement of that group. It is the author's contention that MG may well have become a state of mind, a 'catch-all' for all unexplained arson attacks and would be 'freedom fighters'!

Group members are obviously not very self publicising, although in 1973 a group of seven individuals were arrested and convicted under the section of the Public Order Act 1936 which deals with political uniforms as they paraded as the MEIBION GLYNDWR colour party in quasi military uniforms. Also in 1993, one of its members, Sion Aubrey ROBERTS, was jailed for nine years having been convicted of sending letter bombs to various Conservative politicians.

Between 1979 and 1994 they have claimed responsibility for approximately 300 arson attacks on English owned properties. In 1989 they stated "every white settler is a target." [One wonders how they class themselves].

The Conservative Party offices in London were attacked, together with estate agents who handled Welsh Property transactions. These businesses were as widely dispersed as London, Birmingham, Sutton Coldfield and Haverford West.

In 1990, the poet and priest, the late RS THOMAS, a famously anti-English Welsh nationalist made calls for the defacing of English owned homes and property.

Although apparently currently dormant, this group having caused such damage, with the possibility of links to any other UK or foreign terrorist organisation, should it wish to further their own agenda obviously merits the closest scrutiny and monitoring.

Free Wales Army [FWA]

Formed during the early 60's, this group is of one of the only two Welsh Nationalist terror groups to wear uniform [the other, briefly, was MG]. They were active until the arrest, trial and jailing of three of its leading members. The founder and leader, William Julian Cayo EVANS, who was usually known as CAYO. Dennis COSLETT and Gethyn Ap IESTYN. They were sentenced to 13 months imprisonment. Cayo-EVANS was born in North West Wales on 22/04/37 and was later educated at Millfield and Cirencester. On reaching the age of 18 he was called up for National Service and according to his website, still maintained, served in Malaya.

How effective the FWA were, or could have been is now a matter for conjecture. The author was shown, during a police training course, a cache of weapons which had been recovered from, of all places, a reservoir by a police underwater team. Although old, consisting mainly of handguns and old shotguns, amongst the collection was a German WW2 MP40, in working order. As can be imagined, in 1969 with the impending investiture, no chances were being taken. Cayo-EVANS died some years ago and no further activity is apparent as regards this group. Some old adherents gather on the anniversary of the founders death. He died 28th March, 1995.

As stated they were one of only two groups known to wear uniform [the other was MG] who appeared in uniform in 1989. FWA were happy to pose for the press and TV in their uniforms. Indeed this was one of the charges under the Public Order Act 1936 which they faced along with the four more serious firearms and explosives offences. Both Cayo-EVANS and Dennis COSLETT have written books. "Dreaming of Freedom" by Cayo-EVANS, whilst Dennis COSLETT penned "Rebel Heart".

There were four possible quartermasters for this group, see 'Foreign Involvement and Suppliers'.

Welsh Army for the Workers Republic [WAWR]

As stated earlier, this groups initials form WAWR which is the welsh word for dawn. It announced its existence in the early 1980's and unlike the previous three groups targeted on political and military targets.

The bomb attacks for which this group claimed responsibility included Army Recruiting Offices, local Conservative Offices and Government Offices. A group of its members were arrested in 1983 and charged with explosives and conspiracy offences.

In a trial at Cardiff Crown Court the case collapsed and only one defendant was convicted. This result notwithstanding, following this trial no more claims of responsibility have been made on behalf of this group. It seems to have ceased operations.

[If any reader has further information on this group the author would be pleased to receive it for inclusion in a greater work on the subject. All responses via ENIGMA 2000 please, via the usual routes].

CADUR CYMRU [CC]: Keepers of Wales.

Emerging at about the same time as MEIBION GLYNDWR this group seems to have consisted of four members. These were, in 1980, tried and convicted of charges of conspiracy and received jail terms. Nothing more has been heard of this group and again further information via ENIGMA 2000 would be most welcome.

Interestingly, links to MAC and MG were known to have existed.

CYMRU 1400

This group appears to have been formed in October 2001and is apparently based in Pembrokeshire. It has, in Haverford West, its own PO Box number. Despite claiming strong support in that county they refuse to go public, giving their 'wish to remain underground' as their intention to remain covert.

Their stated aims are a Welsh Republic and to defend the Welsh language and culture. [Who and what is threatening it are not really clear]!

It is one of their aims to forge links with IRA Republican terrorists if this will further their cause. One of their leading supporters is Kenneth GRIFFITH, the Welsh actor notorious for his pro-IRA views and his apparent and stated hatred of all things English and British. Interestingly, on their website is a link to the British National Party [BNP] although they deny any anti-English or anti-Black sentiments.

The name CYMRU 1400 stems from the date of the war of Owain GLYNDWR's rebel army against England.

It must be said that to date, no actions of any nature can be attributed to, or have been claimed by this group.

Despite this, this group is mentioned here due to their stated intentions of linking to terrorist groups and the support of Mr GRIFFITH [who makes no secret of his support for IRA activities]. Definitely a group worthy of monitoring.

Foreign involvment and suppliers

So, who has sourced the arms and explosives necessary to carry on these campaigns?

The FWA would seem to have purchased or have been given [sources differ] a consignment of old IRA weapons in the early to mid-1960's. Two sources are internet based Irish American Unity Newsletter says the IRA sold Welsh nationalists some old stocks of weapons in the mid-60's. Another anonymous source says the arms were given to the FWA following an ambush in which IRA terrorists killed some RUC men. The same source goes on to say that the Welsh "became scared and dumped them in a lake". This could be the arms cache I was shown during my police service. [Recovered by an underwater team from an area in the Brecon Beacons as earlier mentioned].

MAC would have most probably acquired industrial explosives from the many quarries and coal mines still active in Wales at the time during which MAC was active.

The others are believed to have made do with the enriched fertilizer type used by PIRA in its early days.

MG has used incendiary devices of varying degrees of sophistication, none of which would point to suppliers of a professional nature.

A cache of weapons was discovered near a coastal path in Pembrokeshire in the 80's, reasonably close to Fishguard, the port at which Irish ferries dock. Also in the time frame, a middle aged couple was found in the same area, shot to death. No further details on the arms find or murders have emerged and to the knowledge of the author no-one has, to the time of writing, been charged in connection with either.

Certain nationalist groups, notably CYMRU 1400, have stated openly their willingness to cooperate with any source, including Sinn Fein - IRA, to gain their ends.

Soviet involvment

As mentioned earlier "The Mitrokhin Archive" alleges KGB involvement in the attempts to disrupt the investiture of HRH Prince Charles in July 1969. "Divide and Conquer" is an old proven maxim; one that has stood intelligence services of warring nations, or potential adversaries, in good stead down the centuries. [A Roman auxiliary enlisting in France could expect to serve in Spain]!

Thus, it should be no great surprise that the Warsaw Pact intelligence services would seize upon any nationalist movement as a potential recruiting ground.

They may well have supplied the explosives and expertise for this and other operations, carried out, or projected by MAC or other groups. It is certain that links existed between all the known groups. as the only link connecting our former potential Soviet adversaries remains this book, such a link is tenuous to say the least. In this author's opinion, highly likely.

Other foreign involvment

As detailed later in the section "Terrorism in Wales - The Response", during WW2 the German Abwehr snapped up offers by renegade Welsh Nationalist Arthur OWENS to act for them. OWENS was of course turned and fed false intelligence to his Abwehr controllers, although a website consulted in preparing this article paints Mr OWENS more as a patriot acting alone than a little man scared for his life. One cannot beat good old fashioned revisionist history!

One very interesting find during WW2 is alleged to have been made in the Swansea area of South Wales. The article concerned is a S90/40 CW transmitter, which bears a date stamp of March 1941. The controls bear English lettering but the components are clearly German. It is said to have been seized from an agent/agents landed from a U-Boat on the South Wales coast.

Further the "Abwehr Diaries" record an attempt to land an agent, code named LEHRER [Teacher] on the coast of South Wales together with a wireless operator, the intention being to forge a communications link with Welsh nationalists. An agent of this name was dropped by parachute in the Salisbury area, and having been captured, not turned and found to be of no further use, was subsequently executed.

The set came to light after the war when it was found in the basement of 'Telephone House' in Swansea. It was amongst the amateur radio equipment impounded in 1939 by the GPO. Of the associated receiver there is no trace.

However on the roof of 'Telephone House' during WW2 there was based a radio monitoring centre. A story related by a former GPO employees tells of the Army arresting the operators of a covert transmitter in REYNOLDSTOW, a village near Swansea. Also Swansea is a busy sea port and during WW2 would have been very busy. All shipping to and from the equally busy ports of Cardiff and Newport, and Bristol itself, would have easily been monitored and the times of departure noted and reported from that location, by a person so minded. [Based on an article in 'Radio Bygones' written by Alan Davies, GW3INW].

Part 4 next time…….