In the summer of 1944, the Second World War was in its fifth year. Glamorgan Archives holds records that provide a vivid insight into life across South Wales during this period. As an example, this article features records held at the Archives that tell the tale of ‘Salute the Soldier’ week, held almost exactly eighty years ago in June 1944.
June 1944 was a key month in the Second World War with the launch, on 6 June, of Operation Overlord, the long-awaited allied invasion of France better known as D-Day. There was hope that the end of the war was in sight. However, there was no room for complacency. Britain was still subject to air attacks and, in the same month as the D Day landings, the first German V1 rockets were launched at London. Known as “Doodlebugs” the rockets were a new menace that claimed almost nine thousand lives.
Salute the Soldier week was a national campaign to raise money for the war effort by encouraging individuals and business to buy war bonds and savings certificates. It ran from 10 to 17 June 1944. A copy of the brochure produced at the time and held in the Archives, confirms that Cardiff was a hive of activity as people threw themselves into fund raising activities. Previous years had seen similar campaigns, including ‘Wings for Victory Week’ and ‘Warship Week’, which had led to Cardiff adopting HMS Cardiff. In June 1944 the challenge was for Cardiff alone to raise £3m, over £110 million at today’s prices.
The records of schools and bodies such as Cardiff Incorporated Chamber of Commerce underline just how seriously this was taken, with the entire city mobilised for a menu of events to promote the week. Many were of a military nature, including opportunities to watch the Home Guard construct a pontoon bridge at Llandaff and launch an attack across the river, and witness an impressive display of armoured cars on manoeuvres in Wood Street. In addition, in the evenings, crowds flocked to Cathays Park to see the dramatic firepower of the ‘Rocket Guns’ employed as part of the city’s air defences.
For those who preferred sport there were demonstrations of ‘American Baseball’ at Cardiff Arms Park, a boxing tournament at the Drill Hall, a Gymkhana at the Harlequins Ground, and a swimming gala at the Guildford Crescent baths. Those looking for something a little more sedate were also catered for with a whist drive at Rhydypenau School, a dance on the Green at the Heath, and a concert by Miss Kitty Slocombe’s Juveniles at the City Hall.
The finale for the week was provided by a mass parade and march past at the City Hall on the Saturday with representatives from the British and American armed forces and civil defence organisations. The total raised had been displayed each day on an ‘indicator’ on the castle walls. Did Cardiff achieve its target at the end of the week? Of course it did, with over £4.1 million raised. It was a remarkable achievement with much coming from ‘small investors’, including large sums raised by schools across the city competing to sell War Savings Certificates. Cardiff had been pitted against Bradford in a challenge that it won ‘hands down’, with the average raised at £20 per head compared to £12 in Bradford.
This is one of a short series of articles on Cardiff on the war years drawing on the records kept at Glamorgan Archives. The brochure produced for Salute the Soldier Week can been seen at the Archives along with details of the week held in the records of the Cardiff Incorporated Chamber of Commerce. The catalogue can be found at https://canfod.glamarchives.gov.uk/. For details contact Glamorgan Archives, www.glamarchives.gov.uk.
Tony Peters, Glamorgan Archives Volunteer
Glamorgan Archives 