Various social media pages regularly post pictures of the Swansea Blitz damage. What is less well-known is how Swansea Council dealt with the disaster. As the local authority, it fell to the Council to lead the town’s civil defence. Whereas the police and fire brigade were already recognised in their duties, the new type of war on civilians needed a new set of approaches and a new organisation…Air Raid Precautions (or ARP).
Traditionally, the local authority’s head of administration, often called the Town Clerk, was appointed as the Controller of ARP. In Swansea, this esteemed role was held by the renowned Hywel Lang Lang-Coath. With over thirty years of experience and an intimate knowledge of Swansea, Lang-Coath, originally from Bridgend, wielded significant influence over the County Borough’s administration.
When the bombing came, Swansea’s Chief Constable dealt with the policing and fires, but Lang-Coath had to oversee everything else. This meant that he had to make the decisions on water supply, gas mains, telephone repairs, electricity cables, roads, sewers, demolition of bomb-damaged buildings, decontamination of food supplies, feeding bombed-out families, issuing emergency ration books and sending ambulances and first aid to bombed areas of Swansea. Many Swansea councillors didn’t like him and were jealous of his control and power. They wanted to be part of the process. Lang-Coath refused and focussed on saving lives and looking after the bomb victims and prioritised the emergency services to support people at the worst time in their lives. Many people can be grateful that Swansea councillors were prevented from playing petty party politics at the worst point in Swansea’s recent history.
during his visit to the blitzed areas on 11 April 1941. The visit was pure political theatre for Churchill, and his entourage included the newly installed American Ambassador John Winant
and Averell Harriman who was President Roosevelt’s ‘Aid for Britain’ director. The
devastated scenes were used by Churchill to show the Americans the reality of
the bomb attacks and both men submitted their impressions directly back to the
President. Lang-Coath is in a typical pose, looking off-camera probably checking the
whole event was going smoothly. (Printed source).
Nigel Robins 