The Second World War was declared on the 3rd September 1939 and changed the world forever
During the Second World War in St. Davids, few people would have had access to radios or televisions. When Britain was engaged in war, the Government issued rations to distribution facilitities in each sector of the country. Food was low in supply but much in demand - the only option was rationing.
Food supplies were low due to the tactical bombing of food carrying merchant vessels across the sea. To save supplies, eggs were put in powered form and supplied in tins, as were many other food sources. Luxury foods like chocolate were rarely available and became much more coveted - extra clothes had to be bought by saving up coupons. The war effort, as it was so named, saw women making coats out of blankets.
The majority of the evacuees came from London - this was obviously a prime target due to its size. It was a vital military community and was an excellent target for German aeroplanes. Places like Coventry and Swansea in Wales were also targeted because of their docks and harbours. If these could be disabled, Britains main strength (its fleets of ships) would be paralysed as would its places where food-carrying vessels could dock. The evacuees that went to St. Davids were very happy and would have learnt the main language in circulation.
When the sirens went off in the darkness, all the blackout curtains would go up, as in every town. St. Davids was only hit by two bombs and no casualties occurred. There was probably such a small amount of bombs dropped on St. Davids because bombers tended to use the largest payloads on major tactical cities and towns, then they would unload the remaining spares on various little towns. Because St. Davids is right on the coast, it received a rather insignificant attack. The whole population were issued with gas masks. Many of the prisoners of war worked on the farms as most of the locals had enlisted in the army and the services.
Sea mines would often wash up on the beaches of St. Davids. For defence against coastal attacks, mine fields were set up on the coastal areas. Once, St. Davids was attacked in this way - the bells were rang in the cathedral and the town was in panic. The attack was successfully warded off. Due to the needs of runways for aeroplanes, an airfield was built near St. Davids by a village called Whitchurch. Incidentally, it was built the wrong way around and was only used a few times.
Huge water tanks were strategically positioned for the fire brigade to access in emergency. The railing in front of houses were removed and melted to aid the war effort. Paper was placed in criss-cross patterns on windows to prevent damage from shattering windows being sustained by house residents. Because of when the bombers flew over St. Davids at night, the town had to be dark to rule it out as a target, the street lamps were off. So white lines were painted in the streets to guide people - many techniques were employed to deal with attacks. In the central city hall, survivors from vessel attacks who had been rescued by Lifeboat would rest and be housed. The names of those from St. Davids who fought in the war are on plaques in the Memorial Hall. A garden of remembrance was built in 1945 and can be seen now in the city centre.
St. Davids Airfield
St. Davids Airfield was opened in the summer of 1943. It was one of the eight airfields built in Pembrokeshire between 1939 and 1945. The airfield was part of the Royal Air Force Coastal Command. St. Davids had a three - runway layout along with a control tower and three corrugated iron hangers. The Halifaxes were used against U-boats and surface boats. There was a chance that the bombers would be shot down by German bombers.
In February of 1944 German planes off the Pembrokeshire coast shot down a Halifax returning to Pembrokeshire with only a wheel being found. A few other Halifaxs were written off with crashes on or around St. Davids Airfield. In the last few months of the war a Liberator crashed near Emlych Farm, on the White Sands Road.
This site is now marked with a slate, which was unveiled in July 1995 on the 50th Anniversary of the crash. During World War Two St. Davids was the main airbase and Brawdy was the satellite station. After the war the roles were reversed.
