"Y Rhwyg O Golli'r Hogiau": Commemoration of the First World War in Wales, 1914 - 1939

This thesis explores the intricacies and specificities of commemoration of the First World War in Wales and by Welsh people from 1914 to 1939. It acknowledges the contribution of the existing literature on war memory and commemoration, but also moves to set itself apart both narratively and methodologically. Utilising a wide range of archival and printed primary sources, as well as the previously underexplored commemorative texts inscribed on war graves and war memorials, it examines and interprets a variety of commemorative forms and rituals, and considers whether Welsh commemoration reveals divergent attitudes towards war, death in war, and the experience of bereavement.

The conclusions reached in this thesis demonstrate that Welsh people showed a determination to remember the war and the war dead in a specifically Welsh way. Certain rituals took on a Welsh character when performed by Welsh people, while from other commemorative forms a distinct Welsh memory of the war emerges, one that was expressed through the Welsh language. This thesis therefore emphasises the necessity of further research, and poses questions about the future of commemoration in Wales.