Llandudno Historian Nears Completion of Global Project to Visit War Graves

A historian is undertaking a project to visit the burial sites of every soldier from a particular Welsh town who perished in conflict. Adrian Hughes, a resident of Llandudno in Conwy county, has already honored 284 graves, with 46 remaining to be visited. The Llandudno war memorial lists 330 names, and Mr. Hughes’s journey has taken him across the UK, in addition to France, Belgium, Israel, and Greece. At each location, he places a small cross or wreath, speaks a brief tribute, and observes a period of silence. Mr. Hughes explained that the concept originated approximately 25 years prior during a Remembrance Sunday commemoration. He engaged in conversation with an RAF veteran who was familiar with many of the Llandudno men who had lost their lives in wartime. He quoted the veteran: “He’d point out names on the war memorial and say ‘this person was a good cricketer and that person loved playing football’.” Mr. Hughes added: “Suddenly these people weren’t just names anymore, they were sons, fathers and husbands, so I started to find out more about them and that included visiting some of their graves.” The endeavor began modestly, with 36 of the 330 individuals commemorated on the town’s war memorial interred within Llandudno itself, and a comparable number buried in other parts of the UK. However, the project “snowballed,” leading him to subsequently visit an additional 120 graves in France, followed by locations in Belgium, Italy, and Norway. Mr. Hughes’s extensive research concerning soldiers who perished during World War Two is exhibited at the Home Front Museum in Llandudno, where he serves as the curator. Whenever feasible, he establishes communication with the families of the deceased men, inquiring if they wish for a wreath to be laid, an act he performs on their behalf. Additionally, he produces a brief video documenting the burial site of their relative. Mr. Hughes has already undertaken journeys to Israel and Greece and intends to visit Serbia later this year, followed by an expedition to the Far East, encompassing Hong Kong, Malaysia, Singapore, India, and Indonesia. He recounted: “When I was out in Israel, in the city of Beersheba, I visited the grave of a Llandudno lad called Thomas Ivor Jones and the headstone had his address in the town.” He further reflected: “It’s strange to be standing there and realise that this corner of a far-off country is forever a part of Llandudno.” He expressed that it had been gratifying to converse with the relatives of the fallen who had not had the opportunity to visit. He stated: “It’s very poignant to think that I am possibly the first person from Llandudno to visit them since they died.” Mr. Hughes mentioned that he still needs to visit the burial sites of soldiers in Australia and Canada, but acknowledged that other locations would pose significant challenges to access. Nine soldiers are interred in Libya and Iraq, making visits to these sites potentially unfeasible at present. Copyright 2024 BBC. All rights reserved. The BBC disclaims responsibility for the content of external websites. Information regarding their external linking policy is available.