Pontardawe Patrol

Locality

Pontardawe is a town in the Swansea Valley in South Wales, the county borough of Neath Port Talbot, originally West Glamorganshire.

Patrol members
Name Occupation Posted from Until
Sergeant Thomas John Williams

Underground haulier

Unknown 03 Dec 1944
Corporal Johnny E. Williams

Colliery haulier

Unknown 03 Dec 1944
Private David G. Jones

Pharmaceutical student

Unknown 03 Dec 1944
Private Mervyn Wyatt Kingdon

Assistant in grocery shop

08 Aug 1942 03 Dec 1944
Private Roger Morgan

Colliery engineer

24 Jul 1943 03 Dec 1944
Private Egryn Morgan

Apprentice motor coach builder

24 Jul 1943 03 Dec 1944
Private Evan G. Rees

Sheet mill worker

Unknown Unknown
Operational Base (OB)

Located at Cilybebyll, in woodland near The Plas, Cilybebyll Estate, it survives in good condition. It is now a Scheduled Ancient Monument.

On the surface, the OB is visible as a slightly-raised area. It has brick shafts at either end, with an alcove, possibly for an Elsan toilet, on the east side of the entrance. There is a winch arrangement on the entrance wall, indicating a vertical lift trap door would have originally been installed. The interior is flooded.

The structure consists of a concrete floor, brick built end walls and entrance shaft, together with a curved corrugated sheet steel roof and side walls resting on low sills. It is aligned north-east by south-west and the entrance is located at the north-east end. Internally the structure consists of a single room that measures 4.25m in length, 3.07m in width and 1.95m in height. The collapsed remains of an escape tunnel lead away from the entrance in the south-west wall.

Patrol & OB pictures
OB Image
Caption & credit
Pontardawe OB Entrance
OB Image
Caption & credit
Inside the flooded OB
OB Image
Caption & credit
Pontardawe 2022 (from Joe Shearwood)
OB Image
Caption & credit
Pontardawe 2022 (from Joe Shearwood)
OB Image
Caption & credit
Pontardawe 2022 map (from Joe Shearwood)
OB Status
Largely intact
OB accessibility
This OB is on private land. Please do not be tempted to trespass to see it
Location

Pontardawe Patrol

Patrol Targets

Assumed targets would have been the local roads and bridges over the Rivers Tawe and Upper Clydach.

Other information

The Cottage is now a holiday let. Those staying at the holiday cottages on the property can try and hunt out the site, though apparently not many are succssful at finding it, despite having a map.

References

TNA ref WO199/3389

Hancock data held at B.R.A

1939 Register

Defence of Britain Database 2001

Martin Locock & Joe Shearwood

Wales Cottages article

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