Thomas James George

Weightlifting in Pembrokeshire started in the 1930’s with Tommie George, an old time strongman known as "The Welsh Sandow". As part of his strongman act he would perform feats of strength with barbells and dumbbells, lift an anvil with his teeth and then bend an iron bar over it, pull a bus or locomotive with his teeth and break 6 inch nails. He formed a troop of strongmen, acrobats and balancers, which performed many strength and acrobatic shows all over Pembrokeshire. He was an expert in the martial art of Ju-jitsu and ran a Physical Culture Club at The Harp Inn, Letterston. This meant he was often asked to train the other Officers.

The first he was aware of something going on was when some Police Officers from outside Pembrokeshire approached him to make enquiries about his background and political views. Tommy was mystified as he had never been in trouble with the law but within a week their purpose became clear as he was approached by the Intelligence Officer; "Once they had established my bona fide credentials they moved in pretty smartly. I was asked how I would feel about organising a local Patrol as part of a Resistance Movement" he recalled in a 1982 interview published in the County Echo; "I agreed and I was told to select the men I wanted. I think they usually left the individual to choose his team. Their view was that even the most careful vetting was of less use than the knowledge built up by the years of friendship."

From the beginning he was left in no doubt what was required of him and those he selected as his comrades; "They made it clear to all the leaders what they hoped to achieve, we were about to face an invasion - there was no half or half about it. We were all made aware of the dangers involved, though I must say that excited a lot of us. It was just what we wanted."

Tommy recalled the times he was stopped by police or redcaps and asked to give an account of himself while out distributing weapons and explosives. One rather over-zealous Police Sergeant got into trouble one night when Tommy was retuning from St Davids; "I carried a document with me. It had a telephone number and instructions on no account whatsoever is this man to be questioned as to his business. If a law officer or anyone in authority requires further information they should telephone.....I never did find out who precisely was at the other end of it, but it was certainly a hotline to somewhere. This Sergeant started entering stuff in his notebook - what are you doing in this area ? What unit are you with ? 'I wouldn't do that if I was you' I said. In the end I managed to persuade him to ring the number and he had to let me go. I heard afterwards that he was given a tremendous wigging by someone for his interference. I think he nearly lost his job."

After stand down Tommy was collecting stores from the local Patrols. Returning from Haverfordwest to The Harp Inn he found someone had reported him to the Police for having a shed full of dangerous explosives. He found himself answering some awkward questions. He explained about the huge stock pile at Canaston Wood and offered to take them there in return for no further investigations of him.