Llandrindod Wells in the First World War

Description

As part of the Llandrindod Victorian Festival (August 2010) Martin Heighway delivered an illustrated talk at the Glen Usk Hotel, 'Cheer up - you'll soon be dead!'. The talk was split into two halves: Llandrindod Wells in the First World War, and the Montgomeryshire Yeomanry. This is an audio recording of Part One, Llandrindod Wells in the First World War: Llandrindod as a spa; the home front; the German population and visitors in the town; treatment of German residents (treatment of the enemy aliens) in Llandrindod and Brecon; preparation of the town (e.g. finding 4,000 bed spaces for the troops and 80 beds for the wounded) and use of the town for training by the Royal Army Medical Corps (RAMC); Belgian refugees; make-up of the RAMC; Llandrindod garrison town; Penybont Common; Noel Chavasse VC* MC; Llandrindod becomes less of a training location; changes to the treatment of soldiers with myalgia (or 'trench fever') including Chalybeate water treatment, massage and the foundations of physiotherapy;, service by and treatment of Conscientious Objectors in Llandrindod; some bad war poetry from a reading at The Grand Pavilion, and a reply in reverse by a Lt Sewart RAMC.