Up until one particular night the coal-mining valleys of South Wales, including Cwmparc, had been relatively untouched. But that all changed in the space of just a few hours.
It was the night of April 29, 1941, when 25 bombers dropped a variety of bombs, including high explosive and incendiary (flammable) bombs, which caused a significant amount of destruction in Cwmparc.
Key locations, such as Park Terrace, Park Chapel, and Upper Treharne Street, were hit, resulting in extensive damage and the deaths of 28 people including evacuees from London who had been sent to Cwmparc for safety. To get the very latest news from the Rhondda, sign up to our local newsletter.
Now, a new memorial board has been officially unveiled honouring all 28 lives lost in the attack which left widespread destruction across the village and forced over 700 people from their homes.
The new board, which has been installed in Park Road on the site where ten homes once stood, shares the history and impact of the 1941 Blitz on the community.
It was developed by Rhondda Cynon Taf Council’s heritage service in partnership with members of the memorial committee and features a QR code that links visitors to further information on the council’s war memorial digitalisation project.
The community was deeply affected by the Luftwaffe raid, with many homes destroyed and families devastated by the loss of loved ones.
A memorial service was held on May 5, 1941, at Salem Welsh Baptist Chapel, followed by mass burials at Treorchy Cemetery.
An illuminated two-faced clock was unveiled as a permanent memorial, and the community continues to honour the victims through various commemorative activities.
The commemorative event this week brought together cabinet members, Councillor Maureen Webber BEM, who is the deputy leader of RCT Council and armed forces champion and Councillor Bob Harris, who is the cabinet member for public health and communities and a local councillor for Treorchy, along with local residents, pupils from Parc Primary School, and members of the Cwmparc Blitz Memorial Project Committee.
Since its opening in 2022, the memorial site has become a focal point for remembrance and community engagement, the council said.
The council took on ownership of the Cwmparc Blitz Memorial in November, 2024, with all future repairs and maintenance to be covered under the council’s memorial budget.
This transfer was agreed at a meeting between the Cwmparc Blitz Committee and leader of the council, Councillor Andrew Morgan OBE, Cllr Webber BEM, and Cllr Harris.
The Cwmparc Blitz Memorial is one of many featured in the War Memorial Digitalisation Project, which has started to go live on the RCT heritage website, beginning with Porth memorial.
These can be viewed here https://www.rctourheritage.com/war-memorials?utm_source=Facebook&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=Orlo&utm_content=War+Memorials&WINID=1753878858497
