At the November meeting of the Welsh society, members were pleased to meet Dr. Lester Mason, a writer and lecturer, who talked about the first world war.

Introduced and welcomed by Mr. Islwyn John, president of the society, Dr. Mason began by saying he was going to talk mainly about 'death,' but in his fascinating talk about the casualties of the first world war, he brought home to his listeners the real sense of deep tragedy and waste of young lives when he listed the numbers killed - on all sides - in this 'war to end all wars.'

Dr. Mason gave the wider picture first; the official and reversed numbers of dead, wounded and POWs in 1918, in Britain; in the British Empire, in France, Russia, Germany, Turkey, Italy and the USA. He extrapolated from these figures, the percentages from various countries, of males between 15 and 49, who had died. It was sobering to read that 37.1 per cent of males mobilised from Serbia were killed. In Britain, this figure was 11.8 per cent. In Scotland, it was 26.4, which represented three per cent of the population.

As the figures and statistics were printed for members to see, the detail was awesome - and appalling. The chances of enlisted men in Britain and Ireland of being killed in the Great War, was one in 8.5, and of being wounded, one in 3.8.

In Wales, chance of death was one in eight, in Serbia, it was 1 in 2.7. Dr. Mason then brought the figures near to home when he talked of the men from Carmarthenshire, Cardiganshire and Pembrokeshire who never came home.

Even near to home, he talked of men from each of our towns, villages and even hamlets in Pembrokeshire, who were killed, and this made vivid all the names on all the memorials that we usually pass by without understanding.

Dr. Mason even had photographs of men from this locality who had paid the ultimate price. He talked of brothers who had fought and died together and of where they had fallen.

In thanking Dr. Mason, Mrs. Neate said how important it is that academics like Dr. Mason - and others - make sure that we never forget those who gave their lives or their healths for our sakes.

This month's meeting is on Thursday next, at 2.30 pm, in St. Johns schoolroom. On December 10, Mrs. Phyl Williams and her small band of helpers will prepare a Christmas celebration of Welsh songs and readings from both English and Welsh literacy texts. The celebration will be followed by tea and coffee and mince pies.

Even if you are not a member of the Cymrodorion Society, you will be welcome to come along and enjoy an hour or so of traditional Welsh singing.