Last November, I interviewed two well known local personalities, Frank Harries and Dennis Williams. On that occasion, we talked about wartime Pembroke Dock and the bombing of the oil tanks. A few days ago, I met them again to record more wartime memories, but memories this time of a more cheerful kind. For in those dark times when Pembroke Dock was subjected to much bombing, both Frank and Dennis, young lads as they were, took part in the popular, morale boosting variety shows at the Catholic St. Mary's Church Hall, Pembroke Dock.

War Time Concerts

Frank began: "In those early war years, a lot of us had to make our own entertainment and the concerts we took part in were very, very popular and packed to capacity. Father Daniels was the priest then and as a young boy I used to serve at the altar. We would be serving Benediction at 6.30 pm whilst people would be queuing up outside the church hall to go into the concerts. As we were singing hymns, I would be looking at my watch and saying to my brother 'it won't be long now before we'll be singing on stage next door.' By the time the service had finished the people in the congregation couldn't get a seat in the show because it was already full with people from outside and all sorts of military, naval, and airmen waiting to get in to see the show."

"Do do you know what I used to do?" Dennis added. "On a Sunday night, I'd go to church, St. John's Church, where I used to sing in the choir. I'd carry my ukulele, stick it under a seat in the vestry, go through the service, then pick it up and go to the concert straight afterwards."

Apparently, in the early days, Rev. J. B. Lewis from St. Johns Church formed a concert party called the Blackbirds, a sort of Black and White Minstrel show, which brought together those who could entertain. The Catholic concerts followed and were started to help morale. Pembroke Dock was a garrison town and amongst those trooping to see the concerts would have been Americans, Polish, Free French and even Italian POWs. (On the site of the Blue School, Pembroke Dock was an Italian prisoner of war camp).

Popular Acts

Frank continued: "The concerts were compered by Tommy Tucker who made everything run with a swing. Mr. Levi Williams was the pianist and he'd accompany all the artists. Regular acts were Pam Crook (mother of Fiona Fullerton) who used to sing and tap dance, as did Maimi Waite who sang beautifully."

Added Dennis: "The boys were all eyes as she appeared in fish net stockings, top hat and bow tie singing 'Put your arms around me honey, hold me tight'!

"Then there was Birt Wilcox who played the clappers which were lit up and sparkled when the lights went out and Trevor Owen (uncle of Jamie Owen) and Gwyn John who were brilliant whistlers. 'In a Monastery Garden' was a favourite with all the accompanying bird sounds - the sounds they could make just by pursing their lips and whistling were unbelievable."

Frank and Dennis

on stage

Frank and his brother Leslie performed a double act. "Leslie and I were Flanagan and Allan, which in those days was very popular leading act. We were aged 11 and 10 at the time. Now Flanagan always wore a fur coat and floppy hat and, of course, we didn't have any fur coats and floppy hats so my mother made the costumes for us. She made them out of flannelette sheets with black stripes down the side of the trousers and black lapels, unbelievable really. We also managed to get hold of two top hats. Then we would perform Flanagan and Allen's well-known songs like 'Underneath the Arches' and 'Side by Side' and we'd have all the audience joining in and singing with us."

"I was George Formby," continued Dennis, then aged 10. "My mother bought me a ukulele, and when she saw I could play it a little she bought me a ukulele banjo which was a much larger instrument and gave a better sound. I used to play George Formby songs and others which were popular at the time. When the 110th American division was stationed at Llanion barracks I used to play American numbers like 'Deep in the heart of Texas', 'Ragtime Cowboy Joe' and 'Yankee Doodle Dandy' as well. We used to have a wonderful time."

Touring around

Frank and Dennis have many fond memories of marvellous shows. Besides the Church Hall, they performed all around the area - Cosheston down to Angle, Llanion barracks where the Americans were stationed and even the Garrison Chapel Their favourites were out in the country - "everything was rationed, but not in the country and the food we had laid on it was amazing."

An incident Frank recalled, whilst playing in Angle, concerned another regular act: Selwyn Gwyther who used to play the saw.

"Selwyn would put the saw between his legs and really hold it tight. His favourite piece was 'Just a song at Twilight' and he would shake as he played it. That particular night we were watching from the wings and he must have got cramp because we could see the agony in his face. There came a point at which he couldn't hold it any longer: the saw came up, hit him on the chin and his toupe came off flying into the audience. Well, what a night that was!"

D-Day

Frank also told me how he used to go up to the barracks and serve mass with the Catholic Priest Father Werpechowski, the American chaplain for the 110th American division.

"At Llanion barracks and various other camps where the American troops were stationed just before D-Day, Father Daniels took a small concert party and we put on impromptu concerts to try to relieve the stress which these troops were facing during the build up to D-Day."

Dennis added: "General Eisenhower had already been down to give them a pep talk and they were hyped up ready for the invasion. I still have the Bible presented to me by Father Werpechowski, a small pocket Bible, and I like to think it was the same as the ones the American troops carried."

A sad note to end on

"In 1970, I had the privilege to go to Holland and visit Margratten, the American cemetery. Depicted on the wall was a huge marble map of D-Day and coming out of Milford Haven was a huge red arrow going out to the beaches of Utah and Omaha where the American forces landed during that invasion. All these Americans seem to have come out of Milford Haven and they must have been the troops who were stationed locally: the rows and rows of graves were very touching and some of them were so young, tragically dying just weeks before the end of the war. We must have entertained many of them."

Next event

This evening, January 18 is quiz night at Monkton Priory Church Hall, 7.30 pm. This is a fundraising event: £3.50 includes a lovely buffet - coffee and tea included, but bring your own bottle if you wish.

Saturday, February 2 - coffee morning with an exhibition by Pembrokeshire Museums Service - the history of early flight in Pembrokeshire.