Sir,

Very interesting to read about the Walled Town Friendship Circle where the recent EU representatives were joined in Caernarvon by Tenby's John Beynon (Tenby Observer, July 2).

The new president, Mr. Peter Van Roosmalen is Dutch and from S'Hertogenbosch. This town has other links to Tenby of much signifance - worth recording.

At this town, a vital and fierce WW2 battle took place. The combatants were the forces of Nazi Germany and the manificant 53rd Territorial Army Infantry Division under Brigadier Ross.

It was a 'Welsh' division put together rapidly to follow the D-Day Normandy landings and it arrived to fight 28 days after D-Day. It never lost a battle on the whole tremendous route via the Caen battles in France to the taking of Hamburg three days only after the Russian Red Army took Berlin to finish off the Third Reich!

The men were mainly Welsh and not seasoned regular Army men. They were trained at Penally Camp, near Tenby. They fought magnificently.

In the town of S'Hertogenbosch is a big memorial to the very brave Welshmen, but with them also was the Scottish father of popular comedian Rory Bremner! But it was a very Welsh army division. We owe a lot to it - and Tenby trained!

Garfield Smith,

London.