To mark the 80th Anniversary of VE Day, Ancestry, the global leader in family history, is uncovering and celebrating the unsung heroes of WWII in Cardiff.
Ancestry® is commemorating 80 hidden heroes of World War II by spotlighting the role and contributions of people across the country; whether that was on the battlefields, in factories, in the Air Raid Precautions or supporting local communities on the home front.
There are several heroes being honoured from Cardiff and Ancestry wants to track down their relatives to gift them their limited-edition commemorative plate. The one-of-a-kind plates include the name, and a digitally enhanced image based on original photography from the time.
We are calling on the public to help find relatives of these brave and courageous heroes being honoured. Please find details below:
- Celia Jenkins – Celia was a Fire Guard and worked at Blackweir Post Office in Cardiff, which took a direct hit on 18 May 1943. Celia dashed in and rescued the Post Mistress from the bomb-damaged cellar shelter and saved an 82-year-old man from a first-floor bedroom. Her brave actions, praised by Home Secretary Herbert Morrison, earned her the British Empire Medal. Morrison described Celia’s bravery as “courageous action deserving of the highest praise.”
- Edward Bovell – A member of Butetown’s ‘International Warden’s Post,’ Edward Bovell from Barbados can be seen on the left. According to the original caption of this photograph, this Air Raid Warden’s Post was visited by the King and had members from more than twenty different nationalities, with “a reputation for promptness, courage and devotion to duty in a district that suffered heavily in Cardiff’s worst blitzes”.
- Edward Avery – Reverend Edward Avery of the Methodist Colonial Mission can be seen second from the left, holding a stirrup pump. Previously a missionary in Sierra Leone, Edward became a member of Butetown’s ‘International Warden’s Post.’ According to the original caption of this photograph, this Air Raid Warden’s Post had “a reputation for promptness, courage and devotion to duty in a district that suffered heavily in Cardiff’s worst blitzes”.
- Miope Nagi – A member of Butetown’s ‘International Warden’s Post,’ Miope Nagi from Aden can be seen on the right. According to the original caption, this Air Raid Warden’s Post was visited by the King and had members from more than twenty different nationalities, with “a reputation for promptness, courage and devotion to duty in a district that suffered heavily in Cardiff’s worst blitzes”.
In celebration of VE Day 80, Ancestry is giving free access to over 2.5 million military records from May 5th to 11th, enabling the public to delve into their past and see if they are related to those being honoured. https://www.ancestry.co.uk/c/ve-day
