http://www.homefrontmuseum.co.uk/

Home Front Museum, New Street, Llandudno (2026)

04/06/2026

As the 82nd anniversary of D-Day nears this is the story of the Llandudno company who manufactured components for specially adapted tanks. These were of vital importance for the landings on D-Day.
Both the Winter Gardens entertainment venue and Cream Coaches were Llandudno institutions for much of the twentieth century; they were owned by the Brierley family. To service the fleet of coaches (which as an aside were requisitioned at the outbreak of war) the family owned well equipped workshops on land adjoining Queens Road and Conway Road on the outskirts of the town. Here in the early years of the war, engine and wing mounting sockets were made primarily for A. V. Roe, the manufacturers of iconic planes like the Lancaster Bomber and the Anson Trainer. In total over 2 million of these sockets were made in Llandudno between 1940 and 1945.
In 1944, Brierley’s were asked to manufacture parts needed in the waterproofing of specially adapted Churchill tanks ready for the D-day landings. The military knew that it was imperative to get this armour onto the Normandy beaches as quickly as possible to destroy German bunkers and gun emplacements and to support the infantry. By waterproofing the tanks, they could be driven into the sea off landing craft and up the beaches. To achieve this the tanks needed air inlets and exhaust ducts to protrude above the water so they could be driven ashore without flooding the engines. Here in Llandudno over 500 ventilation ducts were made for that purpose in just six weeks.
Later, the GPO moved into the garage, using it as a vehicle repair workshop and eventually the art-deco garage was knocked down and a cul-de-sac of houses built in its place – Llys Brierley.

03/06/2026

A few nannies and kids about on the Great Orme earlier 🐐🐐🐐

03/06/2026

Today 1944 Llandudno’s week long Salute the Soldier campaign began. Fortuitously, it happened to coincide with D-Day – the Allied landings on the Normandy beaches on the 6th June 1944.
An ambitious target of £200, 000 was set by the local National Savings committee enough money to equip a battalion of infantry, a medical unit and a parachute battalion. Among the highlights of the week-long event was a grand parade on the first day which saw over 1000 servicemen, including hundreds of American troops billeted in Llandudno at the time, march down the promenade while at the Crosville Garage, on Oxford Road, there was an exhibition of ‘modern gunnery’.
Daily totals were recorded on a giant indicator positioned outside the War Savings Shop in St George’s Place and by the Thursday morning the target had been reached. By the following Saturday afternoon, when the Savings Week came to an end, over £373, 000 had been raised - easily surpassing the target.
A special pin badge was commissioned, and sold, in aid of the event and a Bakelite plaque was awarded to the people of the town in recognition of their fundraising efforts. This can be found in Llandudno Town Hall today.

03/06/2026

Killed in a flying accident today 1918, Lieutenant Norman Owen of Lloyd Street, Llandudno. Born in the town, Norman attended Lloyd Street and John Bright Schools before leaving for Basingstoke, where he was a driver for Thorneycroft’s Engineering Works.
He joined the Royal Naval Air Service Armoured Car Section and was sent to southern Africa with his unit, where they served alongside South African forces when they invaded the German territory now known as Namibia.
He returned to the UK and transferred into the newly formed Royal Air Force but was killed in a flying accident in Kent. The 24-year-old and was buried at St Tudno’s Churchyard on the Great Orme and given a full military funeral with his hearse carried on a gun carriage draped in the Union flag. From the Royal Engineer Training Depot at Deganwy, Sappers of the Corps acted as bearers and formed the firing party.
We Will Remember Them

02/06/2026

This week 1940, while tens of thousands of British, French, Belgian and Dutch troops continued to be plucked off the beaches of Dunkirk by the Royal and Merchant Navies, new Commander in Chief of Home Forces General Ironside, issued orders to commence the building of anti-invasion defences.
He chose to defend the country by using a series of ‘stop-lines’ - defensive lines using natural obstacles and geographical features coupled with pill-boxes, anti-tank barriers, trenches, minefields and barbed wire to hold up the advancing enemy. The actual direction of enemy attack was of course unknown and while the short ‘hop’ across the Channel might be the most obvious, it was important that the military prepared for every eventuality. One possible direction of attack was from the west, from neutral Ireland. In fact, Hi**er and his General’s twice considered attacking Britain from this direction which they codenamed Operation Green.
In north west Wales stop-lines were hastily constructed in the spring and summer of 1940. One took a line roughly from Bangor, down the Ogwen Valley to Capel Curig and then to Pen-y-Gwryd and onto Porthmadog. While the second was a larger arc that ran from Fairbourne near Dolgellau in the south to Llandudno on the north coast. A third defensive line ran from Aberdyfi to Prestatyn.
There is still much evidence of WW2 defences in north west Wales including 'dragons' teeth' anti-tank devices, pillboxes, spigot mortar mounts and even sniper posts. On the Dwygyfylchi side of the Sychnant Pass there is still an anti-tank wall and the base of an anti-tank block while here in Llandudno the pillboxes at West Shore and Penrhyn Bay may have gone, but there are still loopholes in the walls of Maesdu Golf Club and the former Gogarth Abbey Hotel.

01/06/2026

Remembering Flying Officer James Campbell who died today 1944 aged 23.
James volunteered for the Royal Air Force and was attached to the Photographic Reconnaissance Unit at RAF Benson. In the build up to D-Day on 6 June 1944, PR units were constantly flying over the French coast gathering intelligence to feedback to the strategists planning the invasion. It was while flying one of these missions that James died when his Spitfire crashed in low cloud in Wiltshire. He is buried on the Great Orme. His older brother also served in the Royal Air Force and was killed in the war.
We Will Remember Them

01/06/2026

Today 1939, HMS Thetis sank off the Great Orme, with the loss of 99 lives. Hundreds of spectators went up the Orme hoping to see Royal Navy warships in the rescue attempt however thick mist thwarted their view. Llandudno motor lifeboat took a doctor to the scene. A week later a memorial service was held at Llandudno war memorial to remember those who had perished in the disaster. Forty-four of the victims are buried at Holyhead's Maehyfryd Cemetery where a memorial was erected.
Thetis was later salvaged, repaired and re-named HMS Thunderbolt. She sank for a second time in March 1943 with the loss of all hands.
As an aside my great uncle, a junior engineer at Cammel Laird in Birkenhead, was supposed to be aboard the Thetis that fateful day but at the last minute his place was taken by a more senior employee.

01/06/2026

Today 1941 clothes rationing was introduced. This was not because of a shortage of materials but because production was too high. The excessive output was inessential when factory space was needed for manufacturing armaments and munitions. Initially, every person was allowed 66 coupons per year and each item of clothing was given a value depending on the amount of material needed to produce it. Eleven coupons were needed for a dress, two needed for a pair of stockings, and eight coupons required for a man's shirt or a pair of trousers.
However, in June 1942, further restrictions were imposed on clothing manufacturers to limit the amount of material used meaning men’s double-breasted suits were no longer available and there were strict limits on buttons, seams, pleats, ruching and gauging. The use of braid, hand or machine embroidery, applique embroidery, beading or lace was also banned. As the war continued, the number of coupons was reduced steadily, and by 1945 the total allowance was 41 a year. Llandudno shops including Clare's of Llandudno put adverts in local newspapers attempting to explain the regulations.
Tips on darning and sewing appeared in the newspapers, magazines and on the wireless and women were told that by making use of their old clothes they were making a significant contribution to the war effort. The government exhorted everyone to “Make do and Mend” and women made clothes for their families out of curtains (think Sound of Music 😊) and even flour and animal feed sacks. Second hand clothes were not limited and shops specialising in this market did exceptionally well.
These replica 'Make do and Mend' booklets are available in the museum shop at £2.75.

31/05/2026

As it is let’s celebrate ‘Laura’ the African Grey Parrot of Lloyd Street, Llandudno that raised money for the Red Cross throughout the Second World War.

31/05/2026

Killed at the Battle of Jutland today 1916, Boy 1st Class Robert Eccles of the Great Orme, Llandudno.
Bertie, as he was known to his family, was born on Anglesey where his father was the lighthouse keeper at Point Lynas, on the north of the island. In 1913 Robert Eccles Snr was appointed lighthouse keeper on the Great Orme.
Bertie joined the Royal Navy in April 1914 and after a period of training at Devonport he joined the crew of HMS Defence in 1915. During the Battle of Jutland, HMS Defence was ‘scouting’ ahead of the Grand Fleet and on spotting German battleships, opened fire. However HMS Defence was in turn spotted and hit by two salvoes from German ships causing a massive explosion. There were no survivors on HMS Defence and around 900 men were killed including Robert Eccles, aged just 17.
Robert was the youngest Llandudno man to be killed in the First World War.
We Will Remember Them

Home Front Museum

04/06/2026

03/06/2026

03/06/2026

03/06/2026

02/06/2026

01/06/2026

01/06/2026

01/06/2026

31/05/2026

31/05/2026

Address

Telephone

Website

Alerts

Shortcuts

Share

Category