This article is about the particular significance of the year 1943 to Wales and its people.
Incumbents
Archbishop of Wales – Charles Green, Bishop of Bangor Archdruid of the National Eisteddfod of Wales – Crwys
Events 19 January - Three-year-old twins Neil and Jacqueline Coleby die of exposure on the slopes of Caerneddau; despite an extensive search their bodies are not found until 24 January. 29 January - In the by-election for the University of Wales parliamentary seat vacated by Ernest Evans, there are three notable candidates. W. J. Gruffydd, a former vice-president of Plaid Cymru who has subsequently joined the Liberal Party, triumphs over Plaid's Saunders Lewis. One of the other candidates is Alun Talfan Davies. March - Rocky Marciano is among US servicemen posted to South Wales. August - Tenovus Cancer Care is founded in Cardiff as Tenovus, initially funding a wide range of projects in the local area; it becomes the leading cancer charity in Wales. 23 October - David Lloyd George marries his long-term mistress and secretary, Frances Stevenson, at Guildford register office. Sir Percy Thomas is elected President of the Royal Institute of British Architects for the second time - the second person ever to achieve this.
Arts and literature August - Soprano Ceinwen Rowlands gives the first performance of a Welsh translation of Felix Mendelssohn’s Lobgesang at the National Eisteddfod of Wales in Bangor. The Welsh National Opera company is founded in Cardiff as an amateur company. Dame Laura Knight paints Ruby Loftus Screwing a Breech Ring at the Royal Ordnance Factory, Newport.
Awards National Eisteddfod of Wales (held in Caernarfon) National Eisteddfod of Wales: Chair - David Emrys James National Eisteddfod of Wales: Crown - Dafydd Owen National Eisteddfod of Wales: Prose Medal - withheld
New books English language Idris Davies - The Angry Summer: A Poem of 1926 Margiad Evans - Autobiography William Evans (Wil Ifan) - A Quire of Rhymes R. T. Jenkins - Orinda Eiluned Lewis - The Captain's Wife Welsh language Rhys Davies - Pobl a Phethau Sir Emrys Evans - Ewthaffron: Criton (translation from Plato) Alwyn D. Rees - Adfeilion
Music Harry Parr-Davies - The Lisbon Story (musical, opened in the West End 17 June 1943) Arwel Hughes - Anatiomaros W. S. Gwynn Williams - Tosturi Duw (God's Mercy)
Film Ray Milland stars in Forever and a Day and The Crystal Ball. Drama documentary The Silent Village, filmed in 1942 at Cwmgiedd near Ystradgynlais by Humphrey Jennings, is released.
Broadcasting 4 September – Wynford Vaughan-Thomas reports from a bomber over Berlin for BBC Radio.
Births
13 January – Lorna Sage, academic, literary critic and writer (died 2001) 1 February – Rosemarie Frankland, beauty queen (died 2000) 9 February – Ryland Davies, operatic tenor (died 2023) 11 February – Win Griffiths MP, politician 28 February – John Davies, bishop of St Asaph 3 March (in London) – Aeronwy Thomas, literary figure (died 2009) 1 April (in Derby) – Dafydd Wigley MP, politician 9 April – Clive Sullivan, rugby league footballer (died 1985) 16 April (in Norwich) – Ruth Madoc (née Llewellyn), actress and singer (died 2022) 17 April – Elinor Bennett, harpist 26 April – Leon Pownall, actor and director (died 2006) 27 April David Hughes, footballer Gwyn Prosser MP, politician 6 June – Sir Terry Matthews, entrepreneur 5 July – Roy Evans, footballer (died 1969) 7 July – Robert East, actor 19 July – Beth Morris, actress (died 2018) 2 August – Alun Michael MP, politician 17 August – John Humphrys, radio and TV journalist 24 August – Dafydd Iwan, musician and politician 10 September – Shân Legge-Bourke, born Elizabeth Shân Bailey, landowner 27 September – Max Boyce, entertainer 18 October (in London) – Dai Jones, Welsh-language broadcaster (died 2022) 15 November – Derec Llwyd Morgan, academic 16 November – Val Lloyd AM, politician 22 December – Gareth Morgan, organizational theorist 28 December – Joan Ruddock MP, politician and campaigner 30 December – Geraint Talfan Davies, journalist and executive date unknown John Beard, painter Christine Evans, poet Gareth Griffiths, academic
Deaths 9 January – William Llewellyn Thomas, Wales international rugby player, 70 12 January – Selwyn Biggs, Wales international rugby player and Glamorgan cricketer, 70 24 January – Glyndwr Michael, homeless man whose body was used in Operation Mincemeat, 34 (pneumonia) 31 January – Sir Robert Armstrong-Jones, physician, 85 7 February (in London) – Clara Novello Davies, singer, 71 6 March (in Trevelin) – John Daniel Evans, pioneer in Patagonia, 81 23 March – Commander John Wallace Linton, VC, 37 (killed in action) 28 March – Ben Davies, operatic tenor, 85 12 April – Arthur Lloyd James, phonetician, 58 (suicide) 17 April – Alice Gray Jones (Ceridwen Peris), author, 90 8 September – Dai Lewis, Wales international rugby player, 76 15 September – David Samuel, Wales international rugby player 24 September – Billy Douglas, Wales international rugby player, 80 15 October – Sir Thomas Artemus Jones, judge and Welsh language campaigner, 72 29 October – Frank Hancock, Wales international rugby union international, 84 17 November – Bertrand Turnbull, Olympic hockey player, 56 10 December – Ivor Morgan, Wales international rugby union player, 59 27 December – Arthur O'Bree, Glamorgan cricketer, 57 (killed in action)
See also 1943 in Northern Ireland
References