DESCENDANTS of five Penarth First World War prisoners of war have finally met.

The descendants got together to celebrate the centenary of the safe return of the POWs, and their attendance at a civic dinner. In March 1919, thirty-five Penarth men attended a Repatriated Prisoners of War Welcome Home Dinner, hosted by the former local council.

Their names and addresses were included on a menu card for the event, which was retained by organiser Catherine Meazey. Her granddaughter Dorothy Foulkes now has the card and provided a copy to local historians Marcus Payne and Bruce Wallace.

One of the POWs was Tom Wallace, grandfather of Bruce Wallace.

Following publicity of the names of all Penarth POWs, descendants of several men came forward.

Attending the centenary reception at the Penarth Conservative Club were: Diana Farmer, grand-niece of captured civilian Ivor John Evans, Alan Aberg, nephew of Sergeant Gustaf Aberg, Kathleen Rollings, granddaughter of Lance Corporal George Frost, Lynette Ridd, granddaughter of rifleman John Alexander McDougall, and Bruce Wallace and Jean Hepburn, grandchildren of Private Tom Wallace.

Other attendees included Marcus Payne, who provided extracts of wartime newspaper reports detailing contemporary information of Penarth POWs.

Bruce Wallace, who organised the Penarth reception, said: “It was a lovely afternoon meeting the other descendants as we all had something in common. It was also nice to celebrate the centenary of a happy event in Penarth’s history.

“I am sure that my grandfather and the others must have suffered after the end of the First World War. However, they must have also enjoyed being the special guests at the 1919 reception.

“I must thank Dorothy Foulkes for providing a copy of the original menu and Marcus Payne for his work in finding the stories of so many Penarth POWs.

If anyone else has further information on former Penarth First World War POWs, please email brucewallace.cowin@gmail.com