Interview with Ivor Watkins of Swansea, a Welsh WWI veteran, by David Mathias who recounts his wartime experiences- serving first with the 15th Battalion, Royal Welsh Fusiliers, and later with the 2nd Battalion, Welsh Regiment.  

He experienced intense combat near Ypres, exposure to mustard gas causing temporary blindness, and participation in the final push through the Hindenburg Line. He describes the relief felt on Armistice Day.

Post-war, Watkins became a skilled carpenter and later a government instructor, helping returning veterans through training in communication, safety, and industry methods across Wales. He emphasizes practical teaching techniques and the value of questioning for effective learning.

Watkins also shares his collection of wartime poems and ditties, highlighting how singing and humor boosted soldier morale. Active in his community, he researches local history and speaks publicly. Throughout, he stresses the importance of camaraderie, discipline, and mental resilience forged during the war, concluding with a philosophy inspired by Kipling’s “six honest serving men” to guide inquiry and understanding.

[Due to the quality of the original recordings, originally made on portable cassette recorders in the 1980s, this recording has been heavily processed to enhance the voices captured. In some cases, information is unintelligible. You can reference the Full Transcript of the recording to complement the listening experience.]

00:00:01 - 00:00:28 Front-line duties. Runner and captain
00:00:28 - 00:00:59 Cut-off 2 days before armistice; German retreat.
00:01:00 - 00:01:26 Welcomed by band; uplifting moment.
00:01:28 - 00:02:35 Joined 15th Welsh; humorous annecdote.
00:02:35 - 00:03:18 Trench work.
00:03:18 - 00:04:15 Exposed to mustard gas; evacuated blind.
00:04:15 - 00:05:00 Hospitalized; returned to duty.
00:05:00 - 00:06:07 Final push; Welsh Regiment.
00:06:07 - 00:06:37 Armistice silence remembered vividly.
00:06:37 - 00:07:37 Enlistment and initial training.
00:07:37 - 00:09:01 Leave in Cologne; memorabilia.
00:09:01 - 00:10:35 Photos of conscripts at training camp.
00:10:35 - 00:11:29 NCO course; shared drill manual.
00:11:29 - 00:14:21 Gas wounds, lice, and army gear.
00:14:21 - 00:17:00 Ceremony memories; mural.
00:17:00 - 00:18:48 Photos from ceremony.
00:18:48 - 00:19:33 Tour highlights; Waterloo and exhibitions.
00:19:40 - 00:21:32 Postwar career; chief instructor
00:22:01 - 00:23:00 Teaching quarry workers in North Wales
00:23:12 - 00:24:36 Teaching philosophy
00:24:51 - 00:27:24 Pride in training work and photos.
00:27:24 - 00:29:08 Llanwern Steel Works training approach.
00:29:18 - 00:31:04 Funny story about workplace communication.
00:31:04 - 00:31:40 Advice on leadership and delegation.
00:31:37 - 00:33:14 War’s lasting effects; shell shock of a fellow soldier
00:33:05 - 00:33:50 Unit details and insignia colors.
00:34:04 - 00:34:38 Failed objective at Passchendaele.
00:35:14 - 00:35:54 Gas attack near Pilckem; casualties.
00:37:08 - 00:37:45 Recovery in Yorkshire; funny colonel.
00:38:00 - 00:38:54 Welsh language decline reflected on.
00:39:07 - 00:39:24 Occupation duty in postwar Germany.
00:39:24 - 00:43:10 Apprenticeship and carpentry career.
00:44:07 - 00:44:46 Addresses exchanged; army number noted.
00:44:50 – 00:45:26 Collected war ditties and poems.
00:46:04 – 00:47:33 More war rhymes and parodies.
00:48:32 – 00:49:30 Origins of ditties explained.
00:49:30 – 00:52:43 Songs shared with comrades.
00:52:53 – 00:55:40 Public speaking and Community involvement
00:55:46 – 00:57:05 Concert parties and soldier morale.
00:57:29 – 00:57:29 Teaching techniques and learning clarity.