Aberbargoed Memorial Gates - Bargoed, County Borough of Caerphilly, Wales.
N 51° 41.590 W 003° 13.418
30U E 484542 N 5726936
Aberbargoed Memorial Gates. The cast iron gates have fretwork decoration with gilded panelled wreaths inscribed 'In Glorious Memory of those who fell in the Great War 1914-18' The Gates are located on Commercial Street, In the Rhymney Valley.
Waymark Code: WMQ8CY
Location: South Wales, United Kingdom
Date Posted: 01/09/2016
Views: 2
The double memorial gates & pedestrian side gate, were erected in 1925 as the gateway to the Workmen's Cottage Hospital. The Hospital has long gone, so the gates now front a small memorial garden. The gates are a listed & protected structure, for their social & historic interest.
The cast iron gates carry the main inscription in two elliptical panels surrounded by gilded laurel wreaths, with the text "IN GLORIOUS MEMORY OF THOSE WHO FELL IN THE GREAT WAR - 1914-1918"
The Aberbargoed War Memorial is notable for its link with one of the most intriguing episodes of the Second World War. The pedestrian side gate features a brass plaque at its center stating; "The Man Who Never Was"
I have posted 9 photos of the gates in the listings gallery.
Description; from the Imperial War Museum database;
"DOUBLE VEHICLE GATE AND ADJACENT SINGLE PEDESTRIAN GATE. NAMES APPEAR ON EACH OF THE THREE POSTS, WITH MAIN INSCRIPTION ON THE GATES THEMSELVES WREATH AT THE TOP OF EACH POST; OVAL GILDED PANELS ON VEHICLE GATES WITH INSCRIPTION. ADDITIONAL PANEL TO "THE MAN WHO NEVER WAS" ADDED IN NOVEMBER 1997.
Inscription;
IN GLORIOUS MEMORY OF THOSE/ WHO FELL IN THE GREAT WAR/ 1914-1918/ ROLL OF HONOUR/(NAMES) (ADDITIONAL PLAQUE): "Y DYN NA FU ERIOED"/ I GYDNABOD GWASANAETHAU/ I'R/ YMDRECH RHYFEL GYNGHREIRIOL/ GAN/ GLYNDWR MICHAEL/ O ABERBARGOED/ 4 CHWEFROR 1909 - 24 EBRILL 1943/ "THE MAN WHO NEVER WAS"/ IN RECOGNITION OF SERVICES/ TO THE ALLIED WAR EFFORT/ BY/ GLYNDWR MICHAEL/ OF ABERBARGOED/ 4 FEBRUARY 1909 - 24 APRIL 1943" Text Source; (
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THE MAN WHO NEVER WAS;
"The Memorial gates bear a plaque commemorating Glyndwr Michael who has been identified as The Man Who Never Was – a figure who played a decisive part in the conflict, after his own death.
The homeless Welshman’s corpse, disguised as a Royal Marines officer, was released into the Mediterranean with a briefcase containing documents which successfully tricked the Germans into believing that the Allies planned to attack Greece in the summer of 1943 and not Italy, the real target.
A memorial plaque to Michael was erected on the War Memorial gates by the Royal British Legion in 2002." Text Source; (
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Reason for Listing;
"Listed for its social-historical interest and as well-designed memorial gates in a prominent location." Text Source; (
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