The National Library of Wales is to host an exhibition that shines a light on Wales and the Battle of Britain.

The exhibition is created by the RAF’s Air Historical Branch (Dr Lynsey Shaw) together with Air Commodore Adrian Williams and his team to celebrate the 80th anniversary of the Battle of Britain.

A special event will take place on 20 April when Pedr ap Llwyd, Chief Executive and Librarian and Air Commodore Adrian Williams, Air Officer Wales will open the exhibition in the company of Her Majesty’s Lord-Lieutenant of Dyfed, Miss Sara Edwards and Veterans of the Second World War.

Pedr ap Llwyd, Chief Executive and Librarian said: “I’m pleased to welcome the Exhibition to the Library, which will remind our readers and visitors of the extreme violence, aggression and destruction of war, both in terms of human, cultural and material loss. It will also remind us of the bravery and sacrifices of those who defended our shores in the Battle of Britain against the most reviled individual and ideology in human history”

Air Commodore Adrian Williams stated: “I’m delighted that, following on from the official opening of the Wales and the Battle of Britain 80th Anniversary Exhibition in Cardiff, the exhibition is now touring Wales and will be in the National Library of Wales from 20 April – 11 May 2022. The Battle of Britain, the largest air battle ever recorded, was one of the most pivotal and iconic moments in the history of this country. It marked a turning point of the Second World War when Britain stood alone against Hitler’s seemingly unstoppable military power.  The exhibition tells a story that will enable Welsh people, of all ages, to come along and find out more about what happened in the skies and on the ground during wartime. It exceptionally details the Welsh aircrew who fought, telling their stories and heroism to a modern Welsh audience.  By visiting the exhibition individuals will also have the opportunity to pay their respects to the ‘Welsh Fallen’ and to those who eventually returned home to their loved ones and to celebrate the many different ways the Welsh people and their communities’ contributed to the War effort during the Battle of Britain.”

Harvey Jones, Chair of Age Cymru Dyfed added: “Age Cymru Dyfed is immensely proud to be supporting older veterans throughout Dyfed and also of the unique West Wales Veterans Archive which is housed on the People’s Collection Wales website. In recent years, it has been our absolute honour to meet, support, and build up friendships with many who served during WW2 and who have contributed so much to our freedom since then. We are therefore delighted to be helping to coordinate the RAF’s Wales and Battle of Britain Exhibition at the National Library of Wales, Aberystwyth.”

Squadron Leader John Dunn said: “I have had the great honour of taking the Wales and the Battle of Britain Historical Exhibition around the country.  It is our intent to visit all 22 of the single-tier principal areas of Wales and the response has been overwhelming and I have a very busy schedule over the next few months until we finish the tour in Cardiff in October. I am particularly pleased that the exhibition is coming to the National Library of Wales in Aberystwyth, it is an excellent location to showcase the Battle of Britain from a Welsh perspective.”

Despite the fact that the opening of the Exhibition had to be delayed due to COVID-19 and that it is now the 82nd anniversary year of the Battle of Britain it was decided that the 80th year was such an important occasion it needed to be appropriately recognised. Comprising a series of prepared panels of photos and text, the exhibition tells this important story for the first time.

The People’s Collection Wales (PCW) is very pleased to have supported the West Wales Veterans Archive (WWVA) in recent years, notably through providing a number of core services which help this and other, similar projects, in achieving their various objectives. PCW was able to offer free training opportunities to the staff and volunteers of the WWVA, outlining an established format for any community archiving project and offering a framework for collecting, digitising and publishing community content.   Despite the near overwhelming restrictions of the COVID-19 pandemic on community engagement, the WWVA has continued to establish an incredible archive of material on the PCW website, with dozens of veterans’ stories being celebrated and shared with a wider audience. Their ongoing commitment to document these stories for posterity makes WWVA an exemplar of community archiving work, which the People’s Collection Wales is pleased to continue supporting as it grows.

The Wales and the Battle of Britain Historical Exhibition will be open free of charge to the general public until 11 May 2022.