A retired war veteran from Brecon remembers military personalities in his new book, ‘Valiant Veterans of Brecon’.

Jonathan Morgan, author of The Welsh Warrior Through the Ages and The Tragedy of War: Essays on the Welsh War Poets, Writers and Artists focuses on Brecon and its long history of association with military events and personalities in his new book. Brecon is known for its garrison links and close connections with the Welsh regiments and the Gurkhas.

The retired Army captain and university lecturer takes great pride in being an ‘old Breconian’, and talks of his own father, Padre Rex Morgan, within the pages. Padre was an army chaplain, who narrowly escaped death in the battle for Calais during the Dunkirk evacuation. After his capture, he was transported via several prisoner of war camps to Poland, where in 1945 he and his comrades were forced to take part in a notorious death march in bitter wind conditions. Padre was noted for his heroic efforts to encourage the survivors. Upon his return to Brecon, he became Chaplain to Christ College.

“It’s all to do with identity, really, Brecon’s identity. It has got all these well known people who have suffered, especially in the Second World War, and faced it with tremendous courage,” Jonathan told The Brecon and Radnor Express.

“I’m a disabled war veteran and I wanted to show Brecon is a military town with a lot of history.

“Brecon men were fighting long before the South Wales Borderers at, for instance, Agincourt, Crecy, and even Bosworth, so there is a long history of soldiering in the local area. I hope my book stands as a lasting memory of that bravery.”

He launched the book with the male voice choir in Christ College, as well as a launch at Brecon Cathedral.

Capturing Brecon’s military history has been important to Jonathan, who has also written a book covering more than 500 years of history of Christ College.

Jonathan Morgan’s book, ‘Valiant Veterans of Brecon’, is available through The Hours Cafe and Bookshop, as well as Cambria Books, Amazon and Waterstones.