1939 in Wales
This article is about the particular significance of the year 1939 to Wales and its people.
Incumbents
- Archbishop of Wales – Charles Green, Bishop of Bangor
- Archdruid of the National Eisteddfod of Wales
- *J.J.
- *Crwys
Events
- March-November - Aneurin Bevan is temporarily expelled from the Labour Party.
- 27 April - Ely Racecourse in Cardiff closes.
- 1 June - The submarine HMS Thetis sinks during trials in Red Wharf Bay, Anglesey. At least 98 men are lost.
- Late August - Most paintings evacuated from the National Gallery in London, many going to Penrhyn Castle at Bangor and the National Library of Wales in Aberystwyth; the latter also houses manuscripts, prints and books from the British Museum.
- 3 September - World War II: Declaration of war by the United Kingdom on Nazi Germany following the German invasion of Poland on 1 September.
- September - The Urdd opens Ysgol Gymraeg yr Urdd, the first-ever Welsh-medium primary school, at Aberystwyth. In its first year the school consists of just seven pupils and one teacher, Norah Isaac.
- October - Construction at M. S. Factory, Valley in Flintshire of tunnels for storage of chemical weapons begins.
- The first war-time civilian evacuees arrive in Wales.
- Vickers-Armstrong opens an aircraft factory at Broughton, Flintshire, later taken over by De Havilland.
- A government report shows that seven of the thirteen Welsh counties have the highest incidence of tuberculosis in the whole of England and Wales.
- George Maitland Lloyd Davies becomes President of the pacifist group Heddychwyr Cymru.
- Talybont Reservoir in the Brecon Beacons is completed to supply Newport.
- Sea Roads is constructed in Penarth in the Modernist style.
Arts and literature
- August - For the first time ever, both chair and crown are withheld at the National Eisteddfod.
- 4 October - Poets Lynette Roberts and Keidrych Rhys marry.
- John Roberts Williams becomes editor of Y Cymro.
Awards
- National Eisteddfod of Wales
- National Eisteddfod of Wales: Chair - withheld
- National Eisteddfod of Wales: Crown - withheld
- National Eisteddfod of Wales: Prose Medal - John Gwilym Jones
New books
English language
- B. L. Coombes - These Poor Hands
- Richard Llewellyn - How Green Was My Valley
- Howard Spring - ''Heaven Lies About Us''
Welsh language
- D. Gwenallt Jones - Ysgubau'r Awen
- David James Jones - Hanes Athroniaeth: Y Cyfnod Groegaidd
- Moelona - Ffynnonlloyw
- Caradog Prichard - ''Terfysgoedd Daear''
Music
- William Ifor Jones makes his debut as conductor of the Bach Choir of Bethlehem.
- Ivor Novello - The Dancing Years
- Grace Williams - ''Four Illustrations for the Legend of Rhiannon''
Film
- Ray Milland stars in Hotel Imperial and Beau Geste.
- Sheep Dog, featuring the shepherd Tom Jones of Treorchy
Welsh language film
- ''Efaciwis a Ricriwtio''
Broadcasting
- At the outbreak of war, the BBC was to transmit a unified service, including programs in the Welsh language. One of the few Welsh-language broadcasts to survive is a daily bulletin of world news at 5 pm. It was broadcast before the daily news in English at 6pm.
- The BBC radio comedy series It's That Man Again begins its ten-year run. From 1940 to 1943 it will be broadcast from the BBC Wales studios in Bangor, Caernarvonshire, north Wales, where the BBC's Light Entertainment Department is temporarily based.
Sports
- Rugby union
- *4 February – Leslie Manfield gains his first senior cap in the match between Wales and Scotland.
Births
- 11 January - Phil Williams, politician
- 16 February - David Griffiths, portrait painter
- 8 March - Robert Tear, operatic tenor
- 16 March - Kenny Morgans, footballer
- 29 March - Ronnie Williams, actor and comedian
- 7 April - Keith Bradshaw, Wales international rugby player
- 27 May - Cliff Williams, rugby union player
- 8 June - Norman Davies, historian
- 17 June - Donald Anderson, Baron Anderson of Swansea, politician
- 17 July - Spencer Davis, born Spencer Davies, beat musician, multi-instrumentalist
- 21 July - Frank Rankmore, footballer
- 24 September - Steve Gammon, footballer
- 29 September
- * Rhodri Morgan, First Minister of Wales
- * Lynne Thomas, cricketer
- 10 October - Neil Sloane, mathematician
- 8 November - Meg Wynn Owen, actress
Deaths
- 27 January - Lewis Jones, miners' leader and novelist, 41
- 17 March - Owen Badger, Wales international rugby player, 67
- 24 March - Gwyn Nicholls, rugby player, 64
- 23 April - Morgan Jones, sitting MP for Llanelli, 52
- 29 April - Timothy Rees, Bishop of Llandaff, 64
- 14 June - Ivor Guest, 1st Viscount Wimborne, politician, 66
- 29 June - Sir Henry Stuart Jones, academic, 72
- 9 July - Charles Nicholl, Wales international rugby union player, 69
- 18 September - Gwen John, artist, 63
- 21 September - Sir John Lynn-Thomas, surgeon, 78
- 26 September - Leif Jones, politician, 77
- 7 November - Gwenllian Morgan, local politician, 87
- 2 December - Llewelyn Powys, writer, 55