This photograph, originally in colour, was taken about thirty years ago, and appeared in my first book Wales – the Lie of the Land. The location is the Nanteos Estate near Aberystwyth, which contains some fine clumps of beech trees planted as landscape features. During an exploration there I met the farmer and he showed me this graffiti, which he claimed he had carved himself. In case you can’t decipher it, it reads HERR ADOLF HITLER 1933, and includes a Swastika. It is dated 1937, so probably 58 years prior to my taking the photograph. I don’t remember how old the farmer was but the graffiti was carved to last and it seems unlikely that a child, or even a teenager, could have been responsible for it.
Over the years I have pondered over the origin of the graffiti. History has never been my strong point but the most likely explanation, it seemed to me, was that prior to the second world war, a party of Germans had camped on the estate and left a memorial of their visit. And it looks like I may have been correct.
Last week I visited the Ceredigion Archive to enquire about the graffiti. Did they know anything about its origin? The archivist didn’t but a visitor overheard my question and told me that there were some reports in the Cambrian News of the day about a visit from Hitler Youth to Wales in July 1937. That was my lucky break. At the National Library I discovered in the July 30th edition of the paper that “twenty-one members of the Hitler Jugend (Nazi Youth Movement) camped at Aberdyfi on Thursday week“. The report continued :
…..”owing to the inclement weather (they) were allowed the use of the Pavilion. They had spent one week of their British tour as guests of the Rydal Boys School at Colwyn Bay and had marched through Snowdonia, Beddgelert, Harlech and Towyn, and on to Aberdyfi.
They were, apparently, warmly received wherever they went and enjoyed the wonderful scenery and the friendliness of the local people. “They continued their route marching on Saturday morning and before leaving were presented with a specially inscribed souvenir copy of the Aberdovey Guide by Mr Owen Jones, of the Publicity Bureau”, said the Cambrian News.
More searching on the internet led me to an opinion piece in NATION.CYMRU (15/9/25) which quoted the Cambrian News as saying that in July 1937 twenty-one members (plus three adults) of this movement [Hitler Youth] arrived in Aberystwyth on Saturday “and made the Scout Hall their headquarters”. It claimed that rather than marching, they were actually cycling, which seems far more likely and corroborates with other reports of their activities in the UK. The well-meaning hosts all over Wales must have believed that these charming, clean-living, visitors were the German equivalent of the Boy Scouts – but this was far from the truth. The oath taken by all 10 year olds on entering the Hitler Youth included the following statement:
“In the presence of this blood banner which represents the Fuhrer, I swear to devote all my energies and my strength to the saviour of our country, Adolf Hitler. I am willing and ready to give up my life for him, so help me God”
and “I promise to do my duty in love and loyalty to the Fuhrer and our Flag“.
It has been said that the purpose of the Hitler Youth was to indoctrinate those children into Fascist ideology before they had a chance to learn anything else.
These cycling trips were not unusual in the mid- to late- 1930’s and they made links and stayed with Boy Scout groups and ‘public’ (actually private) schools. The Nazis were very impressed by the British ‘public’ school system, and cultivated links with Robert Baden-Powell, founder of the Boy Scouts, who is known to have had Nazi sympathies. But the British secret service became suspicious of them and for good reason: behind the healthy outdoor living activities of these young people lay a more sinister purpose. They were instructed to make notes on and memorise the location of towns and villages and landmarks such as church towers.
“Make a note of the names of places, rivers, seas and mountains. Perhaps you may be able to utilise these sometime for the benefit of the Fatherland”, they were told.
So did the Hitler Youth who arrived in Aberystwyth in late July 1937 actually camp on the Nanteos Estate? It would certainly have been suitable, should the owner and occupier – a certain Margaret Powell – have been naive enough to have allowed it.
Tales from Wild Wales 