THE MP for Aberconwy, Robin Millar, is supporting the Commonwealth War Grave Commission (CWGC)’s initiative – War Graves Week - being held between May 21-28.

War Graves Week encourages people to learn about the stories of those commemorated by the CWGC in communities throughout the UK along with the skills, dedication and expertise of those CWGC staff who work to keep their memory alive.

Aberconwy residents keen to learn more about the remarkable stories of the men and women of the Commonwealth forces that died in both World Wars who are buried in their community can visit www.CWGC.org and visit the cemeteries in person.

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Mr Millar said: "Behind every name on a war grave or memorial throughout Aberconwy is a human story waiting to be discovered.

“During a tour organised by Adrian Hughes of Llandudno’s superb Home Front Museum, of St Tudno's Church on the Great Orme, I was fascinated to learn about the stories of several heroes who had fallen during the two World Wars.

“One of these stories was about Pilot Officer Wyn Williams, from Llandudno, who was awarded his medal for skill and bravery in a bombing mission over Milan on February 14, 1943.

“His Lancaster was engaged and badly damaged by a Fiat biplane - setting an incendiary bomb on fire in their bomb bay, damaging an engine and destroying the navigational equipment.

“While he and the crew put out the fire, the pilot put the plane onto a steep dive, successfully extinguishing the fire in the damaged engine.

“Williams was badly burned but was still able to use the stars and a compass to guide the plane successfully back to England (skirting neutral Switzerland) where it was remarked that it was ‘the worst damaged Lancaster ever to make it back home’.

“He was sent home to his wife Ruby but such was the shortage of crew, he was recalled a few weeks later, only to tragically die in a training crash.

“He was returned to Llandudno where he was laid to rest. His wife Ruby, years later, was laid to rest alongside him.

"I would like to encourage all my constituents to embrace War Graves Week.

“It is a fantastic opportunity to reconnect with our local history and learn about the courageous ordinary people from communities throughout Aberconwy who made the ultimate sacrifice for our freedom.

“I pay tribute to Adrian, the CWGC and to all those who make such an invaluable contribution in ensuring that ‘We will remember them’.”

At CWGC.org, Aberconwy residents can also learn about the ‘Ordinary People, Extraordinary Times’ project - the focus of this year's War Graves Week.

Alongside the front-line armed forces, the CWGC will be celebrating the value those who served during the World Wars brought to key sectors such as healthcare, logistics, infrastructure and communications, and the parallels with today's global Britain which they helped to create.

Residents can learn more about specific stories of those who served by visiting www.cwgc.org/war-graves-week.

Commonwealth War Graves in communities across Aberconwy, from Penmachno to Llandudno, can be discovered by visiting: www.cwgc.org/visit-us/sites-by-constituencies.

The CWGC honours and cares for the men and women of the Commonwealth forces who died in the First and Second World Wars, ensuring they will never be forgotten.

Funded by six Member Governments, CWGC's work began with building, and now maintaining, cemeteries at 23,000 locations across the world.