1918 in Wales

This article is about the particular significance of the year 1918 to Wales and its people.

Incumbents

*Prince of Wales - Edward, Prince of Wales, son of King George V of the United Kingdom
*Princess of Wales - "vacant"
*Archdruid of the National Eisteddfod of Wales - Dyfed

Events

*The beginning of an influenza epidemic which lasts into the following year and kills about 10,000 people in Wales.
*26 January - An Irish steamship, the "Cork", is torpedoed by a U-boat off Point Lynas in Anglesey. Twelve crew are killed.
*29 January - The steamship "Ethelinda" is torpedoed by a U-boat off the Skerries. Twenty-six crew are killed.
*4 February - The steamship "Treveal" is torpedoed by a U-boat off the Skerries. Thirty-three people are killed.
*5 February - The steamship "Mexico City" is torpedoed by a U-boat off South Stack, Holyhead. Twenty-nine crew are killed.
*7 March - The steamship "Kenmare" is torpedoed by a U-boat off the Skerries. Twenty-six crew are killed.
*7 April - The steamship "Boscastle" is torpedoed by a U-boat off Strumble Head. Eighteen crew are killed.
*21 April - The steamship "Landonia" is torpedoed by a U-boat off Strumble Head. Twenty-one crew are killed.
*9 May - The steamships "Baron Ailsa" and "Wileysike" are torpedoed by a U-boat off Pembrokeshire. Fourteen crew are killed.
*19 May - The German U-boat U-B 119 is sunk off Bardsey Island.
*15 June - The steamship "Strathnairn" is torpedoed by a U-boat off Bishops and Clerks, Pembrokeshire. Twenty-one crew are killed.
*August - August is fixed as the annual month of the National Eisteddfod of Wales.
*22 August - The steamship "Palmelia" is torpedoed by a U-boat off South Stack, Holyhead. Twenty-eight people are killed.
*16 September - The steamship "Serula" is torpedoed by a U-boat off Strumble Head. Seventeen crew are killed.
*18 September - The 38th (Welsh) Division is involved in the Battle of Epéhy.
*10 October - Three seamen are killed while returning to their ship by boat at Milford Haven.
*14 October - The steamship "Dundalk" is torpedoed by a U-boat off the Skerries. Twenty-one crew are killed.
*11 November - Armistice Day. Able Seaman Richard Morgan, serving aboard HMS Garland, is the last Welshman – and the last Briton – to be killed in action in the First World War, in the course of which over 40,000 Welsh people have lost their lives.
*14 December - United Kingdom general election:
**For the first time, a woman stands as a parliamentary candidate stands in Wales: Millicent Mackenzie stands unsuccessfully for the University of Wales, itself a new parliamentary seat.
**Home Rule for Wales is included as a policy in the manifesto of the Labour Party.
**William Brace becomes Labour MP for Abertillery.
**Alfred Onions becomes Labour MP for Caerphilly.
**John Hugh Edwards becomes Liberal MP for Neath, his previous constituency of Mid Glamorgan having been abolished.
**Sir Robert Thomas, 1st Baronet, becomes Liberal MP for Wrexham.
*Edward T. John (Liberal MP for East Denbighshire) defects to the Labour Party.
*David Alfred Thomas is created Viscount Rhondda.

Arts and literature

*John Morris-Jones is knighted for his services to literature.

Awards

*National Eisteddfod of Wales (held in Neath)

*National Eisteddfod of Wales: Chair - John Thomas Job
*National Eisteddfod of Wales: Crown - D. Emrys Lewis

New books

*David Delta Evans - "The Rosicrucian"
*Moelona - "Rhamant y Rhos"

Music

*Walford Davies is appointed director of music to the Royal Air Force.

Film

*"The Life Story of David Lloyd George" (drama, not shown publicly until 1996)

port

*Baseball - First records of the Grange Gasworks Ladies team playing in Cardiff.

Births

*9 May - Sir Kyffin Williams, artist (died 2006)
*20 May - William David Ormsby-Gore, 5th Baron Harlech (died 1985)
*6 June - Susan Williams-Ellis, founder of Portmeirion Pottery
*19 September - Penelope Mortimer, writer (died 1999)
*"date unknown" - Dilys Elwyn Edwards, composer

Deaths

*13 April - Thomas Tannatt Pryce, VC recipient, 32
*13 April - David Ffrangcon Davies, baritone, 62
*3 July - David Alfred Thomas, 1st Viscount Rhondda, industrialist and politician, 62
*13 September - Samuel Thomas Evans, MP, 59
*21 September - Emily Charlotte Talbot, heiress, 78
*27 September - Morfydd Llwyn-Owen, composer, 26
*4 November - Wilfred Owen, poet from the Welsh borders, 25
*25 November - William Griffith, mining engineer (with Cecil Rhodes)
*1 December - John Griffiths, artist