Dennis Coslett

Dennis Coslett (12 September 1939 – 20 May 2004) was a Welsh nationalist political activist, best known as being a member and self-styled commandant of the paramilitary Free Wales Army (FWA), who became notorious in Wales throughout the 1960s.

Biography

Early life

Born in Carmarthen, Coslett was conscripted at the age of 18. He served in the British Army as an infantryman with the Royal Welch Fusiliers and later became a seaman in the Merchant Navy. On his return to Wales, Coslett worked as a shot-firer in many of the small private coal mines in west Wales. He went on to lose the use of his left eye in an accident underground, and subsequently lost his job.

Free Wales Army

The flooding of the Tryweryn valley and destruction of Welsh language communities had sparked controversy. Many Welsh nationalists became frustrated by the refusal of Plaid Cymru to take a tougher stance on such issues at the time. Coslett had initially set up his own militant group, the Welsh Republican Army, but in 1965, he joined forces with Julian Cayo-Evans as part of the FWA.

The pair were interviewed on television by David Frost in 1967. Frost made a number of facetious comments and referred to Coslett as "Dai Dayan", because of his resemblance to Moshe Dayan, the Israeli general who also wore a patch on his left eye. However, both Coslett and Cayo-Evans were adept at courting the media and publicising their gatherings, which were essentially harmless. The Free Wales Army was also quite happy to take the credit for acts of protest committed by other organisations, such as explosions, damage to second homes owned by English people and the defacing or destruction of English language road signs.

Fundamentally, their self-publicity led to their imprisonment, as the police were under pressure to react to protests and threats of violence which preceded the investiture of the Prince of Wales at Caernarfon. Many members of the Free Wales Army were subsequently charged with various offences, including Coslett and Cayo-Evans; the latter faced eight charges under the Public Order Act at the trial in Swansea in May 1969. The trial lasted 53 days, with Coslett refusing to speak in English throughout the hearing. He and Cayo-Evans were each sentenced to 15 months imprisonment, although the case rested on little more than press cuttings, including exaggerated claims which Cayo-Evans and Coslett had themselves uttered to journalists. Presiding over the case was Judge Thompson, who questioned Coslett over his claim that the FWA had trained dogs attached with explosives to attack advancing English tanks. Allegedly, with a smile, the judge enquired, "How were they to remove the pins?", which was met with laughter from the public gallery. With confidence, Coslett simply responded, "Damn, you've got me there, sir."

Post-Free Wales Army

Following his release from prison, Coslett began his new career as a poet, essayist and speaker, publishing two books, ''Rebel Heart'' and ''Patriots and Scoundrels''. His published poetic collection comprises a wide range of subject matters, but typically share the theme of armed struggle against improbable odds. Notably, one such poem in ''Rebel Heart'' was inspired by the experiences of Coslett's father-in-law while fighting against the forces of Francisco Franco as a volunteer in the International Brigades during the Spanish Civil War. Another poem is dedicated to the struggle of the Chechen insurgency against the Russian Federation during the Chechen Wars, in which Coslett's admiration for the rebels is made clear.

Coslett married Averil Webb, and had a daughter and two sons. After suffering with cancer, he died at Ty Bryngwyn Hospice in Llanelli, Carmarthenshire on the 20th May, 2004, aged 64. The funeral was held local to Coslett's home in Llangennech, and attracted a crowd of hundreds of mourners. His coffin was draped with the Welsh flag, and a guard of honour wearing black berets led the funeral cortege to a cemetery on the outskirts of Llanelli. There was a recital of Hen Wlad Fy Nhadau, and flags were held high above the graveside, notably the standard of Owain Glyndŵr and the Eryr Wen, the symbol adopted by the FWA. Attendees of the funeral described Coslett as a "working class hero", and the order of service was adorned with the motto: "No saint nor king hath tomb so proud, as he whose flag becomes his shroud."

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Coslett, Dennis
1939 births
2004 deaths
Welsh rebels
Welsh republicans
Welsh nationalists
Welsh activists
Welsh writers
British Merchant Navy personnel
Royal Welch Fusiliers soldiers
Welsh prisoners and detainees
Prisoners and detainees of England and Wales
20th-century British Army personnel
Military personnel from Carmarthenshire