Dennis Coslett | |
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 Coslett in 1965 | |
| Native name | Dafydd ap Coslett, Denis Coslett |
| Birth name | Dennis Coslett |
| Nickname | "Dai Dayan" |
| Born | (1939-09-12)12 September 1939 Carmarthen, Wales |
| Died | 20 May 2004(2004-05-20) (aged 64) Llanelli, Wales |
| Allegiance | Free Wales Army |
| Branch | British Army Merchant Navy |
| Unit | Royal Welch Fusiliers |
| Known for | Commandant of theFree Wales Army |
| Spouse | |
| Children | 3 |
| Other work | Poet Essayist Writer |
Dennis Coslett (12 September 1939 – 20 May 2004) was aWelsh nationalist political activist, best known as being a member and self-styled commandant of theparamilitaryFree Wales Army (FWA), who became notorious inWales throughout the 1960s.[1][2]
Born inCarmarthen, Coslett was conscripted at the age of 18. He served in theBritish Army as an infantryman with theRoyal Welch Fusiliers and later became a seaman in theMerchant 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,[2] and subsequently lost his job.[1]
Theflooding of theTryweryn valley and destruction ofWelsh language communities had sparked controversy. Many Welsh nationalists became frustrated by the refusal ofPlaid Cymru to take a tougher stance on such issues at the time.[2] Coslett had initially set up his own militant group, the Welsh Republican Army, but in 1965, he joined forces withJulian Cayo-Evans as part of the FWA.[1]
The pair were interviewed on television byDavid Frost in 1967.[2] Frost made a number of facetious comments[1][2] and referred to Coslett as "Dai Dayan", because of his resemblance toMoshe Dayan, the Israeli general who also wore a patch on his left eye.[1][3] 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.[4] Most notably, this included the actions ofMudiad Amddiffyn Cymru (MAC), from whom Coslett had once received explosives that were used in a failed FWA bombing of a water pipeline connecting theElan Valley Reservoirs toBirmingham in 1967.[5]
Fundamentally, their self-publicity led to their imprisonment, as the police were under pressure to react to protests and threats of violence which preceded theinvestiture of thePrince of Wales atCaernarfon. Many members of the Free Wales Army were subsequently charged with various offences, including Coslett and Cayo-Evans; the latter faced eight charges under thePublic Order Act at the trial inSwansea in May 1969. The trial lasted 53 days, with Coslett refusing to speak inEnglish throughout the hearing.[3] 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.[4] 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."[6] These claims typically centred around Coslett's belovedAlsatian, Gelert, named in homage to theGelert of Welsh legend.[3][2] However, he had also made extravagant claims of having dozens more trained dogs hidden in the hills of northernCarmarthenshire, where the FWA often conducted manoeuvres.[2][3] The court evidence for the claim came from a journalist, who claimed that Coslett had once demonstrated to him how a harness, which he claimed was capable of storing sticks ofgelignite, could be fitted to Gelert's back in the event of a Welsh uprising.[2] BothTheHerald of Wales and theThe Daily Telegraph had reported on the claim of "kamikaze dogs" at the time, allegedly resulting in Coslett receiving hundreds of letters from enraged dog-lovers.[2]
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Following his release from prison, Coslett began his new career as a poet, essayist and speaker, publishing two books,Rebel Heart andPatriots and Scoundrels.[7] His published poetic collection comprises a wide range of subject matters, but typically share the theme ofarmed struggle against improbable odds. Notably, one such poem inRebel Heart was inspired by the experiences of Coslett's father-in-law while fighting against the forces ofFrancisco Franco as a volunteer in theInternational Brigades during theSpanish Civil War. Another poem is dedicated to the struggle of theChechen insurgency against theRussian Federation during theChechen Wars, in which Coslett's admiration for the rebels is made clear.[8]
Coslett married Averil Webb, and had a daughter and two sons.[2] After suffering withcancer, he died at Ty Bryngwyn Hospice inLlanelli,Carmarthenshire on the 20th May, 2004, aged 64. The funeral was held local to Coslett's home inLlangennech, and attracted a crowd of hundreds of mourners. His coffin was draped with theWelsh flag, and aguard of honour wearing black berets led the funeral cortege to a cemetery on the outskirts of Llanelli. There was a recital ofHen Wlad Fy Nhadau, and flags were held high above the graveside, notably the standard ofOwain Glyndŵr and theEryr 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."[9]
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